Blackwater Sound, Key Largo Florida at dusk, Nov 1, 2015 Day of the Dead Paddle.
Great fun was had by all on the night paddle the day after Halloween. My friend, Rebeca, did a fantastic job decorating and coordinating the event. She even got a face painter to show up and paint those horrible skeletons on everyone’s face. I was on the fence on whether I was going to paint my face. In the early afternoon, Rebeca painted her face and started stalking me. That was it… decision made, no face painting for me!
The paddle, however, was gorgeous with an amazing waning moon just a few days after the full moon.
As luck would have it, just a few days earlier, an interesting gentleman by the name of Lou, would wander into Florida Bay Outfitters in search of a 17th century Astrolabe for his friend O.B. I was literally hopping on my bike to go do Yoga as Lou calls out to discuss compasses and kayaking with me. The guys inside the shop told him of my plans to paddle from Cuba to Key West. It turns out Lou was born in Cuba and belongs to Castaways Against Cancer, O.B. being the ring leader. The Castaways are a group of kayakers that paddle from Miami to Key West every year to raise money for research to cure cancer. I have been unofficially adopted by the Castaways, they have taken up my cause, and I have promised to paddle with them from Miami to Key West whenever it works out for everyone. They start their training January 16, 2016, so I plan to join them on the weekends, paddle the Keys, speak to schools, and be poised to launch when we receive the word from the weather gurus working on my behalf. I spoke to O.B. today, and apparently I left for California in the nick of time as it has been pouring rain ever since in Florida.