Hey Tribe,
What did we do with a day off from work? Took the little kayak out for a paddle, of
course! Actually, we were torn between
being on the water and being on a mountain somewhere, but the mountains will
remain and the water will soon be frozen, so we opted for the water while we
still can.
Wildfire smoke clings to the mountains and is heavy in the
air, making everything seem a bit out of focus, but the lake looked spectacular
anyway and I eagerly slipped the kayak into the water. Rex got a turn first – he is still learning
about how to behave on the water and what the “boat rules” are – and we paddled
around for ten minutes or so looking at the ducks and fish while he practiced his
best kayak manners. I didn’t push our
luck though, so before his puppy energy could become un-bottled and we ended up taking an unplanned swim, I returned us safely to shore.
Rex happily re-joined TheFather on shore; Fly was just as
eager to get on the kayak as Rex was to get off of it. Once aboard, she and I paddled across the
serene lake watching fernlike plants undulate in the clear water and eagles
snatch at sluggish fish. Loons kept a
wary eye on us, but we didn’t disturb them as we made our way to the opposite
side of the lake.
Hidden amongst the tall bushes is a short portage to a
different world. Okay, maybe not that
dramatic, but it does have a different atmosphere: while the lake is like a lazy
neighborhood, the creek is a highway of activity.
 |
| Look how calm that lake is! |
 |
| Just a short path to the creek. |
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| Someone is ready to keep going! |
We flowed along with the current, dodging beaver dams and
submerged log snags. A muskrat swished
about in the reeds, busy with his errands, and a squirrel churred and argued
with a neighbor. Ducks swam in formation
and would take flight when we paddled too close for their comfort.
When we reached an intersection of our creek with another,
faster flowing, waterway we turned around to paddle back to our lazy
lake. A soft breeze that began to come
at us tempered the heat of the day: it was a welcome addition to our
experience, at first, anyway.
Once back across the portage, the lake was in a different
state. Waves rippled the previously
glassy surface and the wind could no longer be described as soft. We were tired and hungry. We could see our destination. We I paddled. The wind and the choppy waves drove us
sideways to the East, though I tried to keep us bearing North. It was a long, arduous paddle and twice I had
to stop in the reeds and rest my aching shoulders as the wind blew us back and
away from our beach. Fly whined at me,
but there was little to do but keep trying.
So, with our faces to the wind, we slowly inched along the lake and ran
aground on our destination’s rocky shore, only to be too exhausted to do
anything else but sit for several moments to rest. A little mud colored dipper bird bobbed along
the water’s edge and provided us with an excuse to remain and watch his
activity before TheFather arrived to help us clamber up the beach.
