You can read about our journey to this point in these previous blogs:
Christie celebration and the Caledonian Canal Canoe Challenge.
Caledonian Canal - 2 weeks to go update.
I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing, until it started to snow and I was told I needed to inform the Coast Guard about our adventure!
However, we went shopping on Friday for a few final bits and pieces - and suddenly I feel a lot better.
It's funny how the correct footwear can buck a girl up!
I also have special pair of neoprene gloves, a new life jacket (with better pockets, so I don't have to keep my camera in my cleavage), a new set of paddles and some rope! So hopefully should the worse come to the worse, I shouldn't sink - and my hands and feet will be warm. Oh - and I'm also taking a woolly hat and promise to wear a vest!
We've also decided to name our canoe 'The Helen Skelton' after the Blue Peter presenter who rowed the length of the Amazon. I heard a quote from her once about how she tackles a challenge. It was something about it being difficult rather than impossible - and if it wasn't difficult it wouldn't be a challenge. If she can do it - then so can we.
To get in the zone, we went to watch the Manchester Duck Race on Friday on the River Irwell in Spinningfields. Unfortunately, due to a lack of rain and the wind blowing in the wrong direction, many of the big corporate ducks either floated backwards or toppled over.
However, despite the weather (it was actually nice weather for ducks) it was a great spectacle with a really good turn out. I had 10 little ducks swimming in the main race - but sadly there was to be no winners enclosure this time.
So - exactly two years to the day since I finished my high dose chemo - here we are on the cusp of a great adventure. Wish us luck, plump up your bag pipes and pray that the Loch Ness Monster is looking the other way!
Oh Holy Haggis .................
