Jumping Off

Dakota

So I am at my parent's house right now and they have this cute new puppy, which they have named Dakota. I think they should name it Nip. It bites everything, and loves to nip at my feet. It has been a while since I have had a puppy, so it's been fun the past week. I can't believe how much she craps. It's like she was produced just to eat, drink, crap, and piss.

Of course, my parents have given her a mountain of toys to chose from. Much to the chargrin of the surly grandma dog of the household, Khaki's tail seems to be Dakota's favorite new toy. And every time Khaki wags her tail, Dakota embarks on another hair-raising mission. I guess Dakota is too smart to chase her own tail.

So this is probably the last post on the blog before Graham and I embark on the San Juan Adventure. So all 25 of you who have check this blog out will get a two week reprieve. I might be able to post, but don't count on it. I'm counting on two weeks of remote latin-american paddling and fishing. So no word back from MARENA, I guess we'll see what happens when we get there. I can't wait to see some folks in San Jose, CR when I get there. I'm most excited for Alejandra's reaction--she might faint.

So there is it. Like a prisoner about to walk the plank, I once again find myself leaving the civilized world for the unknown. What a wonderful, familiar feeling. How refreshing it will be to hold a paddle in my hands again and feel the power of a river surging underneath me. So now, we depart--two friends, two fly-rods, two countries, one canoe, one river, and one hell of an adventure. It's great to be 24 and going for broke.

Graham Petty, canoeist and Mongolian adventurer