Up the River with a Paddle

In honor of our twentieth anniversary, and due to the fact that an anniversary trip is not coming about any time soon, Earle and I decided to purchase something we've had our collective eye on almost since our twenty years together began. We bought ourselves a canoe. It's not just any old canoe mind you, it's an Old Town canoe, a Charles River model made of durable yet light royalex, in red. Vanessa will think she is seeing double as this is the very same craft she has and, I'm sure, can attest to its perfection! This thing is nothing less than heaven in a boat. Floating in barely inches of water we are able to maneuver into shallow inlets and shorelines, exploring the lakes and rivers, out of reach of the noisy, wake-producing motor boats. We make quite a vision paddling in unison as our sleek craft glides effortlessly through a patch of lily pads or slides smoothly onto a muddy shoreline while its passengers scurry up the bank to explore. My arms are tired, the too-long-dormant muscles screaming their disapproval at me, yet my soul is free, floating along on the crest of the water at the mercy of the breeze.

We have had several adventures already in lakes nearby.

Here are some pics from the trips: