December 2007 A Quiet Note from Quietwater
IN THIS ISSUE
Canoe and Kayak Clubs
Pleasant Places to Paddle
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Quietwater Paddling Notes
 
sunset paddling on Loch Lomond, UK Greetings!
Unlike the past couple of years, winter is now without a doubt here.  In December. In Wisconsin. Yes, the tropical, balmy, mow-the lawn in-December stuff is now in Florida where it belongs. 

For the first time, Quietwater is going global. John Kelly, a canoeing enthusiast from the UK, is our "pleasant places" author this month.  Thank you John, for your pen on virtual paper efforts describing time spent paddling Loch Lomond.  As a landlocked, small state Midwesterner, I am very happy to have the chance to know John a little bit.  His article in this month's newsletter, shows yet again, how small our world can be and how much in common we have, even with six time zones between us. While I do like tea and crumpets, I have to admit to struggling a bit with haggis. It must be an acquired taste.....

My stash of writers on deck is getting smaller now. We're down to Eric D. in Vermont, and Gigi, probably buried in a snowdrift somewhere in northern Wisconsin.  If you would like to get published and shoot into the ranks of globally famous paddlesports authors, I hope you will email me and declare yourself.....
Maple leaf after first frost
Canoe and Kayak Clubs 
Eat. Drink. Be Merry. Could be a questionable opening line from an old movie.  Maybe it is, but I couldn't find an exact fit quote anywhere on the internet so I'll run with it for starters this month.  Those three short sentences also fit the charters of many canoe and kayak clubs. They also have something about canoes, kayaks and paddling as well.

Most people initially get into paddlesports for the boats and the water.  Many of those boaters are then quick to discover the fun of sharing the water with others.  Last month's contributing author, Richard McFadden, read more...
paddling in the UK
Pleasant Places to Paddle

This month, John Kelly delivers a great story on paddling in the United Kingdom.  The UK, to use its common abbreviation, is made up of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  John is the founder of Song of the Paddle a website (www.songofthepaddle.co.uk) and forum devoted to canoeing in the UK and abroad. It has an active forum with over 2,000 members and has just celebrated its second birthday. Busy as the site keeps him, John swears he will never let it eat into his paddling time.

Here is John's article:

Loch Lomond. A windless weekend

"..When Jeff asked me to write a short piece on a paddling trip I knew there was only one place I could choose. Loch Lomond. It is a regular paddling place for me and the largest freshwater loch (lake) by area in the mainland UK.  It is about 24 miles long and 4 miles wide, at its widest, with a number of islands. It is hard to pick just one trip to talk about as all are great paddles. However one stands out for a number of reasons. The lack of wind being one. This trip took place in April this year. Russell, who was accompanying me, had some time off for his birthday and so we had planned a weekend trip to Loch Lomond for him to get more practice solo in his new canoe. We were heading out on the Friday and Susan, Stuart and a couple of friends of theirs were joining us on Saturday for an overnight stay. read more....
Quietwater Films DVDs
Paddling boats of just about any shape or form is near and dear to us.  We think it's a great way to spend time outdoors with family, friends, or by yourself, soaking up what nature has to offer.

We have also observed that, like most other things in life, there is a learning curve to paddling and boating.  Our goal with the movies/DVDs we're making is to offer up a bit of specific knowledge and some tips and hints, that we hope will lead to more paddling enjoyment. Here is our website where you can read more about the DVDs we have made and watch some video clips taken from the DVDs as well.  If they look like something you want, you can also purchase them from our website. 

If you think we missed something and you would like to see more about this missing topic, please email us a description of that topic and we will try to video an answer and post it up on the site, so that everyone can benefit from your question!
Our goal is a once a month newsletter, although last month we cut it pretty close.  December was a little better! We will not sell your email address to anyone else. We just hope that you like what you read here and pass it on to others that you think might enjoy Quietwater content!

Next month we'll try and throw in our first video clip. We hope to get out and do a bit of winter paddling up near Wisconsin Dells and take bit of video while doing it.  Hopefully Eric D from Vermont can send in an article about his pleasant place to paddle! I'm also quite curious about Dutch oven cooking, which I used to do a good bit of while I was guiding on the Middle Fork of the Salmon.  So maybe there will be a bit about that as well.....

If you want to write an article about your own pleasant place to paddle, all you need to do is write it using the software of your choice. You can send it in directly in email or as an attachment (doc, txt or rtf).  Send along a few pictures of your spot as well.  You get credit for the article, the rights to it remain yours, but obviously we will post it on the Quietwater Films website and publish it in the email newsletter.  You can link to it or otherwise use it as you see fit. If needed, we will edit for spelling and grammar and send you a pre-release copy for your approval before the newsletter goes out.
 
Enjoy your Quiet times on the water -
Jeff Bach
Quietwater Films
Madison, WI., USA
608-432-0198