Ellie the Mer-Dog

Ellie is full of energy and ever curiosity about the world around her.

She is also my shadow.

In fact, right now, as I'm typing, she is conveniently perched on the sofa where she has the best view of where I'm sitting. Occasionally, I'll glance up and there she is, big brown, unblinking puppy dog eyes bearing into my soul.

She may have some mild attachment issues, but the poor thing lived through a traumatic experience before her adoption into our family. She's a survivor and her willingness to love again with her broken little heart has given me strength to cope and deal with hard things in my life, too.

Being my shadow, Ellie gets to go wherever I go, as long as it's safe and dogs are allowed. I was hesitant to take her kayaking with me. I didn't know how she would react to being on the water and I have a fantasy fear of her leaping out of the kayak to attack an alligator. That said, I've not once seen an alligator while kayaking.

Since I've seen lots of people taking their dogs out on Fly Creek, I decided that it's probably a pretty safe place for Ellie to join me in the kayak.

Her first paddle was fantastic. She was a little nervous, and only got upset when our group got too far away from one another. Each time out on the water, she gets a little more comfortable with getting in and out of the kayak at the launch and being out on the water.

2020 is the year of the RV for our family. I can't wait to take Ellie and Biscuit (my senior dog) RVing in the mountains.

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friend!

Fairhope Docks Marina Kayak Launch (Fly Creek Marina)

Did you know that the City of Fairhope has a municipal marina? I didn't! I always thought that the marina across from the Yacht Club was just Fly Creek Marina, but it is not. Sea Cliff Drive off of Scenic 98 will take you to Fairhope Docks Marina.

If you're a kayaker, you need to know about this place because they have a fantastic kayak launch onto Fly Creek.

You can temporarily park your vehicle at the launch site, which is located at the small building on the water that directly faces the Fly Creek Marina facilities. After unloading your kayaks, you'll need to park your vehicle along the fence, which is preferable anyway because it's shaded.

Here's a YouTube video I made that shows us using the launch:

Fly Creek is a short paddle on cool water, under a canopy of greenery. Depending on the tide and rainfall, the furthest you may be able to paddle is to the bridge which crosses over scenic 98. If the water levels are high enough and you do make it past the bridge, the creek narrows, creek side homes dwindle and the foliage becomes more dense. The cool, refreshing water flowing over a white sandy bed becomes clear and inviting.

My husband and I love Fly Creek. It's a short drive from our house, and in less than thirty minutes, we can have our kayaks loaded, unload, and launched. We like to take our dog Ellie, too. We often see people on Fly Creek with their dogs on paddle boards, in their canoes, kayaks, and fishing boats. But sometimes it's a solitary paddle without another person in sight.

A little strange, but I can't find an official address for Fairhope Docks Marina, but if you type Fairhope Docks Marina into Google Maps, it will lead you there with no problems. It's simple though, just drive to the end of Sea Cliff Drive. Easy peasy!

Here's a bonus video of us getting caught in a rain band while out on Fly Creek:

Until next time.
Carpe diem, my friends!