Hunters Rendezvous

I needed to get a new kayak. I reviewed many websites, made some phone calls, and I could not find another Dirigo 120. Bummer, so I looked at dozens of other models and manufacturers.

Obviously my clean-up efforts are no place for a kayak costing thousands, and generally the touring kayaks are narrower and more cirved on the bow and stern. That won't work. I saw the Dirigo 106, which just seems to be a bit shorter, but the length helps with tracking. So I was prepared to select another model.

I intended to go up to Amherst NH, since they had a bunch of models in stock. But then I remembered a little hunting store nearby. Right on Rte. 119, I'd never stopped in - I'm not a big fan of hunting. Nonetheless, I walked up, told the guys I was looking for a kayak, but didn't want a sit-on-top model. He said "I only have one - it's on the end of the rack."

I walked over, and lo and behold, a Dirigo 120, a model that has a couple more features, like a drain plug, and a fishing rod holder (I don't fish, but maybe I will, or I'll use it for a lock.) AND, the guy wanted to move the item, and he gave me a sweet deal. Thank you Hunters Rendezvous!

Nashua River - Unthinkable

I took a nice long paddle on the Nashua River yesterday, starting and 119 to past Rt. 2A and back again. When I reached the Rte. 225 bridge near the Nashoba Paddler and the boathouse, there were about 20 or so canoes.

The first canoe had 3 girls in it, they appeared to be Indian and spoke broken English, but they asked me to show them how to paddle. I was a bit surprised that someone would put them in a canoe and not show them how to paddle, but at least they were wearing PFDs. After a quick explanation, they seemed to grasp the idea. So I moved on, seeing canoe after canoe of people who were very friendly, but thoroughly confused.

The weather continued getting better and after what is about a 12 mile round trip, I didn't even have a full basket. Thay was great! It's getting so much nicer, and now that the Oxbow and Bolton flats are clean, not much drifts downstream to that area.

But then tragedy! When I got home, I opened the garage door, which I usually do, but then I generally park outside. For an instant I forgot I had my beloved Dirigo 120 on top of my truck. WHAM! I hit the top of the garage, and tore about a 2 foot gash in the hull of my kayak! Unthinkable.

Well I'll try to repair it, and if anyone has any tips, that would be helpful, but it looks like I should consider a purchase of a new kayak.

Brand Awareness

As a marketing pro, I've spent my career helping companies build awareness for their brands. Because of my marketing bretheren, companies have built products that are instantly recognizable from a great distance. Mountain Dew, Budweiser, Miller Lite, Dunkin Donuts, Coca-Cola, the list goes on. I can spot those brands in the piles of rubbish that collect in the rivers.

I'm sure those companies would say they can't control how their products are disposed of, once used, and that they're not responsible. And to a point, they're right. But when is the last time you saw any effort by a beverage manufacturer or a coffee chain to educate its customers about being responsible when disposing of the empty container. I'm not sure I've ever seen it.

I think I'll start a whole new genre of product shots. You know the ones: product alone, product in use, product in its environment, product with a hot model. Perhaps I'll call it "product defacing the planet". I'll show the gatorade trucker bombs full of piss, the Dunkin Donuts cups among the lily pads, the Bud cans drifting down the river. There's some brand awareness no one wants.