One, Two, Three Strikes....Out on the River!

The shores of the mighty Ohio are cast with driftwood, great blue herron, weather-beaten docks and BASEBALL. Set on the north shore of  the Ohio River is the home of the playoff bound Cincinnati Reds. From inside Great American Ballpark you can see the river, the hills of Kentucky and just to the west of the Park, the historic  (completed 1866) Roebling Suspension Bridge.

The Cincinnati Reds, the first professional baseball team, are having an incredible year with a great mix of vets and rookies. We are so looking forward to playoffs on the Ohio River.....GO REDS!!!

If this playoff run keeps moving, we need to organize a Red's Run Downriver to Great American Ballpark.......Who's in????

The Beauty of the River is in the Eye of the Beholder.....

Margaret Wolfe Hungerford is credited for the phrase "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." While this saying dates back to the late 1880's, the saying stands true today. Whether it's the fog hanging low on the river, the whipping of flags and sails in the wind or the vision of a small doe playing on the river, the beauty of the water is different for everyone. Never forget that when the water calls, the success of life is soon to follow. The flowing river signifies the passing days of each our lives and beauty encompassed in every day. Enjoy your family, friends and neighbors and get out on or hang near the water....

 

 

 

Strut Your Mutt....

Here's an update on one of the many ways you can "Get Outdoors and Play."  This weekend the little river village of New Richmond "goes to the dogs!!"  The Strut Your Mutt event occurs this Sunday. A cool pet parade will take place at 2pm and all kinds of pets, including lots of happy dogs, will be visiting and enjoying the river views.

Stop on by to satisfy that urge to "Get Out and Play."   You can even stop by the Green Kayak Market & Eatery, with its dog-friendly backhouse BeachClub, to rent a kayak and hit the river. So much to do along the shores of our beautiful rivers.

Get Outside and Play!!

Here we are at the latest  version of  the Great Outdoors Weekend IX. The goal is to get folks outside this Saturday and Sunday. There are just so many fun activities that you can do alone or with friends and family. From kayaking on the river to mountain biking to walking the dog, the hope is that everyone gets outside this weekend and enjoys the active life. So grab your hiking boots, paddle, bike and pogo stick and get outside!!!

Check out this article regarding the 9th version of the Great Outdoors Weekend.

What's Your Favorite Song About the Rivers??....

What is it about a river and the serene flowing of the water.  We spoke to some folks last night who live miles from the river but stop down regularly to simply sit and watch. They explained that they cherish the days they can sit and watch the boats go by, feed the flock of noisy ducks and otherwise enjoy the picturesque views into the hills of Kentucky. Our rivers serve as both sources of togetherness and divisiveness. As highways for the delivery of goods, the massive barges carry food and fuel for thousands of people in the US and abroad. Harking back to the US Civil War, the Ohio River served as a symbolic divider of the north and south and freedom and slavery. There is so much more to rivers and streams then the mere flowing of the water.

Because of such deep-rooted feelings about the flowing rivers, music has been a rich history of our rivers and streams. Countless songs have shared the stories of our majestic rivers throughout the US and the entire world. Stories of tragedy, romance, family and fun form the rich history of the mix of music and the water. The hope is that as this blog grows in readership we can share our favorite songs of the numerous rivers and streams throughout the US and the world. The plan is to take Thursdays to talk about music and the water. Please feel free to comment with some of you favorite songs of the water so as to allow others to enjoy also.

Here's a quick list of a few of my favorite river songs:

Boats to Build (Lyle Lovett)
River (Bruce Springsteen)
Big River (Johnny Cash)
Down by the River (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
The River (Dan Fogelberg)
The River of Dreams (Billy Joel)

Please share your favorites!!!

Oh Where, Oh Where is the Pawpaw Patch???

One of the many treasures that can be found along the Ohio is the once-prevalent "pawpaw" fruit. Many of us remember the old kids rhyme about the pawpaw: "where, oh where is  pretty little Susie, Way down yonder at the pawpaw patch...." But what many folks don't know is that the pawpaw is an excellent edible fruit that is currently in season. These delicious mango-like edibles ripen in August and September each year.

The problem, from a commercial perspective, with the pawpaw is that the season is short, the fruit is fragile and thus difficult to transport. Despite such issues, efforts have been ongoing to create a more durable fruit that can be shared with more people. The fruit itself is rich in nutrients and has a tropical flavor. They can be found in several locations along the Ohio River and throughout the midwest/southeast regions. The fruit is green  and, as it ripens, the skin turns more yellow/brown and picks up black splotches (that don't seem to in anyway affect the taste). The fruit is rich in vitamins A and C.

The following is a link to a great article on the long and rich history of pawpaws in the US:

http://www.ohiopawpaw.com/PawpawHistory.pdf

The article is written by Ronald Powell PhD and provides a historical perspective on the importance of the pawpaw to Native Americans, as well as the great explorers of the United States.

 

I would love to have a few of these trees in my yard. However, these deciduous trees are very difficult to transplant and best, so I am told, to start from seed. The first two or so years the tree requires indirect light for best growth. From a soil perspective, the tree grows best in fertile, loamy soil that is well drained. An added benefit of this tree in a landscape is that deer supposedly will not eat the twigs and leaves, although racoons, fox and other animals will eat the fruit.

Last week our friend Kayak Steve met us at the Green Kayak Market with a bag full of pawpaws. He found a small grove of trees in a small tributary off the Ohio River while kayaking.  We will definitely paddle back to get more of this wonderful, forgotten fruit. Oh what life on the river brings...

Music and the Water: A great mix!!

What another great weekend along the Ohio River. We visited the Green Kayak Market & Eatery for a Saturday evening concert by Micheall Reed and John Duncan. Micheall and John, two of the three members of "Cheap Thrill," played an acoustic set that was loved by all. The back house Beachclub at the Green Kayak was packed, with extra tables and chairs moved in to accommodate crowds. Folks came by car and boat and everyone seemed to have fun. There's just something great about enjoying great music in an outdoor setting with friends, beer/wine and great fire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDMjL6Ztpqo&list=UUh44SqZ7ofmu_rH0z8UanEw&index=1&feature=plcp

We hope that these guys come back to the Green Kayak soon!!

What's with the FOG...

One of the unique and cool elements of living near a large body of water is the FOG. Today started out with a thick fog that appeared to ground much of the riverboat traffic to a halt. Ghostly lights shone through the fog and the hum of idling engines could be heard up and down the river. Here is a picture of an idling tug through the murky fog

The bottom picture was taken first and the top picture about 15 minutes later. It looks like a movie set with the fog hanging on the river and is always fun to kayak in (although safety dictates staying close to shore....)  The front porch view of the river always changes

Time to Sleep NOW!!!

Another gorgeous day on the Ohio River. The morning started with a great blue herron hanging on the shoreline and a large school of fish jumping from the water in the evening. What a night for a canoe or kayak float. These type of outside activities invigorate the soul and bring on a "good tired."

Fun is fun and when it's time to sleep it's time to sleep!!! (notice the Ohio livery tag on the canoe...cool!!)

Used Canoe

We picked up a used Canoe at an auction this week. Finding outdoor treasures at auctions, yard sales and craigslist is always fun. We have purchased virtually our entire fleet "second-hand" and guess what?---They all float great. While it's certainly never a problem buying new, don't forget about the old faithfuls bargained away in auction houses, online and the backyards of your neighbors.

Check it out:

Here we are at a day that will forever be remembered. We will never forget the cowards that ruthlessly killed so many of our brothers and sisters all in the name of some god that would never approve of such action. In contrast to what the bad guys thought, our citizens have regrouped, honored the victims and taken the road back to recovery. We have united and embraced our differences in religion, race, thoughts and beliefs and moved forward once again as the great Country that our Founding Fathers contemplated.

We have not yet been ablet to visit the 9/11 waterfall memorial. Here is a picture:

The beauty of the falls and rushing sound of the water will provide "music" in the heart of  the bustling city of New York.The waterfalls are set within the footprint of the twin towers and the names of the victims are permanently marked on the monument within bronze walls. They even left one lonely pear tree that somehow survived the chaos of the tragedy. When in New York next, we are looking forward to stopping by the monument to honor our brothers and sisters victimized on 9/11, listen to the water fall and think about how fortunate we are to live in such a great Country.

Water Ahead-- Really???

We spent more time out on the river this pas weekend near Chilo, Ohio. There is a cool county park called Lock 34 Park. The Park has a vistor center in the historic lock building, as well as a replica paddle wheeler. The most interesting sight was the signage on the boat ramp:

Interesting.... We were pleased to see the warning sign that there was "water ahead" at the end of the "boat ramp."  Even the great outdoors have fallen to the "warning label" curse. We will share more creative/interesting/@!?* labels and signs in the future....Ciao for now

Acoustic Thursday??

Beautiful day.....It was in the 90's and humid yesterday here along the Ohio River. Today we had great autumn weather with highs in the 70's. It was a great day for paddling, football and enjoying time with friends. Stopped by the Green Kayak Market & Eatery for the Live Music Saturday...FUN...Rumor has it the GK is starting an "Acoustic Thursday,"-- a great way to meet new friends, share music and stories and more. We are looking forward to participating.

Looking for song ideas....Please share!!

Live music tomorrow night at the Green Kayak Market & Eatery on the Ohio River in New Richmond. Jim Comodeca ( www.reverbnation.com/jimcomodeca ) will be on stage at about 8pm. Don't show up late as the seating will be limited.

Cardboard Boats on the Ohio River

Along the shores of the mighty Ohio River in New Richmond is the only International Cardboard Boat Museum. This festive museum is filled with color, creativity and lots and lots of boats hand-crafted from leftover cardboard, duct tape and paint. All of the boats are river-worthy and raced in the Ohio River, lakes and other bodies of water throughout the midwest. The museum was featured on the Roadside America website as a location worthy of a detour.  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7715

Set out below are a few of the amazing floating art created by the Cardboard boat crew at the museum:

The annual Cardboard Boat Races are held as part of the New Richmond Riverdays festival in August each year. The races celebrated its 20th anniversary this past year with 60+ entries. Start planning your boat now!!!

Kentucky Thorough-Breasts: DragonBoat Festival

A very cool water event to checkout this weekend is the Kentucky Dragoboat Festival.  Competitions with these majestic boats originated in China and has been taking place for 20 centuries or so. Traditionally each boat carries 22 people, with 20 paddling, one drummer/caller and one sweeper (steering the boat). For competitions, most of the boats are ornately decorated with dragon heads and tails.

The Kentucky competition is a fundraiser for breast cancer research. The host team is the "Kentucky Thorough-Breasts," which consists of all breast cancer survivors  ( http://kythoroughbreasts.org/History.html ). These women demonstrate courage and enthusiasm that serves as a model to so many others facing breast cancer and the rigors of treatment. The event includes an incredibly moving survivor ceremony where all the survivors gather in boats and end by placing flowers in the water.....

The event is on Saturday at AJ Jolly Lake in northern Kentucky.  Boats are provided.

https://www.stelizabeth.com/EventDetails.aspx?id=3664

This was another day of  promised rain with not near the expected soaking. While it has been great kayaking, canoeing and boating on the river, we know our farmer friends are struggling with yields.  Farming is still an incredibly important business in our Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania region and the fresh waters from the Ohio and the feeding streams are a critical resource. Here in Ohio many of the rivers and streams that feed the Ohio are at very low levels. 

On the farming note, we know many folks who work hard to produce organic crops. We support local and organic farmers and we encourage everyone to do the same. We suggest that you check out the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association on Facebook. Great organization helping to make a difference. https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ohio-Ecological-Food-Farm-Association/250560415334

Thunderstorms on Ohio

There were chances of thunderstorms all day. A nice late summer thunderstorm leaves the air smelling crisp and the water running swift---Love it!! The Ohio River basin is still extremely low and we are actually hoping for a good soaking. The days continue to shorten with the moonrise tonight at 9:57 pm and the moonset will be at 11:13 pm   Sunrise holds back to a late 7:09am and sets near 8pm......Looking forward to a campfire on the riverside beach for the weekend! Please comment to this post and share pictures of fires by the water.......

Labor Day

Although very hot and humid, just another great day on the shores of the Ohio. Boat traffic was very light in light of the constant chance of thunderstorms. Two guys stopped by the Green Kayak Market & Eatery on their trek from Lawrenceburg, Indiana to Ripley, Ohio. They spent a rough night on the boat under a tarp weathering the heavy rains, but still had great smiles and looked forward to the remainder of the trip....Nice to meet both of them......

Music and the water....

It's another great day on the Ohio River.  Spending time at the Green Kayak Market & Eatery listening to Tana Matz, a great new country artisit. We suggest that you check her out at reverbnation.com.. http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/tanamatz

The water sure brings out the best in everyone.

Saturday of Labor Day weekend: Ready for some football?

Weather held great for the Blue Moon kayak cruise last night on the Ohio River...Amazing!! Even with the "iffy" weather we had 21 people show up. Not too bad. I hope we can get more folks in the future.

Are you ready for some football? College football kicks off big time this weekend. Hope to spend time down at the Green Kayak Market & Eatery to watch a few games