Kayaking is our business but also our passion. We are feel very blessed to be able to do what we love professionally and to share our joy with others.November is an interesting month for us in our business. The days are much shorter, and we are starting to see the first of our rain. We enjoy a slow-down in the daily hustle and bustle of the tourism part of business and use this time to review our business plan and plan for the upcoming year. It is also a good time for some professional development and some time away.
With our whitewater river season approaching, we felt it was time for a refresher on swift-water rescue. So we combined a little time away with swift-water rescue training on the Stanislaus River near Knights Ferry. We enjoyed the geology and poking around the historical landmarks from the California's Gold Rush. Not to mention, the fall weather was gorgeous and seeing the salmon laying eggs in the river was very exciting. Still can't believe that we didn't take any pictures.
The swift-water rescue training that we did was taught by Julie Munger of Sierra Rescue. It was a very physical and intense 2 days of training with simulated rescue scenarios. Julie's breadth of knowledge and experience was invaluable as she taught us the skills that we would need as boaters in rescue situations. The number one key though is PREVENTION. Through the class I gained a new appreciation for swimming on the river. Prior to the class, I had developed my swimming skills on the river out of necessity for when I swam out of my boat (grrrrr - which was too many times last season). My perspective has changed and I see the value and potential fun of swimming in the river. I do foresee some river board play in our future as well.
Developing our 2011 calendar has been super fun and exciting - of course- we are creating a calendar of funness for ourselves and others. But lots of time in the office on the computer isn't our favorite. Fortunately mushroom season is upon us so we have been motivated to get our tasks done so that we can get out into the forest in search of treasures - boletes, chantrelles, candy caps . . . YUM!!!
Speaking of mushrooms, it was an honor to have our Mushroom Paddles featured in the November Issue of Sunset Magazine. So I guess our foraging in the forest falls into the professional development and training category. It is really awesome to be able to do what you love.
Thanks to all of our friends, family, and customers for sharing the magic with us.
