Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Our Fourteenth Amendment

Our 14^th Amendment was written into our Constitutional Bill of Rights after the Civil War. It was a direct response to a pre-civil war Supreme Court ruling that Black Americans, many living below the Mason-Dixon Line as slaves, had no rights of citizenship. Once the war was over, Southern Democrats still insisted that freed or not freed, Black American former slaves had no rights of citizenship. Decent Americans believed different, and on July 9, 1868, our 14^th Amendment became law.

The Amendment actually has five sections, of which the first section specifically covers citizenship. The entire amendment reads:

AMENDMENT XIV

Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2.
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4.
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5.
The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

The MAGAt Reaction

All the usual MAGAt White Supremacists are screaming about our Supreme Court’s alleged “tremendous betrayal,” as if following our Constitution is now some Liberal plot to destroy “Their America.” “Moderate” MAGAts are merely demanding a complete ban on pregnant woman tourists trying to visit America. Those same “Moderates” are also demanding states just ignore (“nullify”) federal law and refuse to issue birth certificates for babies born to “undesirable” women. The MAGA “extremists” are demanding all foreign women be forcibly sterilized before being allowed to enter the U.S.

Of course, the excretable White Supremacist Stephen Miller, top aid to trump, has even said “Birthright citizenship means the children of illegal aliens can vote to tax your children and seize their inheritance.” I will not link to his post on the site formerly known as Twitter. But here is a screenshot:

No word if stealing our children’s inheritance happens before or after they eat our dogs and cats.

Cry Me A River

I’m way past giving two shits about what MAGAt-Americans think about…anything. In this particular case, I do have a personal investment. As I’ve previously written, my maternal grandfather Eric Wilkens was an illegal immigrant to America. As a Dutch Merchant marine sailor, he jumped ship in New York City sometime around 1920. He subsequently married my grandmother, and later delivered my mom. It was about 20 years later, during WWII, that he became a legal immigrant (going up to Canada for two years, then re-entering the U.S. legally). So, I can honestly state that I am a the descendent of at least one illegal immigrant.

And I’m God-Damned proud of that. As I’m God-Damned proud of all four of my immigrant grandparents for the lives they built, and the families they raised in America. I directly helped two women, my first (ex-) wife, and present wife Winnie, become American citizens. I deeply admire every person who has the courage to pack whatever they can carry with them, travel to a strange new land, and build a second-chance life for them and their families.

Every immigrant to America has more individual courage than all the trump-aligned MAGAts combined.

Musical Coda

I leave this totally political rant with a bit of entirely appropriate “In-Your-Face” music to honor our American immigrant history. And may we continue to see more MAGAt heads meltdown, as the ugliest Americans among us continue to show just how twisted, ignorant, and small, they are.

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The post MAGA Brain Meltdown Over Fourteenth Amendment appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Downloadable Instructions

General Information

I designed this cart so I could hook it up with my kayak sitting on it’s trailer, haul it to the water, and release the cart from the pier without getting wet up to my waist. I can also hook it up from the pier, then haul the kayak out back onto my trailer. This cart also protects the rudder from dragging on the ground. Finally, since it supports the weight of the kayak (instead of hanging the weight as the Sidekick option offered by Native Watercraft does) there is no stress on the hull or track systems.

Native Watercraft-Specific Design

Note this design is specific for the Native Watercraft Slayer Max Ten Propel model. This model has a unique keel feature, which I believe is common to all Native Watercraft models. My design should work for all models, with some adjustment in dimensions. As I step through the instructions I’ll call out which dimensions may require adjusting for other models. Your mileage may vary.

Creative Commons License

I’m making my design, along with the “How-To” instructions, freely available under a creative commons license. This licensing is CC-BY-NC; Licensees may copy, distribute, display, perform and make derivative works and remixes based on it only if they give the author or licensor the credits (attribution) in the manner specified by these (BY).  Licensees may copy, distribute, display, perform the work and make derivative works and remixes based on it only for non-commercial purposes (NC).

The Kayak Cart

The cart is built of one inch and one-and-a-quarter inch PVC tubing, based upon an inexpensive commercial “Scupper-mount dollyScupper-Mount Kayak DollyScupper-mounted kayak dollies, that hook into scupper drain holes on the bottom of sit-on-op kayaks, are generally not recommended. Hooking a dolly into scupper holes puts strains on the hull it's normally not designed for, and in fact may void any manufacturer's warranty. It's also awkward to connect/disconnect a scupper-mount cart while the kayak is in the water. ” for the wheels and axle. Overall dimensions are 28 inches long, by 28 inches high, by 30 inches from the outer edges of the wheels. Total weight is 9.5 pounds. The wheels can be easily removed (no tools needed) and reinstalled on the axle.

This cart does not use the kayaks’ scupper holes. The Native Watercraft kayaks have a unique keel shape of two channels running the length of the keel, starting about midships. These channels are almost two inches wide at the midships point, narrowing down to one inch at the transom. The manufacturer explains that this shape effectively creates a “catamaran” effect and increases stability. These two channels also offer an excellent way of holding a cart in position.

The upper “hook” helps hold the cart in position while the two straps are connected, which ultimately hold the cart in position. I used pool noodles for padding in key places, both to protect the kayak hull and help hold the cart in position. The lower “U” bar protects the rudder from scraping on the ground, and adds lateral strength to the cart. Two nylon straps wrapped around the hull hold the cart securely in place while in use.

Wheels and Axle

I used an inexpensive, GanFindX brand, commercial kayak cart for the axle and wheels. This cart was designed to mount into a kayaks’ scupper holes. I discarded the vertical scupper mounts, which gave me the perfect set of wheels and axles.

This axle is advertised as stainless steel, and the cart is advertised to support up to 240 lbs. The wheels pop off without needing any tools. This cart offers options for 8-inch or 11-inch wheels. I used the 11-inch size, on basis that bigger would be better for sand. Dimensions of my cart’s PVC frame is based on the 11-inch wheel size.

This axle runs inside PVC tubing that connects to the upper support tubing. My instructions show how to lock the square axle inside a round tube.

Construction Notes

This cart is built of PVC pipe cemented into PVC elbows and “T” fittings.

Most PVC pipe dimensions are critical for this cart to work properly. The socket portion of the PVC elbows and “T” fittings tend to vary between 3/4 to one inch. I’ve also observed that the pipe will go deeper into the fitting sockets with cement applied, then if I am dry-fitting the pieces.

I’ve shown the pipe dimensions between the edges of the fittings and overall lengths. I found it’s best to use some blue painters tape to mark how deep a piece of pipe needs to be inserted into a fitting socket while dry fitting.

I used a hand saw with miter box to make my PVC pipe cuts.

Materials List

^[1] This allows some extra length for scrap.

Assembly

Open the box containing the GanFindX Kayak Cart. Discard the two upright scupper supports. Retain the two axle pieces, two wheels, and two end washers. Discard the butterfly screw that holds the two pieces of axle together. Temporarily use painters tape to hold the two axle pieces together. Later, you’ll use the M6 – 1.0 x 12mm screw.

PVC Pipe Pieces

The chart dimensions show actual cut length, and finished dimensions after inserting into fittings. (Note there is no piece 010.)

Pipe Diameter	Piece Number(s)	Dimensions
1-1/4″	001 and 003
1-1/4″	002
1″	004 and 005
1″	006 and 007
1″	008 and 009
1″	011 and 013
1″	012 and 017
1″	014 and 015
1″	016 and 018

If you want to use this on one of the 12-foot Native Watercraft kayaks, I recommend lengthening pieces 006 and 007 to about 24 inches. This will move the wheels further forward towards the kayak’s center of balance. You may also need to adjust pieces 002, 012, and 017 to keep the “arms” properly aligned in the kayak’s keel channels.

The Axle

Assembling the axle is the most most time-consuming part of this build.

The square axle of the GanFindX Kayak Cart measures one inch across the diagonal. This fits perfectly inside the 1-1/4″ PVC pipe. As the rest of the cart is one inch PVC, the two 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ x 1″ “T” fittings adapts the axle to the reat of the PVC frame. You also need to square the inside of the round pipe to lock the axle into position.

The axle uses PVC pieces 001, 002, and 003, and the two 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ x 1″ “T”s.

Squaring the Circle

1. Cut two 2″ pieces of 1″ PVC Pipe. Using the GanFindX axle as a guide, mark off the four corners on the ends of the pipe with your Sharpie. Extend the lines down the length, then split each piece of pipe lenghtwise into four sections.
2. Sand the four pieces of each pipe section flat along the split edges. A hand-held belt sander with 150 grit sandpaper helps (wear gloves as your fingertips will be close to the belt).
3. These pieces fit into the inside ends of pieces 001 and 003. Use the GanFindX axle (wrapped in painters tape to keep the metal cement-free ) as a guide to aligning the four pieces. Using PVC primer and cement, slide each of the four pieces into the pipe ends. Once set-up, this creates a squared inside end that perfectly fits around the square axle.
4. The ends need to be smooth and squared off so the wheel washers fit properly. But it’s best to wait until the entire axle assembly is complete, then sand, as the axle length needs to be precise for smooth operation of the wheels.

Assembling The Axle

1. Glue piece 001 into a 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ x 1″ “T” Fitting. Then glue piece 003 into the other 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ x 1″ “T” Fitting. The ends with the squared off interior must be to the outside, not the “T” fitting side.
2. Dry fit piece 002 into the “T” ends of each assembly.
3. Slide the GanFindX axle through the axle assembly. Twist the two sections until the square axle aligns inside the PVC tubing. Using your Sharpie, put alignment marks on the “T”s and piece 002.

1. Glue piece 002 to one “T” section. Allow cement to set-up.
2. With the GanFindX axle inside the PVC pipe assembly, cement the other “T” section to the other side of piece 002. Ensure the axle can slide freely inside the PVC assembly.
3. Remove the GanFindX axle and remove any painters tape.

Installing the Axle Screw

1. Reinsert the GanFindX axle with the center screw hole as close to the bottom of the axle assembly as possible. Using your Sharpie, mark where the hole would be on Piece 002.
2. Drill a hole large enough to get the machine screw head through. This hole allows the screw to be inserted into the GanFindX axle, and doubles as a drain hole for the assembly.
3. Insert the machine screw and tighten on the GanFindX axle. You may want to use some “Blue” Loctite to ensure this screw stays in place.

Fitting the Wheels

Test fit the wheels and washers on the axle. Sand down the PVC ends if too tight. The wheels should turn freely, without any of the square axle showing past the PVC pipe.

The Rest of the Assembly

The rest of the cart assembly is straightforward pipe assembly. Use the illustration and piece parts list as a guide. It’s best to build each section together to avoid getting confused. One critical piece of this assembly is keeping the “T” and elbows aligned. Recommended assembly sections:

1. Pieces 004/006/008 and 005/007/009
2. Pieces 011/012/013
3. Pieces 016/017/018

Before building the final assembly, be sure to add pool noodle padding as shown. This padding helps protect your boat’s finish, and also helps the cart grip the kayak better.

The Straps

Once your cart is assembled, add the straps. I used two straps, but the strap attached to pieces 008/009 are the most critical. This strap strap holds the forward end snug under the kayak. The “hook” helps hold the cart in place while tightening this strap. The second strap is extra support for the stern.

As I use my prototype, I’m finding that the best use of the second straps is to wrap them through the two rear kayak handles, then connect them behind the vertical section of the “hook.” This seems to help hold the cart on the kayak more effectively.

Installation

Take a cam strap and cut it into two pieces. You should cut so the cam head end of the strap aligns with the top center of the kayak. Be sure to heat-seal the cut ends so the strap material does not unravel. After heat-sealing the ends, melt a pilot hole about 1/2″ from the cut ends. . This helps the screw go through the strap easier.

Position each section of strap on the PVC pipe, then use a #8 x 9/16″ self-drilling hex head screw to fasten it in position.

One set of straps should go just forward of the “T” end on pieces 008 and 009. The second set should be about six inches from the back edge of the cart, on pieces 006 and 007

In Use

Slipe the straps through the cam heads so they’re loose around the kayak hull. Slide the cart on the stern of the kayak so the “arms” slide along the twin channels along the keel. Once the “hook” is engaged, tighten the straps. You can now haul your kayak using the bow handle.

Happy Paddling!

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The post Building a Native Watercraft Kayak Cart appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Getting There

I’ve been reading about the Virginia Creeper Trail since last year. It’s described as “a scenic 34-mile rail-to-trail recreation site in Southwest Virginia, stretching from Abingdon, Virginia, to Whitetop Station, Virginia. Unfortunately, a section of this trail between Whitetop Station and Damascus, Virginia, was washed out during Hurricane Helene in 2024. It’s being repaired, but for now only the 17-mile section between Damascus and Abingdon is open.

So, a few weeks ago we decided on a bicycle date and I made RV reservations at a small RV park right in the center of downtown Damascus. The town is a three-and-a-half-hour drive north from us, an easy trip. It’s also in a part of the U.S. I’ve never previously explored.

Damascus RV Camping

Damascus is a pleasant town of just under 800 people, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is literally a one-road town built along Highway 58, named “Laurel Avenue” (helpfully divided into “East Laurel” and “West Laurel” based on crossing Laurel Creek) for the one-half-mile stretch through the town. We camped at Damascus Creekside RV Park, on East Laurel Avenue next to Laurel Creek.

This RV park has only ten sites, with a “Bed and Breakfast” feeling to it. Unfortunately, Highway 58/Laurel Avenue happens to be a busy road so we had to deal with highway noises most of each night there. I can pretty much sleep through anything. Winnie, not so much. But it was an otherwise pleasant RV camp. We were only about one-half mile from the Virginia Creeper Trailhead, so we could leave our RV parked for the both nights we were there.

We drove up on a Thursday, settled in for the evening. Next morning we cleaned up and hit the trail about 10:00.

The Virginia Creeper Trail

The trail is built on a former railway line initially laid out about 1880 to haul timber and iron ore. The original owners went bankrupt, and the line was sold and expanded by a private venture in 1900, then sold to Norfolk & Western (“N&W”) about 1919. The line operated until 1977, when it was no longer profitable and N&W was allowed to shut it down.

Over the next ten years, various agencies and private groups purchased pieces of the rail right-of-way, and by 1987 the Virginia Creeper Trail was dedicated as a National Recreation Trail. By 1989 the present-day trail from Whitetop Station to Abingdon was opened. The entire 32-mile trail winds through the Appalachian Mountains and has 47 trestle bridges crossing rivers and valleys.

The section between Damascus and Abingdon is advertised as being relatively flat, with seventeen trestle bridges along the way. These trestle bridges are restored from the original 1900s railway.

Damascus to Abingdon

There are a number of bike shops in Damascus and Abingdon that rent bikes and drop people off at various spots along the trail. My initial plan was to get dropped off in Abingdon and ride the 17 miles one-way back to Damascus. Given I’m only (periodically) riding ten miles around Charlotte, I felt 17 miles was already as much as Winnie and I could handle. Winnie insisted she was able to handle the entire round trip, and insisted that I could also handle it.

So, we made the entire round-trip bike ride.

The trail started out tucked between highway 58 and Laurel Creek, then gradually veered away from the highway and deeper into farmlands, rolling hills, and wooded areas. Periodically we crossed old railroad trestle bridges. We did take our time peddling, with periodic breaks for pictures and rest.

The last eight miles or so into Abingdon was slightly uphill, but not enough to be a problem of either of us.

Abingdon

After a two-plus hour ride, we arrived in Abingdon. This town is considerably larger than Damascus, with a population over 8,000 and lots of main roads.

We were both a bit tired by this point. I was carrying lunch in my backpack, so we pulled into a small park next to the trailhead and had a well-earned reward. After lunch, we pedaled around the area and checked out eBikes in a nearby bike shop. We had seen a lot of riders on eBikes along the trail, and Winnie was getting interested in them.

We went a few more blocks into Abington, far enough to see Barter Theatre, considered one of the major attractions in Abingdon.

The Road Home

By this time, Winnie and I were both feeling the bike riding. We decided it was time for the 17-mile ride peddle back to Damascus.

What goes up must come down, and the trail did work in our favor. The eight-mile uphill stretch coming to Abingdon was eight miles downhill on the way back. We continued to make periodic water stops. About halfway back we did stop at the general store in Alvarado for ice cream.

Return To Damascus

As we got closer to Damascus, Winnie made several stops to inspect the wildflowers growing along this section of the trail. I didn’t mind these stops, as I was beginning to feel a serious case of saddle sores. But, we did make it back in time for dinner and a well-earned nights rest.

We headed for home the next morning talking about coming back next year to ride the stretch between Whitetop Station and Damascus.

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Outside Links

The Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy (VCTC): A volunteer organization formed two-years after the trail officially opened in 1987, to help maintain the trail and to supplement the efforts of the local towns and small communities’ staffs and budgets.

The post Cycling the Virginia Creeper Trail appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Summary Up Front

Good	Bad
Good Stability	Heavy for Its size
Good Tracking	No Buoyancy Material
Roomy Cockpit
Lots of Features for the Price point
Lots of Storage
Comfortable Seating
Durable Construction

Description

The Trophy 126 is classed as a single-seat hardshell deck boatDeck BoatA type of kayak where the operator sits inside the boat, entering through a cockpit opening. . This boat is designed for recreational flatwater paddling, with options for fishing.

This boat was initially manufactured by “Future Beach,” starting around 2008. I purchased mine in 2010. Future Beach went bankrupt around 2015 and this boat was discontinued. Within the past several years, the design has been picked up and marketed under the manufacturer name “Evoke.” There have been a few minor alterations with this new iteration, but the overall design has remained unchanged.

Unique Hull Form

This kayak has a unique “Dihedral” hull form which is key to its excellent performance. This hull form creates a double keel ridge (chines) which improves tracking and stability compared to a typical kayak hull. Because of this form, the hull ends up being a few inches taller than a typical kayak of the same length, to allow adequate space inside.

Construction

This is a one-piece rotomoldedRoto MoldingRotational molding, also known as roto molding, is a production process used to create large hollow plastic parts like containers, coolers, and tanks. The process involves heating a hollow mold filled with plastic resin and slowly rotating it to evenly distribute the melted resin inside the mold, resulting in seamless products with uniform wall thickness. hull. The current version uses UV-stabilized Fortiflex high-density polyethylene. It is a soft plastic, and so scratches easier than thermoplastic or composite hulls. But, the hull is made thick, especially along the chines. This thicker hull using high-density plastic accounts for the heavier weight than most kayaks of this size. It also makes for a durable, long-lasting boat.

Fishing

The integrated tackle box storage is the most significant change to this design over the years it’s been offered. The early models had no tackle box tray. Later, a dashboard area in front of the cockpit opening was added that accepted a four compartment tackle box. The current design expands on this feature by including bungee cord rigging over the tackle box tray. Together with the integrated flush-mounted fishing rod holders, this boat offers features adequate for minimalistMinimalist FishingMinimalist fishing is a lightweight, low-stress approach that trades bulky tackle for highly versatile gear and a deep understanding of fish behavior. Instead of hauling multiple tackle boxes, anglers focus on carrying only a single versatile rod, reel, and a pocket-sized selection of proven baits. fishing.

Cargo Space

Between the bow and rear storage compartments, rigging, and weight capacity, this boat offers a lot of cargo space for its size. There’s plenty of room to carry a day’s worth of picnic supplies, or even gear for ultralightUltralight CampingUltralight (UL) camping focuses on reducing your 'base weight' (the weight of your pack plus all gear, minus consumables like food, water, and fuel) to under 10 lbs. The philosophy prioritizes multi-use items, lightweight fabrics, and bringing only what is essential for safety and comfort. kayak camping.

Storage

As a ten-and-a-half-foot hardshell, this boat has the same storage issues as any hardshell kayak. It is a few pounds heavier that typical boats of this size, but standard kayak storage systems would support it. The dihedral bottom does allow it to sit flat on a floor or storage shelf.

Transportation

This boat transports much the same as any hardshell kayak of this size. One specific advantage with this hull form is that the boat can sit flat across standard roof racks. No J-BarsJ-BarJ-bars (or J-cradles) secure your kayak on its side, saving roof space so you can fit multiple boats or gear. They are ideal for roof transport and wall storage, preventing hull warping by distributing the weight across the kayak's strongest edge. are needed, although they also work.

On The Water

The biggest advantage of a hardshell over an inflatable is setup time at the water. I do believe the longest interval of time known to modern science is the nominal 20 minutes needed to set-up an inflatable kayak. A hardshell doesn’t have this issue, but I still have to get into and out of the boat once it’s on the water.

Entry and Exit

The boat has enough stability for me to get into and out from a pier. Being able to enter and exit off a pier is especially great for winter paddling when the water is cold and dry feet are nice.

Handling

Tracking is an important feature of a kayak. This boat tracks quite well and is still very maneuverable. Although heavy for a boat this size, I do not notice the extra weight once I’m moving. While not inherently fast, this boat is a real pleasure for flatwater paddling due to the excellent tracking.

Fishing

Fish do not fear me, but I’ve used my boat for fishing numerous times. The dual rod holders allow me to carry one rod and a folding fishing net. As my boat did not include the dashboard tackle box tray, I use a PFDPFDPersonal Flotation Device that has two pockets each large enough for four-compartment tackle boxes. This works out well. The minimal storage space forces me to think through what I’ll be fishing for, and then bring just the tackle I need.

One feature this boat does not include, beneficial for fishing, is an anchor trolly. There are inexpensive aftermarket anchor trolly kits available, and I did add one a couple of years after I bought my Trophy 126.

Comfort

The seat is reasonably comfortable, for kayak seats. There’s plenty of adjustment for the back rest, and the padded bottom does provide decent cushioning. The footrests are adjustable, and there is enough adjustment range to accomodate my 5’10” legs, as well as Winnie’s 4’11” legs.

Lacking Buoyancy

This boat has a lot of cargo space. However, the trade-off is there is no included buoyancy material to keep this kayak afloat should it fill with water. As a comparison, the Pelican series kayaks have styrofoam buoyancy material behind the seat (which eliminates use of that space for cargo).

The Trophy 126 rear cargo space has a nominally watertight bulkhead (immediately behind the seat) sealing it off from the cockpit area. On my boat, water splashing into the cockpit would leak into the rear cargo area (I finally fixed this with some caulking). It also has a nominally watertight rubber hatch, held down with bungee cord rigging. But, my concern is that if this rear cargo area did fill with water, the weight would probably be enough to sink the kayak.

If you were to take this boat outside a flatwater environment, you should consider using inflatable kayak buoyancy bags (float bags) in the bow and rear cargo space, just to give you that extra flotation security.

Company Support

There does not appear to be any dealer networks supporting this boat. They are marketed primarily through various retail sporting goods stores including Dicks Sporting Goods and Overton’s.

Warranty

I have not been able to identify any warranty offered directly by Evoke. Any warranty would appear to be controlled by the distributor.

Purchase Price

The current list price for a new Trophy 126 is $358, offered through several distributors. A paddle is usually included with the kayak. This is an entry-level price point, and the standard features on this boat make it very competitive with other kayaks in it’s price point.

Conclusion

I consider this kayak to be an excellent entry-level boat that a person can continue to use as they gain more experience. It’s durable, fun to paddle, has lots of storage space, and offers the option for fishing. What more does a kayaker need?

Thanks for reading my review, and happy paddling!

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Edited: June 10 2026, with additional photos and minor content.

The post Review: Evoke Trophy 126 Kayak appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

New Activities and New Friends

Winnie went back to China for several weeks, starting at the end of last October. I needed to stay home to rest and just get used to being home. Winnie needed to spend some time just being with her family. While she was gone I used my home alone time to start some small projects and take a short RV trip over to Cape Hatteras. Mostly I enjoyed just being alone, a luxury I didn’t have for my last several months of career life.

Once Winnie came home my retired life of actually doing stuff started.

The Senior Center

Winnie and I are learning just how much our adopted city of Charlotte has to offer. We’ve discovered this city gives us Seniors lots of opportunities to enjoy life. These opportunities include very active Senior Citizen centers. Anyone 55 or older is considered a “senior citizen,” so both Winnie and I are eligible for membership at these centers.

As our luck has it, the nearest senior center is only a few miles away, nearby a large downtown shopping area. So, Winnie and I have become active members. Our regular events now include Ping Pong (“Table Tennis”) and Mahjong.

Ping Pong

I hadn’t picked up a ping pong paddle since my first visit to China in 2003. (Winnie’s cousins challenged me to a ping pong game. Spoiler alert: they womped me.) We have some real talent to learn from. One person claimed to be formerly ranked number six tennis player in Charlotte. Another regular is a (USATTUSATTUSA Table Tennis Referee Certification) referee.

Other folks here have been playing table tennis pretty steady for up to sixty years. Meaning, they’re mostly pretty good. But, folks are patient and let me learn while getting womped, so I’m good. The nicest thing about this group, for me, is they are not mean. I’m not insulted or mocked for not knowing much about the game, which is very different for me in past sports event. Dealing with more skilled people mocking me, and cutting me out of any meaningful games, is largely why I never learned in the first place.

Mahjong

Winnie knows Mahjong because of course she does. She’s skilled in card games in general, and Mahjong is one she particularly likes. But, she hasn’t been able to play since living in the US, for lack of anyone to play with. Winnie was excited when we discovered a weekly Mahjong event at the Senior Center. And she has insisted on me learning.

Once again, as with Ping Pong, there are some very experienced Mahjong players here. One woman in particular is the self-appointed trainer, and very patient teaching us beginners how to play. Winnie just had to learn the specific game rules here. Apparently there are different rules in just about every country Mahjong is played in.

I’m slowly picking up this new skillset, and enjoying the game.

Senior Events

It’s been a bit difficult getting out for much bicycle riding this winter. Here and there we get a day nice enough for a ride. But, spring is coming so I’ll have time to push myself into riding more. The bicycle event is a 10K race, and my goal is to finish ahead of the last rider.

North Carolina sponsors annual “Senior Games” in both athletics and arts. Events happen each spring, so I was able to actually sign up. I’ve gotten myself registered for the Digital Photography arts event, and for bicycle races in the sports events. I haven’t entered a photo contest since leaving Mississippi, so I have no idea what to expect in this event.

I also haven’t competed in any athletic event since leaving the Navy. Then, I occasionally competed in long-distance (5K) running events. My knees are now too worn for serious running, but I am getting back into bicycling. Once again, I have no idea what to expect, but I’m taking the leap.

Having Fun

All-in-all; I am enjoying my chance to actually do things for fun, instead of working for a paycheck. I’m enjoying just spending time together with Winnie. And we’re both looking forward to many years of doing cool stuff together while we get old.

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The post This and That: Retired Life Edition appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The Last Week

This winter wonderland weather actually started a week earlier. Winnie and I woke up on a Saturday morning to our neighborhood covered in white. It wasn’t a weather-forcasted event, so caught us by surprise. Along with the rest of Charlotte. Then, over last week the temps stubbornly hovered at freezing or below. So that white stuff lingered like an unwelcome guest.

Gone to Tennessee

We had made plans to spend last week in Kentucky and then Tennessee. One of my grand-nephews was getting married in in Nashville, Tennessee, this past Saturday. My brother Howard and wife Pam had moved to Kentucky a couple of years ago and we hadn’t been out to see them since they moved. So, we planned on a dual vist of first Kentucky, then Tennessee, then back home. It was a plan.

With weather forecasts calling for freezing temps all week, we decided to cut our trip short. We skipped out on the Kentucky leg, and met Howard and Pam in Tennessee on Thursday evening. Friday we visited some family in the Nashville area. The weather stayed stubbornly cold, enough to seriously annoy me.

Snow For Me But Not for Thee

Saturday morning it started snowing here in Charlotte. However, we had no snow where we were in Nashville. Just, stubbornly cold. And lots of ice. We had driven our Thor Scope RV and discovered that it did not handle icy parking lots all that well. In fact, we had our 15 minutes of fame when we became seriously stuck on the ice-coated parking lot of the church where the wedding was held. Eventually, four people were advising me, several people had to move their cars, and one thoughtful person provided me a large package of kitty litter for traction.

Based on watching our weather app, it snowed most of the day here. We had planned on returning home Sunday and knew all that snow would still be around. So, after the wedding and on the way back to our hotel Saturday night, we bought a “Tennessee Snow Shovel.” It seems actual snow shovels don’t exist in that part of the country. I went to two hardware stores, and both times was pointed to a “scoop shovel.”

So we missed living through the great Charlotte snowstorm of 2026. Charlotte ended up getting eleven inches (at the airport), the heaviest one-day snow recorded here in twenty years.

Returning Home

Winnie and I did get back on the road home early Sunday morning. It was snowing lightly at our hotel, but nothing I was nervous about driving in. The trip home was pleasant, and we saw snow lining the roads the entire drive. Several spots on the highway only had one lane cleared, but it was warm enough snow was melting and no ice worries. But, I saw all that water covering the roads and was happy I would not be driving at night. Black ice is the only road condition that scares me.

Snow Shoveling

We returning home to discover most roadways in and around Charlotte had not been plowed. So, once we pulled into our cul-de-sac, Winnie hopped out and put our new snow shovel to good use. She occasionally let me help her. But, mostly I just moved cars around while she cleared our driveway.

The Next Week

Weather forecasts show nighttime freezing weather all week, with possibility of either snow or rain later this week. Or maybe not. Whatever. I think we’ll be spending a lot of this week inside our house.

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The post Snow Comes to Charlotte appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

In The Beginning

I’ve been swinging a hammer ever since I was big enough to actually pick one up. I credit my interest in carpentry and general shop work to my maternal grandfather, Eric Wilkens. He was a carpenter and house painter who could build literally anything using scraps of wood and a few nails.

All good carpenters need a workshop; someplace with workbench and space to properly store their tools. I had a rudimentary basement shop in the house we moved into when I was 15, but then I joined the Navy and became a nomad. Life in Navy barracks and ships did not give me much opportunity for building a shop. I didn’t have much opportunity for woodworking either, but with the cars I owned in that era, I ended up acquiring a lot of auto tools.

My San Diego Workshop

As part of my first marriage in San Diego, I bought a small house with a two-car garage suitable for a workshop. During the three years I lived there I built a four-foot by four foot freestanding workbench table out of “found” 2″x12″ lumber with 4″ x 4″ support legs. It was literally strong enough to rebuilt an auto engine (which I did). I also started acquiring proper woodworking tools. I had my shop equipment and workbench stored at navy expense while stationed in Italy, then later moved to my Mississippi home.

My Mississippi Workshop

After Navy retirement in Mississippi I built a spacious twelve foot by sixteen foot shed in the backyard for my workshop. It was a great shop except for the location. It was flooded twice during hurricanes in the ten years I lived there. Both times with my tools and equipment inside.

Salt water and shop tools, especially power tools, mostly do not mix well. As a result, I had the great opportunity to scrap and replace my tools, twice. Out of necessity I acquired a lot of new tools during the year Winnie and I rebuilt our Mississippi home after Hurricane Katrina. Then we moved to Virginia at our own expense. I had to leave behind most of my tools, and my workbench, as I could not afford to move them.

In Virginia

Our Virginia house had a single-car garage, which could have been ok for a workshop. Except, we ended up using it for storing lawn and gardening equipment, boating equipment, bicycles, and surplus materials from our many home improvement projects over the years we lived there.

On the bright side, with all our home improvement projects I did acquire a nice collection of new shop tools. Along with new tools I managed to acquire some vintage tools, with the intent of one day restoring and using them.

I also acquired the foundation of a new workbench. While renovating our investment house we were able to salvage most of the vintage kitchen cabinets. This included three wall-mounted cabinets and a three-door/drawer cabinet base. Once we finished renovations Winnie and I refinished the cabinets and used them for garage storage. I claimed the cabinet base for my future workbench.

Now In North Carolina

I was able to move all of my shop equipment, along with the cabinet base and two of the three wall cabinets, to our Charlotte, North Carolina, house in 2024. It stayed packed up until a few months ago, when I decided I was ready to start building yet another workshop.

My New Workshop

The house we retired to includes a spacious two-car garage. Over the winter months one car spot houses my 18-foot Bayliner 175BR runabout. But, that still leaves plenty of space for a workbench and tool storage. As part of our moving in, Winnie and I agreed on a 5’x13′ corner of our garage for my future workshop.

The Workbench

The cabinet base provides excellent storage for tools and equipment. But it lacked a top, seeing as how it was once holding up a kitchen counter. So, my first step was putting down a solid wood benchtop.

Given how my tools were still packed away, I didn’t want to try gluing and trimming heavy lumber for the top. I finally found a premade “butcher block” countertop through a local big-box hardware store that was perfect for the workbench top. I just mounted it to the cabinet and put on a couple coats of varnish. As a final touch, I mounted my vintage woodworkers vise on one end. It was a perfect fit.

This makes the nicest workbench I’ve owned.

The Storage

Once I had a functional workbench, it was time to start organizing tool storage. A few years ago I was gifted a Craftsman roll-around tool chest, which along with the workbench cabinet gives me a lot of storage. But I also wanted to keep my most frequently used tools right at hand. So, I next built two toolboards, one immediately over my bench and the other off to one side. On the side I also mounted the smaller of the two vintage kitchen cabinets, and a rail to mount my collection of clamps. I also added some wall-mounted wire shelving.

The Decor

In addition to my tools, over the years I’ve acquired a decent collection of auto license plates. My collection includes plates from six different states starting from 1976. Some previously decorated the walls of my Mississippi workshop, but since we moved to Virginia they’ve been packed away. I finally have the chance to once again display them, along with plates I collected over the years living in Virginia.

I also have space for displaying my vintage tools. I’ve already mounted a sickle and ice saw. I’m currently working on restoring and mounting my prize 43″ one-man crosscut saw.

All-in-all, I think this new shop is going to be nice. I have plans to build a second, smaller roll-around workbench to mount my machinist vises, bench grinder, and small anvil. Meanwhile, I have enough small projects to keep me busy when I’m not doing other retirement stuff.

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The post Building My Workshop appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Yes, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has become one of my favorite musical groups. I first learned about them from car pool members back around 2009. This group had already been around for several years at that point. I found one of their albums, and was immediately hooked.

They initially started doing Christmas music, and ultimately created the “Christmas Trilogy” set of themed Christmas music, each with a background story. I’ve posted some of the individual tracks from this trilogy on Christmases past. But there is a lot more. Each track, by itself, is a spectacular bit of music. And, of course, there’s the music videos.

Carol of the Bells

For this Christmas, I’m sharing the official Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s track of “Carol of The Bells.” This is from their 1996 album “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” and officially titled “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo.”

Parting Thoughts

This has been a rough year for many people, both in America and many other places around the world. Here in America, many of us are continuing to grapple with the outcome of too many family members choosing Trump over truth, love, and basic human decency. We can’t go back to normal, because normal is how we got here. But, I want to believe things will get better. So Merry Christmas, and may you day be merry and bright.

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The post Merry Christmas 2025 appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The Movie

The movie “The Good The bad and The Ugly,” was released way back in 1966. From the totally not bad Wikipedia we have this bit:

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Italian: Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, lit. ’The good, the ugly, the bad’) is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as “the Good”, Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad”, and Eli Wallach as “the Ugly”. Its screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, and Leone (with additional screenplay material and dialogue provided by an uncredited Sergio Donati), based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone. Director of photography Tonino Delli Colli was responsible for the film’s sweeping widescreen cinematography, and Ennio Morricone composed the film’s score. It was an Italian-led production with co-producers in Spain, West Germany, and the United States.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was marketed in the United States as the third and final installment in the Dollars Trilogy, following A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965). The film was a financial success, grossing over $38 million at the worldwide box office, and garnered Eastwood publicity.

Fondly referred to as a “Spaghetti Western” as it was directed by an Italian, with a striking original musical score by yet another Italian. It’s still considered one of the most iconic western movies ever made.

The Music

The score was composed by frequent Leone collaborator Ennio Morricone. The music has proven to be timeless, perfectly capturing the feel of the “Old West” myth of our American image.

I happened to stumble upon a YouTube video of this piece the other day and the music has stuck in my head. This particular live performance was by the The Danish National Symphony Orchestra in 2018. It’s a spectacular performance of an excellent bit of music. I think there is a certain irony that this music, which so perfectly captures the feel of our Old American West, was written by an Italian and now performed by the Danish Symphony.

The Performance

Without further blathering, here is the Danish National Symphony Orchestra performing Ennio Morricone’s musical masterpiece “The Good The Bad and The Ugly.” For those old-timers among us, may this music bring back wonderful memories of a bygone era.

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Edited: December 24, 2025 for minor content

The post The Good The Bad and The Ugly appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Background

I mostly grew up in a Long Island suburb of New York City. The summer I turned eight, my family and I went on a two-week vacation renting a cabin on a dairy farm in upstate New York. It was a wonderful vacation, probably the best family vacation I had while growing up. I still remember going into the dairy barn in the mornings and evenings, watching the farm family milking the cows. This family also had some acreage used for growing wheat, and I still remember tasting some of the raw wheat kernels, picked right off the stalks.

That vacation left me with profound respect for farmers.

The summer I turned sixteen, we moved from suburban Long Island to the rural mid-Hudson Valley region. It was, and still is, a region dominated by small farms and trappings of rural American life. During the two years I lived here, before leaving home for the navy, I learned a lot about farming and small family farms. Some of my school friends were members of farming families.

I also worked several part-time after-school jobs for men who had lived their entire lives in that area. I saw they were good people. Honest people who believed in fair play and hard work. My experiences with these people added to my profound respect for farmers and rural life. I honestly believed these people represented the best of “heartland” American values.

The Dark Side

But, later in life I started seeing a darker side to rural America and farming life. For one, several years after leaving home the Ku Klux Klan became very publictly active in my rural hometown. I later learned they had been active, although mostly underground, for decades. Learning that was a shock, shattering my image of farmers as the heartland of American values. There were more shocks to come.

While in the navy I hung around a lot of people who had grown up in rural America. I did meet a few people who were openly friendly and interested in life outside their small hometown. But not most. After a while, I developed serious resentments towards rural Americans claiming to “own” American values. I lost count of the many times I’d hear “You’re from New York City? I feel sorry for you. How can you live like that?” From this, I increasingly developed serious disgust from being mocked as a New Yorker. Sometimes that mockery was subtle, other times pretty blatant. It was always gratuitous, and seemed like these folks asserted their own values by mocking mine.

I started seeing common traits with the people making them. These folks were insular, holding a narrow world-view that excluded everyone else as “Real Americans.” As I gradually learned about racism, I could see these folks were exhibit “A” examples of “casual racism.” And these people were loud and proud Republicans.

Enter Republicanism

Their gratuitous mockery of my New York values extended to gratuitous mockery of my liberal democratic values. My early navy years happened long before Rush Limbaugh was polluting the radio airwaves with his brand of hatefulness. I can now say, Limbaugh and his later wanna-bees didn’t create the hatefulness towards Democrats that now exist in rural America. He plowed fertile ground and nurtured that hatefulness to what it’s become today.

So, Trump’s sweeping 2024 election victory of as much as seventy-eight percent across most of rural America is the end game years in the making. I still respect family farmers as honest hard-working people. But I also see their narrow worldview has a serious dark side. Their dark side has led too many rural Americans into embracing the worst aspects of republicanism and now Trump.

I’m not making excuses for these people.

Now Today

Where are American farmers today? Small family farms are hurting bad. Nebraska agriculture is collapsing in just the few months of Trump 2.0. One-third of Arkansas farmers are facing bankruptcy and begging Trump for financial relief. Generally, Trump’s cuts to food programs across the country are putting America’s health and economy at risk.

The Quora Question

So, a few days ago I answered a Quora question “Why are farmers no longer wearing red MAGA hats, and should we care that they are now reaping what they so energetically sowed?” My answer:

Farmers are no longer wearing MAGA hats because they’ve discovered Trump seriously does not give two shits about them. Trump has pissed off countries we were exporting products to so badly, they’ve cancelled all their contracts. These farmers were all selling to export markets, now have no customers for their product. And, they do know who is at fault, even if they continue to publicly profess their undying love for Donald J Trump.

Which is why I refuse to care about these farmers. They voted for Trump in 2016, and Trump screwed them over. Then these farmers voted for Trump again in 2020. Biden put a lot of effort into creating polices and programs to help rural areas, including these farmers. And Biden did this despite every fucking congressional Republican opposing him.

Then, these farmers voted for Trump again in 2024. By huge margins. So, fuck these farmers. They deserve the economy they voted for – three times. Now, after screaming “SOCIALISM BAD!” every time Democrats try helping people, these farmers want government handouts to compensate for supporting Trump.

So, fuck these farmers again. I hope every Trump-supporting farmer loses their farm, and has the pleasure of living on the measly government support Republicans still allow.

Quora Answer

Final Commentary

I do not feel any sympathy for any Trump supporter now being gored by Trump’s grasping power-mad actions. None.

We have American troops occupying two American cities, ordered there by Trump and his vassals. We have masked thugs snatching people off the streets, out of courtrooms and schools and shopping center parking lots and even out of their homes because of Trump and his vassals. Our economy is collapsing, our former allies are shunning us and former enemies are mocking us. Our former professional cadre of federal government workers are already hollowed out and conditions for those remaining are worse every day.

And, it is becoming increasingly clear that Trump was once a key player in a massive international child sex-trafficking scheme with Jeffrey Epstein. Who also happily participated in regularly raping girls as young as thirteen. Along with being compromised by and doing the biddings of Russia’s rabid dictator Putin.

I didn’t vote for any of this. But I’m living the results. The people who voted for this deserve what is happening to them.

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The post Sympathy for the Farmers? appeared first on Charest Family on the Web written by Ron Charest.