In a fitting tribute to dad, we took out the new Elite double on the coldest, rainest, wildest ocean day ever here. Out through the surf and Newport Pier..not big, but storm surf. Then paddled about 2 miles out to where dad could have seen us from his deck with his binoculars..and we threw some flowers and said goodbye. A seagull came so close I could almost touch him as I threw the pedals in the water. As Pat was taking some pictures, we flipped and swam…then I cried a bit more and had a most outstanding downwind run back to the harbor entrance. If Papa was watching he was saying, “Why on earth would you want to paddle in this, you guys are nuts.” I would have answered like I always did when he asked that…”Dad” I would say, “We are living.” and thats the truth of it.
