Thursday, December 24, 2009
Some Huckers for Christmas...
Here are a few photos of some Huckers we have done over the last few weeks for the Holiday:
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
One more holiday hucker...
We got our first international custom Lil' Hucker order this past month.
I packed this guy up and shipped him overseas:
I packed this guy up and shipped him overseas:
Holiday Foamies...
We made some wicked cool foamies this year for some friends... and even had our first international order! (By we, of course I mean Carl made them and I am taking the credit...)
Here is a foamie mobile! It hangs from the ceiling, and you can remove the foamies to take kayaking! These little guys also have a new test feature... we can't wait to make more like this!
Here is a foamie mobile! It hangs from the ceiling, and you can remove the foamies to take kayaking! These little guys also have a new test feature... we can't wait to make more like this!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
We made it up to the G-Fest for the weekend and as usual, it did not fail to impress!
Boats, boats, gear, and more boats! The funny thing is that Arden cannot pass by a boat without stopping to touch it and sit in it. (As you can imagine, it makes for a long walk at the festival!)
We stopped and saw Paul and MK at the PS booth...
We were lucky enough to hang out at the Jackson Kayaks area and meet EJ and his family. Congratulations to the newest member of their family, and I can say for sure, the smallest visitor to the festival! K.C. is beautiful! The are a blessed family for sure.
Rory and Arden (and Canyon) played most of the day on the kayaks and with Dane as I made burgers to feed the masses.
Thank you to the Jackson Family for the hospitality and for the tee shirts!
Boats, boats, gear, and more boats! The funny thing is that Arden cannot pass by a boat without stopping to touch it and sit in it. (As you can imagine, it makes for a long walk at the festival!)
We stopped and saw Paul and MK at the PS booth...
We were lucky enough to hang out at the Jackson Kayaks area and meet EJ and his family. Congratulations to the newest member of their family, and I can say for sure, the smallest visitor to the festival! K.C. is beautiful! The are a blessed family for sure.
Rory and Arden (and Canyon) played most of the day on the kayaks and with Dane as I made burgers to feed the masses.
Thank you to the Jackson Family for the hospitality and for the tee shirts!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Welcome Rains and Unexpected Consequences...
With drought being so prevalent in the eastern United States this year, we welcome rain; any rain or moisture that comes, no matter how much or in what capacity, is a blessing to us.
But with the rain comes unexpected and sometimes tragic consequences.
Yesterday, as the rain started to fall, I was excited as to what it meant for everyone in the area. Rain means more water in the wells, a chance to revive produce in gardens, a chance to maybe let the wildlife and plant life here come back to life... and honestly, I was a bit selfish and hoping it meant kayaking for Carl and myself, and river play for the kids.While we are thankful for the rain we got, it is not near enough to get our water tables back up.
Pretty soon, I began to realize, we might be getting a bit more rain than we can chew... our front drive/road was now a roaring stream... our yard was running with water... I could only imagine the flash flooding on the rivers. There were reports of tornadoes and horrible car accidents.
There was enough water in our drive for the kids to play with their huckers in the rain...
Early in the evening, some friends called. They decided (MUCH AGAINST THEIR BETTER JUDGMENT) to go kayaking, and run "laps" on a local run. The river flashed on them. They are lucky, they are only missing boats and gear, not their lives.
Right now there is at least one kayaker missing in the Smokey Mountains.
We now know that this incident has been reported a fatality. Please send prayers and positive thoughts to the kayaker, his friends and his family.
Issac Ludwig will be missed. http://isaacludwig.com/
Monday, August 25, 2008
Gauley Fest Special Orders anyone?
Gauley Fest is quickly approaching and we are starting full Hucker Production! If you are going to be at Gauley and you want something specific, let us know ASAP. (Especially if it is a Canoe). Email us at: lm.gittings@starband.net Check out our gallery at http://www.myspace.com/lilhuckersfoamiekayakers for ideas! (We aren't limited to these styles/colors, just let us know what you want!)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Hucking the Raven Fork
We were lucky enough to have spent our weekend in the Smokey Mountains, camping along the Raven Fork.
Of course the boys were not without the company of their Lil' Huckers. We had a blast! We even got to see a hellbender that was over 2 feet long!!!
Of course the boys were not without the company of their Lil' Huckers. We had a blast! We even got to see a hellbender that was over 2 feet long!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Wettest Drought I Have Ever Seen.
Water has been a concern here in WNC for 2 years now. We haven't seen a drop of water at our house in almost a month. Our garden is not producing anything. We have gotten about 10-20 beans total, and nothing else has yielded any produce.
When we started to have issues with our well, I decided to google around and see if other folks were experiencing water shortages. I found a lot of interesting things while doing my research.
*If Western NC doesn't get 13 WEEKS of straight rain above our average, we will be out of water in a year. Our water sheds will be completely dry. Sounds unbelievable doesn't it?
*The French Broad River is at its lowest levels since river levels and weather records were started in the 1800's.
*Combined with last year we are almost 30 inches below our average rainfall since January 2007.
But there was one thing that I found that just completely blew my mind. I came across an online chat discussing the weather and drought conditions here in WNC. A lady was posting how she didn't believe there is a drought. That she is getting rain every day, and the rivers and streams have plenty of water. She called it "The wettest drought I have ever seen".
I am appalled and amazed at both her ignorance and her lack of common sense when people tried to tell her about the issues with rain and water sources.
What really got me thinking about this today was that we decided to go to the "Ledges Park" on the French Broad. As I posted before, the water is the lowest it has ever been. Literally, there are no records showing it at these levels. As I drove down to the park I gasped. I hadn't been down in a month or so (you can find my last post from it) and when I saw the lack of water and the yellowing grass and trees, I was dismayed.
The boys and I waded in the shallow pools while Carl and Rhett paddled down stream for what may be the last time this summer, or even longer.
The water level is dropping so quickly that soon he won't be able to get down the river, today was close.
While Carl and I were talking about the amazing sight of the river and rocks, he really put it in perspective for me. We are looking at rocks and fossils that no one who is alive has ever seen.
No one has ever seen these rocks that are jetting out of the water and mud.
No one has ever seen the pot-holes that have been caused by millions of years of water rushing over a loose stone.
No one has walked on these cobblestones.
But then again, we are in "the wettest drought I have ever seen".
When we started to have issues with our well, I decided to google around and see if other folks were experiencing water shortages. I found a lot of interesting things while doing my research.
*If Western NC doesn't get 13 WEEKS of straight rain above our average, we will be out of water in a year. Our water sheds will be completely dry. Sounds unbelievable doesn't it?
*The French Broad River is at its lowest levels since river levels and weather records were started in the 1800's.
*Combined with last year we are almost 30 inches below our average rainfall since January 2007.
But there was one thing that I found that just completely blew my mind. I came across an online chat discussing the weather and drought conditions here in WNC. A lady was posting how she didn't believe there is a drought. That she is getting rain every day, and the rivers and streams have plenty of water. She called it "The wettest drought I have ever seen".
I am appalled and amazed at both her ignorance and her lack of common sense when people tried to tell her about the issues with rain and water sources.
What really got me thinking about this today was that we decided to go to the "Ledges Park" on the French Broad. As I posted before, the water is the lowest it has ever been. Literally, there are no records showing it at these levels. As I drove down to the park I gasped. I hadn't been down in a month or so (you can find my last post from it) and when I saw the lack of water and the yellowing grass and trees, I was dismayed.
The boys and I waded in the shallow pools while Carl and Rhett paddled down stream for what may be the last time this summer, or even longer.
The water level is dropping so quickly that soon he won't be able to get down the river, today was close.
While Carl and I were talking about the amazing sight of the river and rocks, he really put it in perspective for me. We are looking at rocks and fossils that no one who is alive has ever seen.
No one has ever seen these rocks that are jetting out of the water and mud.
No one has ever seen the pot-holes that have been caused by millions of years of water rushing over a loose stone.
No one has walked on these cobblestones.
But then again, we are in "the wettest drought I have ever seen".
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sundays at the River 7-13-08
Pretty much every Sunday, after church, you can find our family at one of the local rivers here in western North Carolina. It is a great place for children and families to go and have fun in the outdoors. There is no better place than the river to celebrate life, God, and each other!
Here are a few shots of Arden in the kayak in the river for the first time. It is a PS Composites Spy. You can see other boats just like it at www.customkayak.com Paul and MaryKay rock! Check them out.
Here is our friend Rhett giving Rory a ride on the front of his boat today with my Lil' Hucker in tow. Rory had a blast "paddling" the boat for Rhett!
Here are a few shots of Arden in the kayak in the river for the first time. It is a PS Composites Spy. You can see other boats just like it at www.customkayak.com Paul and MaryKay rock! Check them out.
Here is our friend Rhett giving Rory a ride on the front of his boat today with my Lil' Hucker in tow. Rory had a blast "paddling" the boat for Rhett!
The Dirty Bird and Big Creek
Lisa Marie spent her Saturday at the Pigeon River paddling with a buddy, and then headed up to Big Creek to spend some time hanging out with our family and some friends.
We swam, played, grilled, chased Lil' Huckers and just had a blast. Enjoy the photos.
We can now say for sure that the grown-ups had more fun with the Lil Huckers than the kids did! (Seeing as how the "big boys" decided they wanted to play alone and leave the little boys and ladies on the shore...)
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