Yesterday was a wonderful summer day to be out on the water in our kayaks... four gals, my daughter and I and my two cousins who are sisters. My good husband loaded our kayaks and all our gear into his truck and we all piled into the car, smeared with sunblock, big hats, sun shades and of course, our lunch packs and water bottles. Dennis deposited us at our destination, a large pond off on a dirt road miles from the sound of automobiles, motorcycles and noises not from nature. Our lucky day! No other people there either! The pond all to ourselves!
After posing for some great pictures, we paddled off into the morning to enjoy the peace of being afloat in a little boat with a gentle breeze at our backs. The tune to "This Is My Father's World" kept coming to my mind.
When we decided to take a break and have our lunch, we pulled in at a small island, climbed out of our kayaks and up a hill to a clearing in the sweet smelling balsam trees where others had picnicked before.
Someone had make a crude fireplace with the round rocks at hand and even left a pile of neatly stacked wood for the next fire. Being plenty warm enough and having a cold lunch we left the logs and the fire for the next visitors. We found seats on a big log and enjoyed our lunch. When nearly finished with my chicken salad sandwich, I was startled by a slight noise behind us.... turning around I was nearly nose to nose with a rather large Canada Goose ! He'd brought along all his relatives and crept up so quietly on us that we never heard them come up the path from the water behind us. We gladly gave the leader a piece of sandwich and of course all the relatives were closing in for their little tidbit. But we were about finished and didn't have enough to go around. They became rather insistent ! One tried a nibble at my arm and that got us all up and on the defensive. They slowly turned around and waddled back down the path grumbling all the way and splashed into the water and swam away. Not before we got their pictures though. It really helped to make our little adventure more pleasurable.
After such a nice paddle, lunch and encounter with the Canada Geese, our 'boatman' came and loaded up our kayaks for the trip home. On the way we found a great place to stop for nice tall ice cream cones. Moose Tracks and Orange Pineapple were the flavors of choice. Nice ending to a perfect day.
Here's an exert from my poem "My Kayak" written a few years ago.
My sweet little green boat!
My "Golden Ages Toy"
In which I find pure joy
Whenever I'm afloat:
I've never known a feeling freer,
As rhythmic paddling pulls me on
Through waters still and calm,
Be it on a lake or on a pond....
The Picnic Crashers
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