More Music From Ohio Friends...

We recently added a music player to the blog and we plan to use it....The first two artists are both Ohio natives, with Marty hailing from Cleveland and Griffin from Springfield. What makes these artists resonate are the thoughtful and meaningful lyrics and voices that exude passion. Please take a listen and buy some music to support these guys. Marty (who I hear grew up with one of the Green Kayak folks in New Richmond) just released a new country album last month "Soul of a Son of a Working Man."  Excellent..... Griffin House's song "I Remember" tells a story of young man grappling with the reality of our government and war and friends....Heard someone sing it at the Green Kayak Market and loved the song immediately.....

And So Another Year Ahead.....

And so another year passes and a new beginning is near. This past year was marked with its moments of triumph and tragedy and 2013 will be no different. We pray that the tragedy is limited and that we learn, and look forward to the triumphs. The River is full of opportunity and beauty. From the wildlife to the kayaks to the skiers/tubers shooting down the river on an early Sunday morning, there is much fun to be had by all....We hope to see you out on the Ohio River or some other river this coming year and wish you a safe and fun New Year's Eve.....

Thanks for checking in on our blog and please share with others....

Cool River Store....

We ventured away from the Ohio River today and over to the Little Miami River (still in the Ohio River Valley). We visited a store called Roads, Rivers and Trails in the Milford, Ohio area. What a great store and a great staff. We highly recommend this place. They carry kayaks, stand up boards and lots of great gear. Let's try our best to support this small, family-owned business...... Here's a link to the RRT site

http://www.roadsriversandtrails.com/

We will be heading back for some of the classes and seminars held in the store....So much to do in 2013

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

What a beautiful morning along the Ohio River. The shores of Ohio and hills of Ohio and Kentucky are covered with a beautiful blanket of new snow. Nature sure can paint a beautiful canvas. We already took the dog out for a long walk in the snow down along the river and through the woods. Very fun!!


New Richmond Arch at Walnut and Front Street: View into Kentucky
 

Peaceful Snowy Morning on the River
 

 

Merry Christmas To All....

Even on this blustery day, the Ohio River is alive with wildlife, barges and so much more. We wish all our friends and family members a very Merry Christmas. This is a time to be thankful for what we have and not simply focus on what we want....

We took a long walk along the river with our dog today. The shore was littered with beautiful driftwood that has bobbed and turned in the water for who knows how long to create the sleek shapes and curves of the shoreline art.....Today was nature at its most real......Thank you God for another Christmas,  for bountiful food, healthy family/friends and wonderful fun......

Comedy On The River....INCREDIBLE FUN FOR ALL!

We sent some folks into New Richmond on the Ohio for what was billed as "Comedy On The River." If this is going to be a regular event, then folks must come....HILARIOUS. The event was held at the Green Kayak Market & Eatery and was organized by Loraine Braun, introduced as the Director of Comedy....She introduced each of the comics and, oh yes, they were funny. The comics involved, in addition to the host, Loraine, were Rob Wilfong, Kim Sherwood and Thomas Cox. They even had a young man (Sam), a high school student at nearby Anderson High School, open the show. Very cool. All of these comics are for real and we encourage you to check them out on the web and Facebook.......The laughs coming from the Green Kayak building were loud and continuous.  On a related note, this little town was really happening last night with cars lining the entire Front Street. The Front Street Cafe, the Landing and the World's Only Cardboard Boat Museum (curator Tommy Lemon) were all hosting events that clearly brought scores of people to the banks of the Ohio River.....Something "sneaky quiet" appears to be happening at New Richmond on the Ohio....

The Ohio River-- A Living Creature....

So many folks live near the Ohio River but spend little time thinking about what the River stands for. Serving as a divider of races, a highway for commerce and a source of delay as daily traffic crosses bridges, the Ohio River rises up and falls down as part of the cycle of life. While many folks "live" the river and can predict it's actions, this website provides excellent information on the river stage status and the expectations of where the river will rise within a few day period.  http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=iln&gage=ccno1

Those living in southern Ohio and Indiana, northern Kentucky and West Virginia have a front row to seat to the ever-changing river level and the changes such bring to the shoreline.....Please take notice and enjoy monitoring the river on the National Weather Service site......

 Check out some of our earlier posts regarding the barge traffic that floats the river almost daily. Seldom are the barges idle, except in only the most severe weather conditions

Get Out And Play...Time is of the Essence

We had a few other posts planned, but in light of recent events a short stint on the soapbox seemed in order. The tragedy with the elementary school shooting only brings to the forefront for all of us to take a step back and take stock of the important things in life--family and friends. That report for work, need for a new car and other such materials items seem truly insignificant if we were to so suddenly lose our family and friends. One of our themes of this blog is "Get out and Play," and that adage seems even more appropriate right now. Go throw a football with your kids, take a family hike, go on a bike ride with friends, but just Get out and Play.  Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to all the folks in Conn. suffering today and to all others fighting through their own losses. We will practice what we preach and we're heading out now to hang with family......We hope you do the same.

Even More Music On The River.....

It's the weekend and time again for LIVE MUSIC on the Ohio River. We are told that the Green Kayak Market & Eatery welcomes  young, rising Nashville star, Tana Matz, back to the GK on Saturday night. In fact, we were also told that a nationwide booking agent for the college market will be attending to potentially sign her up....How cool would that be... We hope the house is full at the GK on Front Street in New Richmond on the Ohio and we will send some of our folks to check it out... Hope you make it out Saturday night too

Another Shipwreck But A Paddle Away....

The Kentucky River generally flows northwest and serves as a major tributary of the Ohio River. As with our prior post about the Lost Ghost Ship, the Kentucky River also has it's lost, abandoned historical ships worth a paddle trip to visit and photograph/video.

The BROOKLYN was built, in 1930, by Howard Shipyard, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The ship was originally named the HELEN H.  The ship burned in 1942 and was rebuilt in 1943, and re-named COURTNEY H. The ship was later sold to the Cumberland River Sand & Gravel Company.

In 1956 Captain Charles Jones bought the ship and renamed it  EMMA No. 3. A few years later,

Point Towing Company, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia bought the ship and sold it to Captain John L. Donaldson. Captain Donaldson used the ship to move sand down the Kentucky River. He renamed the ship BROOKLYN

 

Unfortunately, the BROOKLYN was not successful in its efforts to haul sand on the Kentucky River leading Capt Donaldson to sell it in the early 1970's. Thereafter, the vessel was used as a floating restaurant, convenience store and other uses before it met an untimely demise in the late 1980's when it was lodged against the rocks during a flood.  Now the the once great 100+ft ship is nothing more than another shipwreck that can be visited as part of a short kayak cruise. Paddles up and enjoy.......Also, if anyone has any great photos or videos of the ship, we would love if you would share such here......
 

Santa Paws Christmas Parade 2012: Mostly dogs but also a goat or two!

How fun is this!! New Richmond on the Ohio held it's annual Santa Paw's Parade. The dog costumes are so cool, including the little green grinch! The renegade goat is even more fun strolling down the Front Street that parrallels the Ohio River. Check out the cool fog hanging on the river in the background.

NEXT YEAR : Remembering Our Troops at Christmas......

We received permission to post this heartfelt tribute to our troops, written and performed by Jim Comodeca. Jim tells us this song was written on Christmas eve several years ago, and played for many mothers and fathers of soldiers since that time with great acclaim. Please share this video with as many people as possible via Facebook, Blogs and other means as a tribute to every man and woman serving our Country and missing a holiday with their family. We are so incredibly thank you for all your service.

I'm Not In The Fog All Day: Am I?

So many mornings start here in the Ohio River valley with a layer of fog atop the moving waters. As the days seem to devolve into chaos and frazzled nerves, it's wonderful to start the day sitting back to enjoy the beauty of the river blanketed by a morning fog. All of us need to slow down a bit and enjoy the great outside.....Get outside and play today (and tomorrow.....)

Runnin' With Jacob the Peacock

Here is Jacob the Peacock seen strolling the streets of New Richmond on the Ohio this past weekend. This was sent to us from someone concerned about the recent controversy surrounding Jacob and the unfortunate fallout...However, as you can see, Jacob still runs about the Village welcoming the many kayakers, bikers and boaters who visit this small river town. We encourage you to stop by the town (like we did) to meet the people, visit the World's Only Cardboard Boat Museum (as they tell us), shop or dine at one of the cool little mom/pop stores like the Green Kayak Market & Eatery (we found it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenkayakmarket )and Front Street Cafe and more.....And, oh yes, don't forget to visit with Jacob......



PS: We are told that our new Blog friend will send us even more videos of Jacob....So watch for more visits soon!

Frisky Dolphins Enjoy the Day....So Should You

When we go on vacation, where do you think we go? If you you guessed out on the water then you would be correct. We visited Florida for part of the recent holiday and, not expectedly found time to spend on the water. Check out the frisky dolphins playing in the inland waterway.....Oh so much to do outside, so why hang in the house???

Whales Scares The **@?#* Out Of Kayakers

Does is get any better than this. While not the Ohio River, we are in awe of the experience of these kayakers. These wild animals are so majestic....Maybe one day we can experience this. We will share soon our encounters with dolphins in the inland waterways of Florida. As visitors to their environmnet, we can only stay a distance and watch in wonder....