Wednesday, October 22, 2008

I FEEL FREE...

Feel when I dance with you,
We move like the sea.
You, you're all I want to know.
I feel free.

It's amazing how often the right song comes on at the right time. I thought Bobby Darrin had it nailed with Somewhere Beyond the Sea then, next on the iPod comes Cream. Very awesome soundtrack to my afternoon and solo paddle #2.

That's right, I played hooky. A perfect sunny autumn afternoon is made even better when the rest of the world is working as I should have been but, instead, I took a few hours of annual leave. A day like this is a terrible thing to waste. I even ditched weight training though maybe I will be forgiven since I had to hoist my kayak on to my car twice and carry it back and forth a few more. That's gotta be worth a few reps, right? I had planned on paddling around the waterfront since I don't have much experience anywhere else but on the way home I cruised past the launch ramp at Fields Landing and realized that it was far quieter than Samoa was likely to be. After I launched, I headed south and came across the Frances. Her captain told me they were stuck in the mud. Patience, Grasshopper. He did wait patiently (what choice did he have?) while his wife and child wandered along the mud flats. By the time I came back around, the tide had risen adequately to float them free and they were gone.I pushed along, stroking quietly so as not to disturb the birds then allowed the kayak to drift with only the distant sound of the waves crashing and the drip drip drip of the water falling from my paddle. I watched a pelican dive for dinner but, when I heard a loud splash behind me, I saw no sign of the pelican. I turned the kayak around and drifted a bit more and heard another splash, then another. Turns out my solo paddle wasn't exactly solo. I had company from this little dude and a couple of his buddies who, I believe were screwing with me, splashing when I wasn't looking. Fine with me as long as they didn't pop up next to me. So I continued around the area, never venturing too far from shore because I'm still a little uneasy out there alone but, at the same time, alone was perfect. Relaxing my mind while venturing further out of my rut. The bright sun reflected on the ripples that were beginning to gather as the tide flowed in to fill the bay. I paddled back to shore, quite pleased with myself.

4 comments:

Kym said...

I want to do this! That last photo especially makes me envious.

Indie said...

That final photo is one of the most lovely things I've seen in some time. I have a friend who lives to kayak; I'm going to direct her to your blog so she can see that photo. The still water, the sun's reflection, the front of the kayak situating the viewer just right. It will really speak to her. I'm so glad you had this lovely day!

beachcomber said...

Thank both of you. That last one was my favorite as well. In fact, I have it as my desktop at work to remind myself to play hooky more often.

Anonymous said...

Those pics are gorgeous! I'd love to do this but I'm such a wuss and I suck at swimming. I guess I'll just keep living vicariously through you and your pics!