Sometimes...

not checking the map or the weather before you leave makes for interesting paddling. I left this morning after a bracing breakfast of tamago kake gohan (Wikipedia it if you must!) to paddle off Fairhope. I've started runs from the Pier Street Boat Ramp many times, but I've never used it as a kayak launching point before and wanted to check it out. I pulled on the windproof fleece and headed to the water....not many people out, so I got to assemble the boat quickly. In addition to the using the Pier Street Boat Ramp, I also wanted to look for a creek north of Devils Hole that I had heard about (but didn't look for on a map). A gentle 3-5kt wind followed me as I paddled past the Fairhope Municipal Pier and Devils Hole. Unfortunately, no other creek appeared to be forthcoming and as I was unwilling to wait for global climate change to generate results, I turned around about a mile or so past Devils Hole and paddled back. Devils Hole contains the Fairhope Yacht Club and "Fly Creek," so I swung in to check out the sailboats and paddle up Fly Creek. On the way out, I ran into (almost literally) a bearded, old fisherman throwing a cast-net out for mullet. I need to start carrying cash with me when I paddle; I just found a recipe for fried mullet and this would have been a great opportunity to pick some up fresh. Still, it was a pleasant scene watching someone who had obviously been fishing for many years working his trade on a sunny day. As I popped out of the breakwater, I realized that the wind had picked up significantly...to the tune of a 10-15kt headwind. Actually, a pure headwind would have been nice, this one was slightly off the port bow, requiring me to shift my grip on the paddle to the right. That works well for making automatic correcting strokes, but it does give wind gusts a good lever to work on! Anyway, it was a good paddle, about 8.5 miles over 2.25 hours with a strong finish and a Clif bar at the end.