This week, Ailsa’s travel theme is colorful. Hmmm, bad timing. Our autumn leaves have died, and we’ve gone bleak. Photos from today, 11/23.
The boathouse at Horseshoe Harbor is in hibernation mode
Party’s over til next May
The docks are gone, so Alex preps to launch from the beach
Even the park feels abandoned
No obvious riots of color here. But all that can change quickly, when you wriggle into your mango and paprika dry suits and paddle 4.5NM to City Island, in the Bronx. Winds this Sunday morning were 10 kts. SW, water 43F, the air around 55F—enough to put some color in our cheeks.
Andrew brightens the day
Passing Hunter Island
Orange and yellow aren’t just for trees
Reflections of Rick
The extent of the “boat traffic” between Long Island and Westchester. Can you find all four vessels?
Brunch at Sugar & Spice Bakery. No one notices that the aliens have landed at the next table over.
Jean and Alex drip, while Jerry ponders the menu
Even the choking emergency poster is cheery
Paleo pastry it isn’t
Jerry
This colorful character was fascinated by our beach launch
Salty sea dog of City Island
City Island is known for its shipbuilding. During WWI and II, it produced minesweepers and tugs, as well as many landing craft used in beach invasions. City Island has produced seven Americas Cup-winning yachts.
We relaunched around 12:30. Andrew and Jim headed for home.
The rest of us circumnavigated City Island. That’s Stepping Stones light and Long Island on the horizon of a deep blue-green sea.
Going around clockwise for a change
Alex’s paddle wins the Most Likely To Be Seen award
Local color: According to area tradition, anyone actually born on the island is known as a “clamdigger.” A City Island resident not born on the island is known as a “musselsucker.”
Calm, cool scene at the top of City Island
2 Geeks @ 3 Knots 
A pleasant desaturated color day here too, just in time to complete a century of launches and put away the boats before Wednesday’s heavy snow. The stepping stones photo reminded me of a better one, took a little digging, found in a rime of a report from the beginning of the year.
https://2geeks3knots.com/2014/02/26/ethereal/
A good year for us, and judging by the run of reports, ditto for you. We accomplished much of what we had planned in a vague way with the bonus of guest appearances at 2G3K. Thanks very much! The one glaring defeat was the failure to meet up with our NYC friends on the water.
Michael and Julie, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful message. Wow, congrats on the 100 paddles in 2014!! That is what…kayaking every third day? We are beyond jealous! And beyond thankful: We can’t begin to express how much we (and others) appreciate your guest blogs on 2G3K. We look forward to more! Good luck with all the frozen stuff in the next few days… Big hugs and best wishes, Jean & Alex
Pingback: Some Color in Nepal | rfljenksy – Practicing Simplicity
Beautiful, calm weather for your City Island trip, so unlike my last two trips with the “Westchester gang!” Hoping to join you all in 2015, after my QLs heal.
Hey, Michele! We missed you on this paddle. Best wishes and Big Birthday hugs (!) from all of us “vikings.” May the QLs heal quickly so we can all reconvene on the water in January! Happy Thxgiving 🙂
Ooooh how lovely, what a great interpretation of the theme! You are our heroes! ❤ 🙂 🙂
Thank you, Dina! May we say, on this Thanksgiving eve, how happy we are to have met you Fab 4. You have added much color—beautifully—to our worldview. Big hugs, Jean & Alex