Finally ready to go kayaking

 Yes it is finally time for me to start my next adventure. After many setbacks and delays and doubts if I could go. It is now only two days until I push off in my kayak down the Suwanee river. This trip will be much different than my Gold prospecting trip. I will not have access to all the things I do now. This will be a true adventure and much more remote. I will not have my truck or any modern conveniences. Also will be much more isolated from people, the Internet Etc.not sure how often I will be updating this blog, (I have to be near a town and free WiFi). But I will be keeping a written journal and taking pictures along the way. Then when I have the chance I will transfer all the information to this blog. I am excited about going and at the same time a little nervous, I think I have prepared well, but until I actually go I wont know for sure if Ive prepared enough. I feel like the little girl in this picture, stepping out in the future not really knowing what to exspect or find.

Only 3 days to go

Well should be on my way down the river in 3-5 days. Have solved the problem with what to do with my truck. Probably going to leave it with my friends Dave and Kathrine. I am going to miss all the folks at the Alabama Gold Camp as well as the dogs. This is molly and she would come find me to give her a good petting almost every morning. But I am really looking forward to starting a new adventure. Plus I am ready to get closer to the warmer weather. As I get older the less and less I like being in cold weather. Well this is goodbye to Alabama Gold Camp and hello to my next adventure of kayaking down the Suwanee River into the Gulf of Mexico and down the coast of Florida to Key West. Not sure how often I can update the blog because I will not have access to electricity unless I paddle into a town.



Thanks to all the veterans in the world

This is Colonel Billy George Dornberger, At an early age he knew he was going to be a fighter pilot. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He gladly put his life on the line to protect our way of life. And on this day Veterans day I would like to thank him and all the other people who proudly served this country.

You don't have to like war, I think its stupid.(I served in the USMC) But you do have to thank and admire the people who fought the wars at the urging of the government. The politicians should all have to fight. Then maybe they would not be so eager to start wars.

It was below freezing last night. I slept well but waking up with frost on your sleeping bag is not fun. Getting out of my nice warm sleeping bag was not easy. But boredom of just laying there with nothing to do, made me crawl out. BRRRRRR was it cold. I need to get to Florida soon.

stop killing snakes

Some ass wipe decided to club this snake to death. It is not poisonous, even if it was people should leave them alone. They control the rodent  population. All this time that I have been spending in the woods, every time I came across a snake the first thing it wanted to do was get away from me. They are not going to attack you unless they have no other choice. And this is especially true when it comes to the poisonous snakes. They need their venom to eat. They don't want to use it on you.  So unless your starving and are going to eat the snake, leave them alone.

Still in Alabama and the forecast is for freezing weather tonight, I am prepared to sleep in the cold, but I don't like getting up in the morning when its cold.

Still have not been able to find someone to watch the truck, so I can go on my trip. May have to alter my plans. Maybe just drive down to the keys and take short little trips in the kayak. Not giving up on the original plan just yet.

Plans dont always work out

This picture is from when it was warm enough to get in the creek. I would float down with my head in the water looking for a good place to dredge for gold. Sure it looks funny but it worked. Anyway the plans I made to go kayaking went wrong, the person who was going to watch my truck backed out. So I am working on that problem. And the part I need for my kayak to keep it straight is on back order. So some delay in starting my next adventure. The weather has been COLD at night but very nice during the day. Just sitting around, doing some wood carving and just relaxing. 

Kayak works like a charm

Finally got around to taking the kayak to the lake to test the outriggers and sail that I made. It works like a charm. The outriggers work so well that I can stand up in the kayak. The sail could be bigger but as it is it pulls me through the water at the same speed that I can paddle. Thinking about making it bigger so that I can get more speed. Still not happy with having to sit so low, it is very uncomfortable , trying to come up with a way that I can sit upright, was using a small crate but it keeps popping open the air nozzles and causing the kayak to lose air. This is a design defect in the kayak putting the nozzles where I have to sit. Will have to duct tape them shut. I don't want to be in the Gulf of Mexico and have it go flat. Keeping my eye out for a cheap used canoe or solid body kayak. I would feel safer in something that can not go flat. Not sure when I will start this new adventure, the weather will dictate when I go. Hurricane season ends Nov 1 so I will go sometime after that. but I dont have a set date to leave. If it gets very cold I will hit the road. Just figured out the seating problem, DUHH I can switch the front and back splash guards so the seat is away from the nozzles. the kayak is shaped the same front to back, so problem solved. If anyone wants the plans for the outriggers send me a note, I built them for about ten dollars.

Goldzilla spits out gold

WOW look at all that gold. Today at the last Alabama Gold Club meeting of the year, Goldzilla made her debut and boy did she work well. It was a fun filled day and night. There where about 200 people in attendance for the party that lasted well into the night. as you can see the results for Goldzilla was great. We ran the machine for six hours and got about 1 and a half ounces of gold. The gold was split between the club members who qualified and everybody was happy with the share they got. I was very happy because i got one of the nuggets you see in the pan.  the event was the last one for the year, the next one will be in march. I am making a slide movie of the event and will post it soon.