My Book!!

One opportunity that the blog has brought me is the co-authoring of a guidebook, Paddling Southern Maine! It is something in which I take a lot of pride! My writing partner, Sandy Moore, and I have created a book with 54 amazing trips that are within about an hour of Portland! Our motto as we wrote the book was wanting to 'get people to spend the day on the water and not in their cars!'

If you want more information on our book please click on the image of the book below.

Sandy and I are available to attend/present various functions/events. Please email me at mainekayakgirl@gmail.com for more information!

Monday, March 4, 2019

Swimming! Lessons for ADULTS! For FREE!

FREE Adult Swim Lessons! 
Six Weeks!
FREE! 
Casco Bay YMCA in Freeport 

You do NOT have to be a member of the Y before signing up. 
You do NOT have to live in Freeport to participate! 


 Okay... confession time for MaineKayakGirl... I love the water... I love being on the water and love being in the water (as long as it is not mucky and there are no plants or monsters trying to grab my legs and pull me under!)  I can swim... and I can tread water all day.... but...here is the confession:  I have NEVER taken swim lessons... never! 

So... my swimming strokes consist of the ever popular doggie paddle or a breast stroke kind of thing... 

A part of the movie The Princess Bride comes to mind...when Princess Buttercup jumps into eel infested waters and Vizzini commands Fezzik, played by Andre the giant, to go in after her...and he replies, "I only dog paddle!" and makes the hand gestures of someone doing the dog paddle!

In recent years I have tried to get some of my friends to teach me how to swim, really swim... where you put your face in the water and move your arms in a windmilly type motion and efficiently move through the water... but schedules have not worked and... I haven't pushed too hard because... in some ways it feels a little embarrassing... to be someone who promotes water sports but doesn't really KNOW how to truly swim...

Well... that is all gonna be behind me!  I have signed up to do these FREE adult swim lessons through the YMCA in Freeport.  The flyer says "This program is designed for all adults -those have little or no swim experience, up to swimmers who want to learn how to rotary breathe."   (Another confession... I googled 'rotary breathe'... it's what I thought it was... face in the water while swimming and then turning your head to the side to breathe...)

So... as we approach warmer months and anticipate getting out into our kayaks, canoes, or on our SUPs... why not gain some skills in the swimming department? Yes we all wear our life jackets/PFDs but... better swimming skills will increase our safety skills!   So... if you are someone who has wanted to learn to swim as an adult... CARPE DIEM!!! 


For More information and/or to register click here


To register online, here is how to do it! 
1.  Go to their website

2.  Become a "Non Member"... follow these steps


You will be asked to make an account as a non member
 using an email address and creating a password.  

3.  Choose Adult Swim from the option of programs available: 

4.  Taking you to this screen...


             ....and Scroll down...  and choose from these classes! 
 
Then sign up!! 


I hope the classes fill up so that they keep offering them!  
Join me!!!  
Happy Swimming!  
(Picture Dory here... 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming!')