I wanted to write, but nothing came to me.  The feeling reminded me of walking through the desert with an empty canteen, but constantly thinking about taking a drink any way.  You’ll eventually do it out of habit or compulsion, no matter what your rational thoughts say.  Sometimes you’ll even get a trickle of water out of it, a sliver that more reminds you of water than gives any sort of quenching.  Yet you swallow any way, because it’s what you have.

Drinks had been played thin, boosted my tolerance of alcohol and caffeine to a level that cracked even my apathy.  I wanted to not drink more than I wanted to do something interesting.  I also wanted to be alone, which was fairly normal, but knew I needed other people around, which was not at all normal.  The saving grace was that I had make-work that gave me something to pretend to do around people that I didn’t have to talk to.  That probably spared my sanity a good bit of stress while doing nothing for my dwindling savings.

This was an inflection point in my reality.  Not the good kind, where one chooses between two paths that make them a better person and their life a better experience.  This was a lower bound, where you gently bottom out before building momentum and returning to a life that could at least pass for normal.  I sat and considered a few courses I could take for the day.  Most of them involved some sort of exercise, like walking or boating, but all of them tired me out by the thinking of them, before I could begin and gain some tangible exhaustion.  I left to let a distraction find me.

At the creek, there were rocks in the bed below the trail.  Nobody was sure where they had come from.  They were large and natural, not concrete rip-rap that you might find near an old construction site, diminutive monuments of a sunburned driver who wanted to see his children ten minutes sooner, and took those ten minutes from the time it would have cost to drive to the dumping grounds.  There was no construction nearby, and they were the wrong kinds of rocks. These were cut from a stream with an actual current, where a subdued torrent of silted water slowly carved them out, then brushed their edges to an eggshell finish, and were out of place in the coastal plains. 

I’d been to this spot several times over the past few months.  Each time I passed the trail, it was closer to the water.  The at the last passing, I realized it was the bank moving, and not the trail.  Soon the trail would be severed, only an imaginary line down the bank, through the water, and back up the bank.  The rocks wanted to be there.  I didn’t know exactly where, and I couldn’t fathom exactly why, but the rocks had a need and I couldn’t ignore it.

The cairn started out small, as all cairns must be started.  My mortar was weaker than that of a pile that grew over a hundred years, but it was enough to let the rocks pile up.  I tasted dust and sweat and an absence of humidity.  The air wasn’t heavy with water like it normally is, and tasted more of dying microflora than moisture ripped from standing bodies of water.  There weren’t many bodies of water left standing or otherwise.  There was more grit on my hands than in my mouth, which was good, but the balance was slowly tipping.  It became a long, unsteady farce of race.  Working harder made it worse, as did working faster.  And it was a sort of work born from the compulsion that glowed from that carpet of rocks by the creek.  It wasn’t required of me, but it had to be done. 

My doldrums were buried under the stack of foreign rocks.  I put them on the edge of the path, nearer the water.  The trail would grow around the rocks, the creek would keep its distance.  I understood why the rocks wanted to be there, and it made my labor easier.  The stack grew, until the all the stony brothers were in their new home.  I hadn’t realized it until my race was over, but I was exhausted.  I couldn’t hear my arms over the crying of the rocks, but once the rocks were satisfied, my arms plaintive cry rang in my ears.  Even if it wasn’t for such, I appeased them, sitting against a tree and crossing them over my knees. 

In the shade of the tree, I watched the rocks lounge in their new home, imagining them shuffling around and finding comfortable spots to set.  After a few minutes I stopped imagining, and the rocks kept shuffling.  A rock half way up the pile tipped onto a new side.  I idly wondered at this, because the rocks didn’t have any means of locomotion that I could recall.  Its brother followed its lead, and tumbled to the bottom of the pile.  I watched with a resigned interest as more followed, taking the bank and half of the trail with them.  All that was left of the cairn was a bite in the trail and an expanse of rocks trailing into the creek.

I wanted to write, sitting in the shade, but nothing came to me.  But I knew where the rocks had come from.

Yeah, there’s a high parked over the Gulf and another parked over northern Texas, with a yummy low over central Mexico.  Basically, that means there’s zero chance of anything getting in the gulf.  And even if there were a chance, one of the tropical waves over the Atlantic is a lame duck and dying over South America.  The other is is laughably insignificant.  There’s zero chance of interesting tropical weather for at least the next two weeks.

Sigh.

I seriously doubt this one is going to spin up, and even if it does it will probably stumble over central america and disappear.  But it’s a good chance to check your hurricane closet and make sure you’re ready.

With El Nino firmly in place, and a high pressure ridge sitting over Texas, it’s unlikely that we’ll see any significant tropical weather this year or next.  Don’t go crazy, but HYST.

I’m out of news and need sleep.  It was hot, rough, rougher for the racers, and lots of fun as always.  I’m looking forward to racing again.  For further updates, see the official news and times at http://www.texaswatersafari.org and stories and other info at http://paddle24seven.com/

See you all next year.

Last of the pics are just about done uploading.  I’ll be collecting, tagging, sorting, and distributing later.  Email me and tell me if you have pics to add to the collection.

Holly and Debbie looked really good coming in, finished around 14:00.  Rebekah looked really tired, but passed a couple of boats and kept on rolling like a champ.  She should have been in an hour before nightfall.

Tim Curry managed to keep it up in the bay until about twenty feet before the finish line.  He looked really happy about that.

I’m going to sleep.  But pray for the Rask family, they had a family emergency and had to leave before the awards.

CJ Hall posted this at about midnight.  LOTS of good dirt.  This morning, he and Zoltan were seen talking about Zoltan’s duct tape job.  Apparently the rough river wore right through the tape and he just couldn’t make it last long enough.  From http://paddle24seven.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=82&func=view&catid=5&id=2842

Well I got to a computer.
All the people are keeping up with actual times and stuff and I am not.
So here is the C.J. Scoop.
I spent the night at the Ottine Portage Saturday. A very interesting place to be.
The first boat came through. (The Belize Dudes) at around 5:30pm.
They looked bad. Tired, muddy and in a bad mood. It seemed like it took them forever to get through it.
Next was the Houston Kids. (That's what I call them). They looked like they just got in the water an hour earlier.
Other than Fred They were the smoothest boat I saw all night.
Fred came through with a 21 minute lead on West. West broke his boat but did one of the best Gorilla Tape jobs I have seen in a while.
The field was wide spread by then so there was some space between boats.
Bugge did great through there. I enjoyed Erin with her commentary between her and her boat.
Rebecca came through about 2 hours after Ginse who was with the lead C1. The second C1 was right behind them with holes in his boat.
He looked good but the boat didn't.
Zoltan came in and slept there for about 3 hours along with a 2 man boat that did the same. They left before daylight and looked much better.
I am not sure what happened to them afterward but if they played there cards right they passed allot of sleeping boats at Palmetto.
The guys in the big wide Blue boat came up and said they were quitting. One of them said he broke his arm.
I consulted Jerry Cochran and he brought them to get there team Captain to get there boat.
I will give them the Crazy award this year. When Jerry and I grabbed there boat to get it up the hill it didn't move.
Let me reiterate that for clarity.
When Jerry Cochran grabs a boat and it doesn't move that translates as HEAVY.
How they got it that far with a broke foot. (Oh Yea) They started with a broke foot and he hurt his arm at Cummings with a lead lined boat is mind boggling.
The last boat was an aluminum came through at 6:15 am.
Carlton and I came on to Seadrift and rested for a while.
I helped Babs with the Web Cam and some set up things on Sunday and that was about it.
Today the Belize Dudes won. (Bummer) The Houston kids were about 30 minutes behind.
If there would have been 1 more long portage the Kids would have creamed them. If that team stays together the Belize dudes are TOAST.
I cant wait to see that.
Then Fred was a bit behind. 3rd Overall and First Solo. All anyone can say about that is WOW.
Yonely came in and a few more.
The highlight of the evening so far was Team Bad Dog (Tandem). 10pm or so.
They got out and carried there boat the last 3/4 mile across the finish line.
Perfectly legal and considering the wind total Genious.
No one at the Pavilion was expecting that.
Once again, I am not up on who is where or who is out.
All I can say is I am enjoying helping all the volunteers with everyone's endeavors,
C.J.

Well I passed out last night. At least it wasn't while driving. Fifteen boats in. Looks like I just missed a good three way race for thirteenth place.

place number time
7 6200 21:58
8 331 22:38
9 321 01:00
10 117 04:18
11 1920 05:12
12 388 06:59
13 1729 07:05:01
14 1001 07:05:02
15 241 07:08

Rebekah Zeek in 175 passed dupont just after dawn (about 07:00).  Orr/Richardson in 279 (?) passed the salt water barrier at about the same time.

I've slept almost as little as a team captain. Two hours at hocheim, and some half napping at the swb last night. Managed to show up just in time for the five man at both places.

It's about 21:30 on monday and a whole six boats are in.
314 at 07:23
221 07:53
44 10:58 (+1 hr penalty for no pfd)
20 16:17
4 16:32
807 18:03

Pete rask of 221 told stories of a mile long log jam. Portaging the full length intead of putting in for a short stretch in the middle was faster.

Jim pye in 101 was listed as out when I checked palmetto sp. It's said his stern handle broke while going down luling dam and he took too much boat damage. Zoltan is also out, but I haven't heard why.

There are tales of a pack of six or seven boats that passed the wooden bridge an hour or so ago. People are starting to line up on the water and look for them.

Rebekah zeek in 175 is still cranking along and in great shape. Orr/richardson in 279 (?) weren't feeling well but pressing on. See the previous post for a video explanation of a possible cause. Okay, i'm out to do more scouting when I should be sleeping.

Jamie and Hannah know what’s making it too hot:
2009-06-15%20tws%20071.AVI-download

 

Water Safari puts Texas boaters to rigorous test | Top stories | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Looks like it’s in the chronicle. Thanks to CaptJack for the link.

Per Sally Olson, the Cowboys went through the SWB at 12:45, and Yonley/Rendon (#20) at 12:10.  Rebekah (#175) should be going through Nursery in about half an hour (14:45).

I have nothing else to report now.  I’m gonna nap.

There was just a little fighting… Stephen said “ONLY second place?” Jonathan followed with “It’s all your fault!”

Hannah, captain for Zeek in 175, got her vehicle stuck at Thomaston.  Guess who gets to go rescue her.

Time is about 07:22

314 03:50 03:55
221 04:29 04:31

314 03:50 03:55 221 04:29 04:31

Omar posted these to paddle24seven.com, I’m reposting them here

Cheapside (about 15:00)
1 314 Belizees 9:14a
2 221 Derek lads 9:37a
3 44 Freddy 11:32
4 20 Rendon Yonley 12:40
5 117 Sherrod Prochaska 13:16
6 807 Cowboys 14:22
7 6200 rd Kissling about 1425
8 1729 west ditto
9 45 gaston Jones ditto
10 1001 wueste ditto
11 321 Startz/Dorniak
12 331 Bugge/Shively
13 388 Alford
14 12 Sammy Prochaska

Cuero 236 (about 18:23)
1 314 Belizees 1133
2 221 Derek Lads 1156
3 44 Freddy 1407
4 20 Rendon/Yon 1536
5 117 Sherrod/Proch 1612
6 807 C'boys 1726
7 45 Gaston 1727
8 1729 West 1737
9 1001 Wueste 1737
10 6200 RD 1739
11 321 Startz/D 1903
12 331 Bugge 1910

Hocheim (about 18:15)
1 314 Belizees 5:20 am
2 221 Derek Lads 535 am
3 44 Fred 707am
4 20 Rendon Yonley
5 117 Sherrod/Prochaska
6 807 Cowboys
7 45 Gaston Jones
8 1001 wUESTE 9 37
9 1729 West 938
10 6200 RD Kissling/ 938
11 321 Startz/Dorniak 10:40
12 331 Bugge/Shively11
13 12 Sammy 1104
14 388 Alford
15 106 Edoh Amiran
16 1920 Alum Condie 1156
17 241 Binion/Bradford 1312
18 262 Shawn Boyett 1324
19 8321 Stevenson/Stevenson1535
20 497 Erin1536
21 222 Watson
22 279 Holly/Debbie
23 96 Novice Robin Carville 1625
24 1123 Leef/ 1634
25 48 Marsh/Reed 1635

Zeek in 175 in at hochheim at 18:53, more to come later.

Transcribed from the official check in sheet at 12:35 Sunday

1	314	05:20	05:20
2	221	05:35	05:37
3	44	07:07	07:07
4	20	07:42	07:43
5	117	08:29	08:31
6	807	09:20	09:23
7	4	09:37	09:38
8	1001	09:37	09:40
9	1729	09:38	09:45
10	6200	09:38	09:38
11	321	10:40	10:43
12	331	11:00	11:01
13	12	11:04	11:04
14	388	11:17	11:21
15	106	11:21	11:25
16	1920	11:56	11:58

314 11:33 11:35
221 11:56 11:57

A few times taken by sandy yonley. No note of places or other boats, just times.

Gonzales 183
Yonley/rendon 00:40
Sherrod 01:31
West 01:32
Jeff w 01:52
G jones 02:07
Cowboys 02:12
rd + bobby 02:22
Alford s 02:51

Hochheim
Yonley 07:42
Sherrod 08:29
Cowboys 09:20
G jones 09:37
Wueste 09:37
West 09:38
Rd + bobby 09:38