Your other hobbies (2026)

[Gone Hiking]

Kayaking is another interest of mine, particularly with traditional Greenland qajaqs. The ice is finally off the nearest river, so I took my East Greenland qajaq out for my first rolling session of 2026 this morning. I built this one a few years back, which is a near-replica of a 130-year old original hanging in a museum in Norway. I only modified the cockpit for a better personal fit. This one is 18'9" long and 18.25" wide at the cockpit. It felt good to be back on the water. The only hiccup was my neoprene gloves must have lost their elasticity because I couldn't get them on, so I had to roll in mid 30-something degree water with bare hands, which I could only take for about 40 minutes before they became numb and I had to come off the water.

I set my phone up on the launch ramp to record for a few minutes and captured these screenshots. These qajaqs are very low volume and incredibly tight, so to get in, you have to sit on the back deck, place your legs straight into the qajaq, and then wiggle forward until your butt drops down into the cockpit. Then you can affix your tuilik to the combing to prevent water from getting in. It's the reverse to get out.

 

[Morning Glory]

Kayaking is another interest of mine, particularly with traditional Greenland qajaqs. The ice is finally off the nearest river, so I took my East Greenland qajaq out for my first rolling session of 2026 this morning. I built this one a few years back, which is a near-replica of a 130-year old original hanging in a museum in Norway. I only modified the cockpit for a better personal fit. This one is 18'9" long and 18.25" wide at the cockpit. It felt good to be back on the water. The only hiccup was my neoprene gloves must have lost their elasticity because I couldn't get them on, so I had to roll in mid 30-something degree water with bare hands, which I could only take for about 40 minutes before they became numb and I had to come off the water.
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I set my phone up on the launch ramp to record for a few minutes and captured these screenshots. These qajaqs are very low volume and incredibly tight, so to get in, you have to sit on the back deck, place your legs straight into the qajaq, and then wiggle forward until your butt drops down into the cockpit. Then you can affix your tuilik to the combing to prevent water from getting in. It's the reverse to get out.
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Kayak kudos to you (but you won't catch me doing that!). Actually you won't catch me doing lots of things. My idea of a fun activity would be a leisurely walk, these days.

 

[TastyReuben]

My idea of a fun activity would be a leisurely walk, these days.

You and me both, Sister!

 

[Barriehie]

 

[detroitdad]

+$500 in my other hobby this weekend!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Sadly, last time I was kayaking I was in Finland back in 2011, but I did get to see a fresh water seal close up!

 

[badjak]

I like canoeing, but kayaking scares me.
I can't do an eskimo roll....

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I like canoeing, but kayaking scares me.
I can't do an eskimo roll....

I never found it that difficult.

 

[badjak]

I never found it that difficult.

I'm scared to hit a croc or hippo with my head

 

[Barriehie]

I've done some ocean kayaking while living in California on the coast. I discovered, up close, just how big sea lions are... (They're territorial too.)

 

[karadekoolaid]

I can't do an eskimo roll....

Easy. Go to the local Sushi place: Eskimo roll, spicy tuna roll, crispy shrimp roll...

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

So here I am at my mother’s apartment being her 24/7 caregiver as she recovers from surgery for a broken hip.
I knew full well that I’d get bored and bought this adorable kit for a dollar. These little paper pinwheels look great on her balcony.

 

[Gone Hiking]

Both last weekend, and this weekend, I set out in the mountains to explore two separate 170-year old+ coal mining villages. Yesterday's trip covered an 8 mile loop. This is the area that I hiked.

Going up the dark side of the mountain. There were 35 mph winds to contend with.

This is a vernal pond on the sunny side of the mountain that is home to spring peepers. Soon, their chorus will be deafening.

Stop #1. This nearly one mile-long boulder field is regarded as one of my state's most outstanding geologic features. It's the result of periglacial conditions and mass wasting, whereby these boulders toppled, rolled, and slid from parallel ridges into the bottom of this geologic syncline. It's a 3 mile hike to get up here.

Stop #2. These are the tailings at the old mining town. At this point, you're 4 miles in.

For the first time, I found the original mine entrances. This is one, but photographs just don't capture it well. You really need to walk around and see it, or perhaps need some drone footage to get a sense of where and how it all comes together.

These are the lower-most stone foundations that supported the coal breaker that ran down the mountain. The "rock pile" just below the lowest one is actually the start of an elevated inclined plane that allowed the miners to take the coal down to the water gap to load on wagons and take further down to the former railroad.

One of my lighter packs for a long day hike with lots of steep elevation changes.

This is rattlesnake plantain, a mountain orchid that blooms during the summer months. Thankfully, I didn't encounter any actual rattlesnakes, unlike last weekend when one took exception to me stomping on his turf and gave me a warning buzz. Neat stuff in these mountains, as always.

 

[detroitdad]

Poker