Subject: Update on Chip Honsinger Norm, I thought I had some emails with everyone's addresses but I cannot find them at the moment. Could you please pass the message along to the rest of the canoe group that my parents are fine however their house burned to the ground Monday morning. They have lost everything. My dad was in the drug store Monday afternoon and told the lady the toothbrush he was purchasing was his only possession in the world which unfortunately was true at the moment. Fortunately my Dad sleeps with the window open and heard an explosion in the garage whch awakened him at 4 AM. They had about 5 minutes to get out. He has second degree burns on his hands from grabbing a hot door knob but other than that they are fine. Both cars were in the garage and they are gone as well. They have excellent insurance and will be fine but any and all family possessions are gone including all of his shop tools, family antiques, etc. They plan on rebuilding a very similar house. As you know, my Dad is very organized and was able to grab the several drawers of key papers such as financial papers, taxes, house pictures, etc so they have documentation for the insurance company. He also has a copy of the house blueprints so that will make rebuilding easier as well.Many folks from Rotary came and helped take things out of the house, took my Dad to the hospital, etc so it is very nice to see the fellowship and comraderie of Rotary helping out a member. We did not learn of the news until it was all over and done so the local Rotary group really has done most of the work and support. All three sons live a fair distance away so it is nice to know they have a support group that can react to emergencies.There is a lot of chaos for now but all is fine and will provide plenty of discussion on the next canoe trip. They will be without email for a week or so I imagine in case any of you have attempted to contact my dad by email. posted by Les Mewis May 20, 2007 Posted by Rotary Canoe Fellowship at 6:33 AM 1 comments Canoeing Fellowship write-up by Richard Roberts, Waverly, Ohio One goal for us Rotary canoeing people is just to put our canoe in the water in interesting places, and that’s what we aimed to do from August-October of 2006. We are Rotarians and members of the Pike County (Ohio) Rotary club; we’re also owners of an RV, retired, and able to travel and camp more extensively than people who’re still working. Our canoe is a Wenonah Adirondack 16’, Kevlar, well suited to lake canoeing and easy to put on and take off our car, which we tow behind our motor home. We carry a current copy of the Rotary Directory, which lets us locate clubs and make up meetings. We started north from Ohio on August 1 and camped at Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s upper peninsula, a cool and pleasant change from the hot, sultry weather we had been experiencing in southern Ohio. At the campground, we were told we could canoe in Lake Superior, but we could also find the Sheldrake Flooding, an area behind a dam on a nearby river. Our goals when canoeing are to check out wildlife, birds, and the general area, and to use our digital camera to record the environment. With a 10x optical zoom, we can get some intriguing photos of birds on the water and critters on the shore. We sometimes fish from our canoe, although needing separate licenses in various states and provinces often inhibits our urge to wet a line. From Michigan, we headed north and west into Canada and along Lake Superior. Our first Canadian campground was Pancake Bay Provincial Park, famed for its beautiful beach. Lake Superior is delightful when calm and difficult when it’s windy and rough; early morning is a preferred canoeing time. We were welcomed by the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, and we also put the canoe into the Batchawana River near its Lake Superior outlet. Dealing with river currents isn’t as much of a problem as coping with the effects of wind: our 39-pound canoe has a high freeboard, and wind influences its handling. West along the lake is Lake Superior Provincial Park, which offers some small lakes for canoeing and provides lots of hiking opportunities. Along the TransCanada further west in Ontario is White Lake Provincial Park, another lake with good canoeing if the wind isn’t too strong. By now we had taken several good photos: plenty of geese and ducks heading south; red-necked grebes shifting into winter plumage; a grey fox feasting on dead fish along the shore; and an industrious muskrat beneath a dock. White Lake isn’t far from Marathon Ont. and their Rotary club: breakfast clubs are perfect for canoeing because the remainder of the day is free and available. Beyond Thunder Bay, Ontario, highway 17 moves inland, and we followed it to Sandbar Lake Provincial Park. That was our lake with raccoons. Using a canoe, you can easily and silently approach wildlife, and this female raccoon had four half-grown young fishing alongside the lake. They let us come within ten feet, snapping digital photos as we floated toward them. Neatly and carefully, they vacated the shoreline one after another, until our final raccoon photo shows only the last set of disappearing hindquarters. Further west, we crossed into Manitoba and camped at Whiteshell Provincial Park. Those who know Canadian canoe routes are probably familiar with the Caddy Lake canoe trail, a north-south route linking lakes and rivers in the Whiteshell. We wanted to canoe through the railroad tunnels north of Caddy Lake, but excessive wind made that an unlikely choice. Our last canoeing day in Canada was spent on Little Kenosee Lake, which is part of Moose Mountain Provincial Park, east of Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Big Kenosee Lake is extremely breezy, and the smaller lake allowed us to paddle and enjoy a sunny day without constantly fighting the wind. We saw the usual lakeside birds—ducks of all sorts, grebes, a loon or two, cormorants, great blue herons, a few egrets, blackbirds, and swallows feasting on end-of-summer insects. Our month in central Canada let us enjoy a lot of beautiful lakes well suited to leisurely canoeing. Once we returned to the States, we were involved with other personal and Rotary activities: attending a Rotary RV Fellowship rally in Estes Park, Colorado, and visiting our children and grandchildren in Washington and California. However, our interest in canoeing didn’t go away. We stayed at Custer State Park in South Dakota and canoed Stockade Lake, a great place to see migrating warblers in all the lakeside trees. Once in Washington State, we spent some time on Lake Wenatchee, off U.S. route 2 and flanked by Wenatchee State Park. Out on the coast, we stayed at Deception Pass State Park and put the canoe on Cranberry Lake, one of those special places you can stand in your canoe and see the ocean just across a spit of beach. Lassen Volcanic National Park, east of Redding CA, doesn’t sound like a hot spot for canoeing, but a spin on Manzanita Lake will let you enjoy mountain reflections and whatever birds and wildlife are around, especially the brilliant blue-and-black Stellar’s jays. Even Interstate 10 in west Texas has an unlikely lake, spring-fed and surrounded by marshy cienegas. We stayed at Balmorhea State Park, just south of I-10 exits 206 and 209, and enjoyed its large, spring-fed swimming area, a cross between a swimming pool and a moss-bottomed lake. The next morning, we hauled the canoe a few miles away to Lake Balmorhea, fed by the same extensive springs which make the entire valley a rich agricultural region. posted May 20, 2007 by Les Mewis Posted by Rotary Canoe Fellowship at 6:03 AM 2 comments Monday, May 7, 2007 Hello Canoeing Rotarians! May 7,07 Hello Fellow Rotarians, We are all involved in the age of the computer to some extent I expect, so when I agreed to try to publish the new newsletter I felt perhaps it is time to go the "e" route. While I am not very computer comfortable I am trying to grow that way a little at a time. Spring has fully arrived here in Northern Canada now, and Canoe plans are being made. I am sure you all have a trip planned for the year, or will spontaneously get in and paddle somewhere this summer. This is where you will tell your fellowship about it. I expect we should have lots of submissions with a new and easier way to communicate. Simply get on and type. For those who are slightly more comfortable with this system, you will be able to add photo's. That is encouraged! Many of you will have made an early trip and will be ready to share your highlights immediately. If you are looking for ideas, ask questions here. Equipment? Ask here. Someone will have a solution for your needs and will share experiences with the entire fellowship. That's what this is all about. Does anyone have a trip planned in the near future which might need one or two additional Rotarians to fill out the trip? Post it here. In 2005 I was involved in the Centennial Canoe trip with Rotarians from South Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas and Montana. What a fabulous time that was (weather excepted)! If you have Canoe Expediters in your area you may want to share their web addresses for others who might want to canoe in your area. Here is one in my area www.churchillrivercanoe.com They have a great newsletter, click on the link and enjoy. They are great to deal with! Following is a personal bio. about my canoe experience: * Started Canoeing about twelve years ago * Experience with lots of flat water canoe tripping * Beginner to intermediate whitewater experience * Favorite River: Churchill River, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada * Favorite Canoe: Clipper 17'6" Tripper * Favorite Canoeing meal: Pan fried Walleye I will be posting periodically, so respond any time! Questions, comments, stories! Yours in Rotary, Les