View of eclipse spectacular

Rumor has it spring’s on the way. There are some telltale signs – like mud, flowers, tree buds, blooming forsythia and, I’m sorry to report, some black flies and mosquitoes. Now if we could just get the thermometer to wake up and the clouds to take a powder. This had to be one of the grayest weeks we’ve had in ages, even the molds are waving white flags.

It’s been difficult trying to schedule outdoor fun with this quirky weather.

Take Thursday, for example. It was another in a string of murky days. It seemed that someone in the weather department forgot there was a scheduled eclipse of the moon. Several of us had planned to be on Pushaw Lake around 9 p.m. to watch the show. All day long we watched the clouds in anticipation. Even into the evening it looked as if the show would be a dud.

But we decided to head to Robert Causey’s shore-side estate in Glenburn and launch our kayaks anyway. If the clouds lingered we’d just go for a paddle. Lo and behold at the appointed hour (around 9 p.m.). the clouds began to break up and the full moon peeked through. Karen Francoeur arrived with a tandem kayak for Causey and friend, Pam Poisson, to use. We hit the water.

The lunar show was spectacular! We paddled south toward the Twin Islands to get in the lee of a south wind and drifted in the breeze while watching the shadow of earth slowly override the moon’s face. By 11:15 p.m. or so the shadow completely covered he moon, which gave off a rusty red glow. Viewed through binoculars, the moon appeared to be lit from above. What a show! In honor of the magnificence we danced the penumbra umbra rumba all the way home.

After so many days of gloomy weather, it was a treat to see starry skies.

With all our wet and gray, you have to have some pity for the seniors of People’s Baptist Academy of McDonough, Ga., who are visiting Maine on their senior trip. They’ve been staying at the Northrop Cottage in Castine this week and trying to participate in some outdoor activities. Unfortunately several of them had to be called off or rescheduled due to the rainy weather. (Rock climbing in the rain is ill advised.)

But a little rain wasn’t going to ruin a kayak outing planned for Wednesday. I was invited to paddle along with the gang by Francoeur, owner of Castine Kayak Adventures, who was their guide du jour. We met the group at the beach at Wadsworth Cove where we could launch 14 kayaks with relative ease. Rain threatened but never delivered, and during the course of the morning the fog lifted so we could see nine miles across the bay to Belfast.

During the course of introductions I couldn’t help but be impressed with the politeness of these youngsters. For having traveled and lived together as a group for nearly a week, they got along nicely and, for the most part, they seemed eager to learn a new skill. Not one had ever been kayaking, nor had anyone had the distinct pleasure of swimming in our refreshingly cool coastal waters. (Accordingly, there were some clothing adjustments made prior to launching.)

Aside from a slight language barrier (North meets South) we all seemed to click. It was with some repetition of names and having each spell their own that I was able, I think, to put each name with a face. Gathered in a circle for introductions were: Justin McKeehan, Paul Owen, Meredith Cook, Summer Pangler, Monica McCoy, Heather White, Jessie Poole, Jhada Carter, Geoff Zimbleman, and Jason Burns.

Randall and Christiana Topping, group leaders, would come along for the ride. The group’s preacher, David McCoy, and his wife Trish (Monica’s dad and mom) watched from shore and handled the videography for as long as we remained in range.

Life jackets fitted, skirts donned, paddles oriented, and pretrip briefing accomplished, we shoved off. This is the time you cross your fingers and hope no one capsizes – and time to assess each one’s abilities. There was a big spread here, and it took a while to get some new skills honed. But a little practice went a long way and it wasn’t long before we had a relay race going, with three teams of one boat pulling two others. Miracle of miracles no one capsized, although Zimbleman managed to come close after taking a paddle-full of water in the face. (We later fashioned a plastic bag diaper for him so he wouldn’t wet the van’s seat!)

Back ashore I grabbed a minute to see how cold water and kayaking squared with a bunch of southerners. (You’ll have to supply your own southern accent). Summer Pangle (take a few seconds to drawl that one out), who wore a moose-adorned hat for the outing, said, “I just looove the water!” Meredith Cook chimed in, “It was a new experience, something I’ve never done. I was scared at first, but it was really fun once I got out there, and I enjoyed it!” Would she do it again? “Yes, definitely!”

Meredith’s twin in orthodontistry and tandem kayak bowmate, Monica McCoy, piped up, “I loved it, I thought it was great! We started out a little rough, but once we started talking to each other it got better. It was all about communication.”

Zimbleman told me he had fun until Burns threw water on him with the paddle. “Then I tried to move to get out of the way and I took water in and then it made me have to go to the bathroom really bad ‘cuz it’s so cold.”

By the time we came back to shore the crew was styling. Some were a little tired, but all seemed happy to have had a chance to explore a small section of Maine coast.

We said goodbye and set about packing two cars and a trailer with boats and gear for the trip home. I couldn’t help thinking how refreshing it was to have such a friendly and polite group out on the water.

For those of you who propel yourself about on the water with a paddle, I’ve got a date for you to mark on our calendar.

To help celebrate Old Fort Western in Augusta and the now open 17 miles of water on the Kennebec River between Waterville-Winslow and Augusta, there will be recreational paddle expedition on June 29. It’s not a race. And paddlers can start anywhere they wish along the river.

Official shove-off time is 8 a.m. from the public boat landing on Water Street in Waterville. It is expected the trip will take five or six hours depending on weather and current conditions and the energy level of the paddler.

Water and snacks will be available at the halfway point at the Sidney boat landing thanks to the Women’s Center at Inland Hospital. When paddlers arrive at Fort Western they will be get a free tour of the fort. Shuttle buses will take paddlers back to their cars, beginning at 2 p.m. and ending at 4 p.m.

If you’d like to participate, be sure you have a life jacket (and plan to wear it), plenty of water or juice, and snacks. If you have a cell phone, you are encouraged to bring it (put it in a waterproof bag). While there is no registration fee, organizers would like you to call the fort at 626-2385 or e-mail oldfort@oldfortwestern.org no later than June 20. A message will be left on the answering system on June 29 in case it is necessary to cancel the expedition.

Should your mode of transportation be pedal and not paddle, there’s the first Fort to Fort Bicycle Expedition scheduled for the same day. The official route begins at 8 a.m. at the west end of the Richmond-Dresden bridge (the location of 18th century Fort Richmond), goes up Route 24 to Gardiner and on to Augusta and Fort Western, but feel free to start anywhere along that route. Ride at your own pace.

There are no arrangements for getting back to your vehicle, so you may want to team up with friends to do so. Tours of Fort Western are free for all bicyclists. Helmets are required, and water and snacks would make sense. Call the same number as above no later than June 20 to indicate your interest in riding or for more information.

Jeff Strout can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.