May the search for green blobs be renewed, but instead of green blobs I'll be searching out blue lines this year. I already have three rivers and creeks marked for exploration.
I love my birthday present to myself!
Boy and Girl are a bit angry with me because they aren't big enough to kayak on their own and I selfishly got myself a one-person kayak. I say suck it up, Mama needs Mama Time now and then. So far I've gotten to see a beaver dam and several water fowl including a special visit from a blue heron who scolded me when I paddled too close. He flapped several feet away from my path before returning to his fishing. I tried to take pictures, but I only had my phone and between juggling it and my paddle the images all came out blurry. I was quite bummed, it was a gorgeous bird.
I think the best part of my birthday being so close to Father's Day is the fact that all the things I love are on sale because I am most interested in outdoorsy, active things. I actually bought a sit on top kayak, but on my first trip in a lake the seat support strap broke so I took it back and exchanged it for a more traditional sit in style. I must admit I prefer my new red kayak to the yellow one because it's more maneuverable and responsive.
Of course now that Man and I have identical kayaks, I foresee a bit of bickering until we can figure out a way to mark them up so they're easily distinguished from one another. It's not that big of a deal since the foot braces in mine are one click shorter than his, but that does mean I get to paint it or put stickers on there which thrills me.
And a picture of my Man in his kayak, enjoying our first trip out on a lake to practice. He grew up canoeing in rapids so he caught on quickly in calm waters. I grew up canoeing in calmer waters myself, but kayaking seems a bit more suited to my personality, and after a few minutes I had the hang of it and was moving with confidence. I love how easily I can skim on the water and after watching several videos on proper kayaking form, I've already improved the efficiency of my strokes. I had no idea I had to use my legs when paddling, but when I started using my legs to provide core stability I began to fly across the lake with little effort.
I put in almost three miles last Sunday and I can't wait to do a longer paddle down a creek or river. Before we do our first creek or river paddle we have to flip our kayaks and learn to recover. It makes me a bit nervous to think about intentionally trying to "drown" myself, but I certainly don't want to have to learn how to turn a flipped kayak when I'm in a current on a river in the middle of nowhere. So we're probably headed to a swimming friendly lake this weekend with a car full of kids and a car full of kayaks to let the kids play while we practice.
