Finally! Stand up paddle boarding

I decided months and months ago that my next big sporty thing would be stand up paddle boarding. It's been a while since I've tried anything new so I stuck it on my Summer Ambitions list. It just looks fun and is supposed to be really good for your arms and core muscles.

So last weekend, I went out with a whole bunch if friends to try it out. The guys at Engage Watersports were superbly accommodating and helpful.

We started with a spot of kayaking:

Then some of us moved on to the stand up boards:

I found the actual "standing up" bit quite hard, but once I was stood it was pretty straightforward.However, I wasn't great at steering - you really have to pull the paddle right across the front of the board to get it to turn. And I wasn't quick either!

Next we played with getting two people on the board. Despite my slightly dodgy balance, this went pretty smoothly too. I discovered it worked much better for me if I stood at the front :)

Then our instructors happened to mention that they'd never had three people on a board. Challenge accepted!

I think we lasted about 7 seconds the first time and only about three the second time (because I bailed!).

After about 90mins of playing, we reorganised ourselves into two-up kayaks for the trek down the river to the pub for lunch. It was 2.5 miles each way and rather knackering - I thought I did quite well but the next morning my left arm was seriously sore! In a deep heat, ibuprofen and keeping it still kind of way :S

All in all a fabulous (if tiring) day out. I really want to get back on the stand up board sometime soon. Need to work on those arm muscles first!

 

All the photographs in this post are from ClareDowlingPhotography and are used with permission.

Summer nails

I finally have time to paint my nails! So far, they've been electric blue (with darker tips):

And then this pinky-beigey-greyy-sparkly colour, which took lots of experimenting with various layers to achieve the desired effect:

This picture really doesn't do the colour and sparkliness justice.

I might go with the bright neon orange from last summer next...

What I did yesterday

It's Marvellous Festival time again (how do these things come around so quickly?!). So, fireworks in a field...

1) I sported a delightful black tide mark around my hairline after re-applying sun cream with blackened, firework-powder covered fingers. Didn't realise for several hours. Attractive!

2) I forwent my usual baseball cap in favour of my cowboy hat, which did a wonderful job of keeping the sun off my face.

3) We enjoyed slightly cooler weather! After over a week of official heat wave (30degC+ everyday), it cooled slightly to a more comfortable 24degC with a cloudy sky and light breeze. Much better for lifting and lugging.

4) I enjoyed a post-rig and pre-show hog roast (otherwise known as pig-in-a-bun). It was delicious, especially the cracklings and apple sauce.

5) I surrounded myself with wildlife. The deer kept their distance this year - I could see them hiding in the woods, but none ventured over like in previous years. There were a few ticks about but not so many as to cause problems. Topping the chart were the butterflies! There were loads of them. Must be the sudden hot weather.

6) Fireworks were lovely :)

Photos from Sunday - clear sky and temps back up to 28!