For my birthday in 1998, Jack bought me a canoe. We lived in Massachusetts, in a fairly rural area south of Boston known as the South Shore. We lived in a 300-year-old house with five fireplaces, situated about ten feet from the South River, when it was just a baby. More a stream there than a river. I was a conservation commissioner in our town, so I got out and about to conservation lands and lands that were to be protected.
We loved to go canoeing, to rent a canoe on the Charles River, the Concord, the North River, and the South River. But since we moved to Philadelphia, I've had to store my canoe at my niece's in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and then at another niece's in Bucks County. We also no longer had our Land Rover D90, the kind of country workhorse that could easily carry a 16' canoe or plow through 4' of snow. And in PA, you have to buy a launch permit for non-motorized boats to legally put in at any state parks.
However, we finally found a roof rack that would fit our small car, bought a launch permit, and headed off to Lake Nockamixon, about 15 minutes from my niece's farm. Autumn is the perfect time to canoe. Mid week means fewer people.
Lake Nockamixon is huge, about 5, 200 acres. No boats with motors greater than 20 hp are allowed, although we were rocked a bit by the wake from a motor boat. Even small motors can create wake.
The day was perfect. I was nervous at first because I can't swim. My family's thinking was that if you stay out of the water, you won't drown. My father could swim but my mother could not. My sister can swim. So I guess we split down the middle. I always were my PFD (Personal Floatation Device) and Jack used to be a lifeguard, so I feel reasonably safe. But I'm still afraid of all the lake monsters that live where you can't see them. And, so far, I'm only willing to paddle along the shore.
The leaves were turning, the fish were leaping, damselflies were flitting, and a great blue heron flew from a tree, screaming at us for invading its space. It was peaceful and magical. Stress drained away.
Look at you in your canoe! Sounds like you had a lovely time. Will you get the chance to do more before winter? Also, you should totally learn how to swim. Even with a life jacket on, it is an important skill to have and think how accomplished you'll feel when you can do it!
ReplyDeleteWe went canoeing again yesterday. I have some more photos I'll post later. I know I should learn to swim, but old dog, you know. I've sailed for over thirty years and, oddly, felt safe on our boats on the ocean. Stupid, perhaps, but at least I always wear my PFD. Some people get cocky and think they don't need one if they can swim, but, really, you should always wear one if you're not in a pool.
DeleteThat sounds like a magical day to remember, and you have great photos to look back on. Are those monsters purely fictional or are there big beasties in there?
ReplyDeleteThe monsters are all in my mind - as far as I know! We went canoeing again yesterday. I'll post some photos later. It was lovely and quiet and relaxing.
DeleteJoan, you look wonderful sitting there! I'm too afraid of tipping over in a canoe so I can't relax and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteMy canoe is wide and very stable. Not that it couldn't tip over, but it would be hard to do. As when I fly, I sometimes worry about the distance between me and solid / dry ground, whether it's between me and the airplane or me and the boat!
DeleteI would like to try canoeing sometime. I'm totally impressed that you're willing to do it without being able to swim. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure you should be impressed by the risks I take! At least, as I said to Stefanie, I always wear my PFD. Even my husband, who swims well, wears his. You just never know. But canoeing is wonderfully relaxing, quiet, peaceful, and reconnects us with nature.
DeleteYou place more faith in human made stuff (PFD) than I likely could. I was thinking about your note that you stayed close to the shore when you canoed.
DeleteI've read that humans only went routes that kept them in sight of the shore for centuries (because of lack of devices and knowledge to assist navigation). It's something I had never thought about until read that...humans generally didn't just jump in a boat and go all over the place because they would get lost.
Anyway...I still think you're pretty gutsy to tool around in a canoe without being able to swim...I don't know if I would have the courage to do that. Hooray for you. :-)
I just figure that I might be able to flounder to the shore if it's not too far away. I do get more comfortable the longer we're on the water. After a bit, I was paddling right across the lake.
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