Another break from the high temperatures.
I had to wake Phoebe up to eat breakfast,
then we went out to do chores.
Our sun flowers must be tough cookies, as they don't get watered very much.
We even had a new hibiscus blossom.
Karen had chore duty
and I went down to the Welcome Center for Summer Serenades.
The Brockport Big Band payed tonight.
What a class act.
Gary introduced them and they entertained us for an hour and a half.
Of course all our pals were there.
Tina.........Mary
Bill.....
Patty and Annie...
Brenda, Al and Tootsie sat across the Canal on one of the benches.
It was a perfect night and as always, the acoustics in this venue were terrific.
The trombone soloist in this piece is Cooper's Band Teacher.
She also is related to Scott Robinson and Alex, who own the
Shirt Factory in Medina.
What a peaceful night.
This band never fails to draw a large crowd.
Within 5 minutes two people came up to me and said
"I love this Town." Things like this are really special.
Now for the rest of the story.
Let me tell you about this guy.
When I got to the Welcome Center he was inside talking to Gary.
His name is Rich Brand and he is from Denver....42 years "young."
On January 3, 2016 he started a very long journey in this 19 foot, Seaward kayak.
After departing from New Orleans he went to the Everglades and the Florida Keys.
It took him a total of 9 months to go up the East Coast, going through Maine and up
to Nova Scotia. He went about 3000 miles on the first leg of his journey and averaged 18-26.2 miles per day.
The 2nd leg took him from Quebec to Gaspe to the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario,
Rochester and here. That was about 1500 miles.
He will leave Brockport tomorrow or the next day and will head toward
Buffalo, then Detroit, Chicago (by the end of October), St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans (by Christmas), Key West....and 5 months later intends to finish his
trip (June 1st, 2019) in Jacksonville.
Rich is a Graphic Designer and Photographer and has continued working
along the way. He has many clients large and small, who keep his computer busy.
He is also a motivational speaker and has had several opportunities to meet with
groups (mostly kids) as he has passed through some of these towns and cities.
This kayak weighs about 55 pounds and has three compartments.
It can carry 700 pounds!
He has a tent, stove, 3 weeks worth of food, lots of clothing,
his computer and a cell phone.
Tonight he borrowed one of the bikes from the Center and toured the area
to scope out where he could get pizza or burgers.
There are many sponsors, making all this possible
One of them is Seasward Kayaks.
Rich has named his kayak TIA (This is Adventure).
You never know who you are going to meet on the Erie Canal.
Check him out.
Night all.
2 comments:
Dear Lori, this was all so interesting. i was raised during the era of the Big Bands and the band you featured did a wonderful rendition of "Sweet Georgia Brown." I enjoyed all the songs you gave us in these videos.
The story of the kayaker is really interesting. I so admire adventurers who go out and boat or walk and discover all the wonders of the geography and the goodness of the people. Thanks for sharing. Peace.
This is so cool. I'd love to do a journey one day.
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