As always, summer seems to slip by faster than expected, and this year it’s not only the shortening days that remind Colin and me of approaching fall, but also my growing belly. I admit I have been eating my share (and more) at BBQ cookouts but that is not the reason. Yes, you’ve guessed it; our newest exciting adventure is a baby due this September.
From what we’ve heard, becoming parents may yet be the biggest adventure either one of us has ever tackled. Our coffee table is now crowded with books like Baby’s First Year alongside our stash of explore and Outside magazines. We’re still working on the logistics, research and planning for this one, but we feel with the right strategy and mindset, it might just be possible.
Best of all, we’re excited to have a third team member for our upcoming adventures. In just over a year, the three of us will trek through the Middle East and Europe retracing the route of the Olive tree. Beginning in Syria near my family’s olive farm, we’ll explore the oldest groves and artefacts in the Fertile Crescent and travel westward through the olive stands bordering the Mediterranean. The Olive tree is one of the earliest domesticated trees and it was not too far away from my family’s farm where that occurred some 7000 years ago. Since then cultivars spread through Europe and beyond, playing a pivotal role in the development of countries and cultures. This journey will be the subject of my next book and we’ll also be producing a documentary on it. Find out more here.
In the last month our latest book, Rowed Trip: From Scotland to Syria by Oar, was released in paperback and my earlier book, Rowboat in a Hurricane, was just converted into a Reader’s Digest condensed book, which is published in their Encounters: Real Life Reading series. Colin is nearly finished the Cambridge Racer and it performed very well on its maiden voyage. Now we’re working on completing the plans and manual, which will be available through www.angusrowboats.com in September. Also we’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with a top-notch sunglasses company, Sundog Eyewear, who was just ranked as having the best shades by Runner’s World and Running Fitness magazines. Find out more about these updates in our previous blog postings.
This month’s featured expedition is Margo’s Pellegrino’s 2,500 km canoe journey from Seattle to San Diego. This 43-year-old mother of two left three weeks ago and expects to paddle her OC-1 some 45-90 km a day in order to reach San Diego in August. She’s working with the Blue Frontiers Campaign to raise awareness about some key environmental issues facing our oceans. Read the full update on our blog.
We hope you’re also enjoying summer and having lots of fun in the sun.
