Facile Friday - Elvis Lives

So I was cleaning in my house the other day and guess who I ran across, right there in my house!?  Elvis!
In the 1980's and 90's I was living in northern California.  I grew up in the Midwest so the west coast was like another planet in some ways, but I found a group of people that made my life a whole lot of fun.  I was looking for something new to do and stumbled on outrigger paddling with a club called Hui Wa'a o' San Jose.  The first time I met them they were a fairly serious bunch of paddlers and they took me out on  Lake Cunningham to see if I could put a paddle in the water in a way that was somewhat workable.  The first time I paddled that giant canoe, I was hooked. I had paddled since I was a kid but had never been in a six man Hawaiian outrigger canoe in my life.  What a great experience it was to glide through the water at breakneck speed.

The people were friendly and amazingly welcoming and the outrigger culture was one of camaraderie, it was a family that embraced you and swept you up while it cared and nurtured you.  I enjoyed every moment that I paddled and occasionally dream about an outrigger canoe club here, in Wisconsin.

So Elvis......Elvis was my paddle when I was with Hui Waa.  I would like to introduce to you, Elvis!  Elvis is a small token of a wonderful time in my life and it holds small messages from the people that I will remember always.

Elvis was indeed, as the message says, created with power tools.  I had to refinish my paddle because it had gotten beat up over a couple of years of paddling.  I had one of those temporary tattoos of a young Elvis and I wondered if I could varnish it into the finish.  When the tattoo idea worked I also decided to add the cartoon yak canoeing across the moon from the Ren and Stimpy show.  When I finally left California Elvis was signed by many of the people that I had paddled with and that is where their messages still lie.  What a great thing to be able to visit this and remember all of the fun and challenge I experienced.

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