Kayaks and cooking...

We woke up at 7:30 this morning to a beautiful day. Complete calm and about 80 degrees. First thought, load up the kayaks and head out for a little paddle. We headed to Owl Creek launch site, but being past dawn, the only parking left was for boat trailers. So, we headed for First Landing State Park. What a great place. One of the local secret spots, somewhat unknown to tourists. We launched the kayaks and headed into a channel that leads to Crystal Lake, surrounded by the multi-million dollar homes of Bay Colony. It was gorgeous. Calm water, no wind to speak of, and a nice paddle. Sorry, no pictures. We took a camera, but stored it the dry storage compartment. I wonder why we did that? (HaHa). Gail's camera still isn't working after our last trip / swim. We paddled for about two hours and covered approximately four miles.



After we came home and cleaned up the kayaks and ourselves, we headed out to WalMart to do some grocery shopping. Yes, I went to WalMart. When we got home it was time to start thinking about dinner. So......

What do you do on the Saturday before Labor Day when there are forecasts severe thunderstorms and you can't grill? Why stir fry, of course!

All the ingredients, ready to go......
Cooking in the wok.....
Ready to serve.....
Quick and easy, once all the prep is done.

We are hoping that the weather is as nice tomorrow so we can go for another paddle. It really feels good to get out and get some exercise since all of this week has been a bust. Between Gail working late and the threat of or actual rain, we didn't have a chance to even ride.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Well, the diet is going well. We are both eating better / healthier and the excess weight is coming off slowly.

The threat of rain finally came true. We had a small amount of rain in the evening. Just enough to cancel our ride yet again. Gail even got home at a normal time. The worst part is that I had both grills going when the rain picked up from a drizzle to actual raindrops. I had the charcoal grill going for the Filet, and the gas grill for the romaine and eggplant. In spite of the rain, dinner turned out great.

I think some of our neighbors think our stove is broken since we fire up the grill 4 to 6 times a week, rain or shine. Already on our fourth propane bottle of the season, with the fifth standing by because #4 in nearing empty.

The weekend weather looks like we might have a small window for a short kayak trip. We'll see.

Nothing Going On

Not very much going on here. We've been having some really funky weather. Apparently the remnants of Fay. It's cloudy all day with chances of thunderstorms. Can't ride with the chance of thunderstorms around here because they can get pretty severe in the blink of an eye.

Also, Gail has been working late since she is the only scheduler until the new lady starts. Doing the job of two people sometimes makes for long days.

We are watching the weather forecasts regularly to see if we will have an opportunity to go kayaking again this weekend.

Last night's dinner, Grilled Drumsticks and Sweet Potatoes.....

Maiden Voyages of the VBK His and Hers

Today was the maiden voyages of the VBK (Virginia Beach Kayak) His and VBK Hers (see pics). Gail's idea so we didn't get them confused. Each is set up for a specific Captain. (HaHa)

The VBK HIS.....
and the VBK HERS.....
We decided to launch at Horn Point, the same place we launched when we went on the Back Bay tour. There is a sandbar offshore where we wanted to practice getting back into the kayak from the water without being in really deep water. (More on that to follow)

This is the route we followed, 6.63 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes. Not bad for beginners.



Our route lead across North Bay into Hell's Point Creek. After following that for a short distance, we paddled up a branch heading toward Sandbridge Road. The creek started getting clogged with weeds (see pictures below), so we turned around and headed back toward the Back Bay. When we launched there was a pretty stiff breeze blowing and the bay was pretty rough. Back in the creek it was better. However, in some sections we were going cross wind and experienced a phenonom called "wind cocking". Basically what happens is that the bow continues to move straight ahead and it holds its direction due to the friction with the water. The stern is releasing from that friction, so the wind tends to swing the stern around, and it is quite a battle to keep going straight. Gail had a worse time of it than I did, and a couple of times was so frustrated that I thought she was going to throw her paddle. (Temper, temper)

As we came into the bay, Gail noticed a structure out in the middle and we decided to paddle out for a look. There was a pretty good wind chop on the water and paddling out was pretty strenuous, but we made it. The real fun was heading back to the launch site. As I said, there was a pretty good wind chop, with some of the swells running about 12 inches. Me, being somewhat over confident and a little cocky, decided to ride the swell. Why not, can't be much different than surfing. WRONG!!!! Between the wind, the swell, and my inexperience, I got sideways and got pitched into the water faster than you could blink an eye. It probably would have been funny as hell except for the fact that I had Gail's camera strapped to my life vest. Her first words were "My camera!" so I scrambled to try to keep it out of the water. No such luck. Fortunately her camera takes the same memory card as mine, so the few pictures we took were safe and could be downloaded. Her camera still isn't working. We'll see if a few days of drying out will help.

After that, we did stop over the sandbar and did some practice reentries. It was so rough by that time, we called it a day and headed home. Although being somewhat beat down, we had a great time and are already planning on scoping out some other launch sites. I can't wait to go again.

Me in Hell's Point Creek.....
Gail further up the creek.....
Some of the weeds we ran into before we turned around.....
Paddling up Hell's Point Creek.....
My Captain workin' the water.....
Structure mentioned above.....
Gail plowing through the swell.....
See the chop, be the chop......
Brief rest stop at the structure.....

The next major adventure will be to load them up with our fishing gear and see how that goes. I imagine it will be quite fun. A good sized fish could give you a wild ride. One thing I learned today, we will have to get some lanyards to clip to any equipment we carry just in case I get dumped again.

Some features of our "fishing" kayaks. Center rod holder..... Two rear rod holders and dry storage......
Stern "wet" storage/cargo area.....
Bow dry storage compartment.....

Norfolk Botanical Garden Sunset Kayak Tour...

Last night was our Norfolk Botanical Garden Kayak Tour. It was great. Our first attempt at single kayaks. We had a ball.

Turns out that the kayak tour of the Norfolk Botanical Garden is actually an Adult Education Class. Go figure.....

Map of the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Gail going for the Gold.....
Me just crusin' .....
This is the route we followed. The first part of the tour was paddling around the Botanical Garden in Lake Whitehurst. The last part of the tour was following a canal through the Botanical Garden. (Just over three miles)



A shot of the scenery. It was really gorgeous. Perfect weather. We even saw two pairs of Bald Eagles.
Me....
Oh Captain, My captain.....
Sun setting over the group...

If everything follows the same time table, Kayak Nature Tours will publish its pictures in the next couple of days. I will combine ours with theirs and set up an album for viewing.

Next adventure, Saturday we take out our kayaks for some fun in the Back Bay. Just a play trip. No fishing yet.

Greyson Gets Some Man Training

Here is a cute picture of Greyson that Chris and Courtney gave us. Looks like he's starting his man training early.

Riding and "The Diet"

Not much going on, except we continue on our "get into shape journey". Last night we went for a 5+ mile ride and came home to an excellent dinner, Grilled "Slab" Pork Chops and Asparagus grilled with garlic/olive oil. Mmmmmmmm...

Gail has me following her calorie counting diet. I'm a carb diet fan, so this is new to me. I think the most helpful part of counting calories is that you must track everything you eat. It really puts the grazing / snacking habit in perspective. We'll see how long it lasts. Down 8 lbs. 15 to go...

Salad Dressings

Thought I would pass along some salad dressing recipes I've found.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Raspberry Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Agave Nectar or Honey
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

If it is too tart for your taste, add a little more Agave Nectar or Honey.

Greek Dressing

1/2 cup First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Oregano
1 oz. Fresh Parsley, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and parsley in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking vigorously. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add crumbled Feta cheese to salad after dressing is applied.

Basil Vinaigrette

2/3 cup First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar or Honey
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. Paprika
3 Tbsp. (packed) Fresh Basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix white wine vinegar, agave nectar, Dijon mustard and paprika in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking vigorously. Mix in basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Caesar

1/2 cup First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. White Wine
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Lemon Zest, grated
2 Tbsp. Fage Greek yogurt

Mix lemon juice, white wine, salt, garlic and lemon zest in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking vigorously. Once emulsified, whisk in yogurt until smooth and creamy.

You can also add 1/2 tsp. of Anchovy Paste. I personally don't care for anchovies.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Oregano, dried
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

Mix balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking vigorously.

Curry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp. First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Sweet Curry Powder (The Spice House)
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Agave Nectar or Honey
1/4 tsp. Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Dill
1/8 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
Dash Hot Pepper Sauce

Mix all ingredients in a shaker bottle and shake vigorously. This dressing tends to separate easily. Shake well prior to use.

Well we did it ! Even though we haven't tried single kayaks yet, we found such a good deal (25% off at Sports Authority) that we just couldn't pass it up. Fully outfitted for fishing (center rod holder not yet mounted) just like Gail wanted. Weather, and the fact that Gail had to run into work today, didn't allow time for us to try them out yet. We'll probably wait until next weekend for the maiden voyage. But, we are still going on the Botanical Garden tour Thursday. We'll let you know how that goes.

Pictures of our new toys.

Tonights Ride

Decided to take a longer ride tonight. Rode from home to London Bridge Road. 9.25 miles total. The return trip was fairly hard. Rode into an approx. 20 MPH headwind the entire way, but we survived.

Back Bay Kayak Tour Photos

Got the photos of our kayak trip. If I had of taken my camera I could not have gotten these shots, so I guess leaving the photos to them is OK.

Heading out.....
Final instructions before heading into North Muddy Creek.....
Paddling down the creek.....
Are we having fun yet?....
Gail paddling, I'm looking around.....
Mid-course correction.....
Playing around on the way back.....
We had a ball. About half an hour after we got home, a thunderstorm came roaring through. Talk about good timing.

Next trip to the Botanical Garden I will definitely take some pictures.

Back Bay Kayak Tour.....

Well today was the day, Kayak Adventure #1, Bay Bay Wildlife Refuge. We had a great time. Unfortunately, no pictures yet. The guide convinced all of us that it might not be too wise to take cameras, since they would get wet. So, we'll just have to wait for the pictures they took to be posted on their web site. I will check for them and post them as soon as they are available.

One scary moment. As we rounded a small bend, there was a baby Cottonmouth in the water. One of the ladies almost ran him over. The rest of us gave him a wide berth and he swam back into the reeds. Needless to say, Gail was somewhat freaked. So, we spent a lot of our paddling time in the middle of the channels.

We nearly hit a cypress tree. I guess that's what happens when you have one person trying to drive and the other trying to steer. Other than that, all went well.

Two pictures of the launch site..........

Kayaks ready for launch....

Distance shown on map is one way. Of course we had to paddle back, too.




This is a map of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (inside dotted lines). We actually launched north of Shipps Bay in an area known as North Bay (Not on this map, but just above the point over Shipps in Shipps Bay), but as you can see, there is a lot more area to explore. Maybe some more trips.
Our next trip will be on August 21. A sunset tour of the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. This time we will have separate kayaks. Also, I will take my camera. We didn't really get that wet at all.

It's That Time Again....

What a way to open the coverage of the Little League World Series. ESPN broadcast the Southwest Regional Championship Game last night. Lamar Texas vs South Lake Charles Louisiana. It went an extra inning due to a two out, bottom of the sixth, home run to tie it at 7. A really hard fought victory for South Lake Charles. The ending, scoring the winning on a wild pitch was kind of a bummer, but it wouldn't have been possible without the preceding hitting and base running. Congrats to SLC, first US team to qualify for Williamsport.

Pork Gyros with Yogurt/Tomato Sauce

Here's another one worth trying. Pork Gyros with Yogurt/Tomato Sauce served with Greek Salad.

I know that I have posted a few recipes lately, and had planned on holding off on the next one. BUT, I made this one for dinner tonight, and just could not wait to share it. The Gyros were very good and the salad was excellent.


Pork Filling

2 lb Pork Tenderloin
1 cup water
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Dry Red Wine
3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 Tbsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

Mix water, red wine, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly add olive oil while whisking. Add bay leaves and pour into Crock Pot. Adjust temperature to high and heat for one hour.

Cut the pork tenderloin into four approximately equal portions. Place the pork in the crock pot. After two hours, turn the temperature down to low and cook until tender (3 to 4 hours), to the point of falling apart. You will need to turn the pork occasionally if liquid does not cover completely. Also, spooning the cooking liquid over the top of each piece between turns is recommended.

Tenderloin in the crock pot.....

When pork is thoroughly cooked, remove from cooking liquid and shred with a fork. Although the pork is moist from the slow cooking, add a couple tablespoons (or a little more) of the cooking liquid for additional flavor and mix well. Serve while hot.

Pork, ready to serve.....

Tomato/Yogurt Sauce

1 1/2 Cups Fage Plain Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp. Tomato, chopped and seeded
1 Tbsp. Dill
2 Tbsp. Capers, drained
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

Combine all ingredients except yogurt in a blender/food processor and puree. Add yogurt to the blender 1/2 cup at a time and process at high speed (Liquefy). Chill until needed. I put mine in a plastic condiment dispenser bottle. Makes it easy to apply sauce on sandwich.

Sandwiches

Pita Bread
Thinly sliced Red Onion
Arugula

To assemble sandwiches: warm pita bread in oven or microwave, cut pita rounds in half, coat the inside liberally with the Yogurt/Tomato Sauce, fill with pork, add some arugula and onion, then dress with additional sauce.

Dinner's ready.....

Greek Salad

2 cups of Tomato
1 cup of Cucumber
1/2 cup Sliced Black Olives
1/3 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Red Onion, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Dice tomatoes and cucumber (large dice). Mix with olives and onion. Apply a liberal amount of dressing and toss. Chill the salad. Add crumbled Feta, toss, and serve.

Greek Salad, ready to serve.....

Greek Dressing

1/2 cup First Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano together. Slowly add olive oil while whisking. Add parsley and stir. Chill until needed.

Greek Salad Dressing (left), Yogurt/Tomato Sauce (right).....

If I were to change anything next time, I might opt for Kalamata Olives in the salad.