Thursday, May 2

North 28° 49.832'
West 113° 16.248'
Distance: 10.5 miles

We paddled 10.5 miles today in rough water with a medium to fast wind. Lucky for me it was out of the Northwest most of the time and we were going mostly Southeast. I have only made about 7 or 8 miles to the South the last two days while I have gone about 17 miles East. 120° seems to be the most important heading on this trip. Last night we had a great meal of avocado, tomato, onion, garlic, beans, and cheese in fresh tortillas. Wonderful! Then we opened our jug of wine and it was a disaster. It turns out to be something other than wine. 38 proof and it tastes like something that will make my children have three heads. The night was nice but cool and the wind started to blow in the early hours. I think today we have paddled our way out of the cool weather. Around 12:45 we found a nice beach, had lunch and went for a walk. We saw a coyote head on the beach. The head was mostly in good condition but there was a hole in it and the body was gone. I don't know what could have happened to the rest of the coyote. We found another beach up the cove a bit and I bet Jay we couldn't walk along the beach all the way back to camp. I won, but just in the last hundred yards. We walked at least a mile along the beach before we were stumped. We are now just about at the end of Guardian Angel Island. Technically we are south of it a few miles but it is still across the channel from us - just the Southern tip. Last night I had a dream that my cat Johnny really missed me and that she hardly knew me. She has been dead for over 14 years now and I still had a dream about her. I was pretty sad when I woke up and that thought has been haunting me all day. It makes me think about getting a new cat. I didn't use sunscreen again today. I am a little burnt on my nose and legs but I think my rash is getting better. Tomorrow I will try putting a shirt over my legs while I paddle. The hat helps but I dislike wearing it. My skin gets pretty dry from the constant salt and I have been using lotion every day. By the end of the day my arms and legs are white with salt. Cortaid on everything seems to help but I will run out of it eventually. Thanks to Gail for giving it to me.