The Monkey Hill Mountaineer: Who Knows?

"Who knows what tomorrow will bring

Maybe sunshine, and maybe rain

But as for me I'll wait and see

And maybe it'll bring my love to me

Who knows?

Who knows?"

-Marion Black 1969

It was just another day. An exciting day.

I did what one would expect of me.

In the morning I accommodated two clients from North Carolina on a three hour canoe tour. It was my first tour at Cane Bayou this year and I was not let down. We encountered numerous turtles, blooming lotus lilies, one osprey and 11 alligators. One even topped in at over 7ft. The highlight of the trip, though, was not getting to Lake Pontchartrain. The highlight was one creature of the wildlife we encountered: a river otter. I had heard rumors of otters on the north shore but I had yet to see one. An animal I frequently encounter in the mountains; I saw here at home, on a backyard adventure. How exciting. I almost didn't believe it.

(I wish I had pictures of the canoeing today, but, alas, I was "working" and did not have my camera.)

The tip my clients had given me ended up being used for a fine lunch of a "Surf and Turff" (fried shrimp and roast beef ) po'boy from Parkway Tavern. In a strange twist of events, during my lunch, I was invited to come aboard the Pineapple Express for an afternoon of sailing.

Now, I know I talk about outdoor recreation and sing the praises of wilderness all the time, but, if there is one thing I have always wanted to do it has been to get into sailing. Even as a little kid I recall dreaming of owning my own sailing boat and living off it. Not having a house, or a car, just the boat. When hurricanes would come I could sail to a safer harbor or something. It would be cool. The first step though was learning to sail. The number of hobbies in my repritore was too high to accommodate though and that ambition landed on the back burner.

Today I got my first taste, and, hell, it was awesome.

We met for 5:30pm to participate in the Wednesday Afternoon Regattas on Lake Pontchartrain.