It's All Aboot Maine

Well, it is Sunday night, and I have jet-lag. Where did I go, you ask? Freeport, Maine! A great place. Not only did I see a great town, I got to see a bunch of great people.

I had the pleasure of being sent by L.L.Bean to attend an on-water training with a wonderful crew of paddling instructors. L.L.Bean's people are dedicated to not only what they do; they are dedicated to how they do it! Believe me, they do their thing with lots of style. What an opportunity I had. If just a little bit rubs off on me, it will be well worth the trip.

At least a dozen of us spent the day at Flying Point, a tip of land in Freeport owned by L.L.Bean. After introductions, we spent the morning demonstrating paddling skills and critiquing each other's presentation techniques. There is nothing better for an instructor than to put themselves into this position. This is how improvement is achieved!.

The weather was gorgeous. Those that did this same thing last spring, told stories of rain that fell horizontally. Not this year! Perhaps I brought some good fortune, since even the afternoon winds held off until we were ready to get off the water.

The afternoon was all about re-entries and rescues. Solo, assisted, rescuing rec-boats, rescuing tandems, rescuing injured paddlers. We pushed our endurance to the limits as we practiced on-and-on.

'Improving skills and doing it in a fun environment'; that is how I would describe the day.

To top off the day, a bunch of us met at a local pub afterwards and talked more about kayaking. We gave ourselves a good round of pat-on-the-backs as well. A good day come to an end, and a good job well done.

I want to say thanks again to all you Maine folks for having me amongst you, and for spreading some of the L.L.Bean style my way. Thanks also to those so thoughtful to have sent me there.

If you were there on Saturday, check out my photographs. I may have caught you at an awkward moment during a rescue. For the rest of you, check out what you missed! Here is a link to the photo album.