u/PhilosophyBusiness42

I'd like to find a kayak, but have long been deterred by their weight, as I'm not sure I could lift it up to carry on top of my CUV. I don't need the latest and greatest (but also don't want to get a cheaply made, inefficient bathtub of a kayak); just something that I can load myself, and enjoy some time out on lakes in the area. Anyone have suggestions? Added note: this is for northern California region.

Really random question - back in the 70's, we could still drink water straight from streams/lakes in Yosemite. No fears then of Giardia, etc.

Is there anywhere in the U.S. that one can still drink water straight from a body of water, untreated?

EDIT: To clarify, I don't drink untreated/filtered water while backpacking, as now days it just seems too risky (have had Giarda once - that was enough). The trip I referred to above was in pretty high trail areas of Yosemite, so perhaps less risky, as there were fewer people running around the mountains then? Our leader (I was a kid then) was not concerned (and we were clueless).

Guess my question had more to do with any perceived/real changes in water quality since that time.

For those who have received dental care from Dentists of Davis (yes, an unimaginative name for a local dental practice), beyond basic cleaning, how has your experience been with them?

I picked up a few planks of old wood from a salvage store in Sac recently, to utilize in some home projects (shelves, etc). The seller said a lot of the wood he gets is from old barns, etc. that developers want cleared.

I've been sanding them by hand, so of course, there is wood and some paint dust. It didn't cross my mind until just now that the paint might be lead-based. Is that possible? Is there anyway of finding out? How concerned ought I to be about that?