Being a person who doesn’t know how to swim, I was a bit nervous at first. Of course I was wearing a PFD, but still, it’s a bit unsettling being in a body of water the size of the Que, and not being a swimmer.
Sue gave me a short demonstration of how to get into the kayak, the different paddle strokes (going forward, turning, backing up, etc.), and how to disembark.
It what we took to be a good omen, as soon as I sat in the kayak, a Ruby Meadowhawk dragonfly landed on my hand! I was still on the shore, and hadn’t even settled in. “Ruby” must have known that I am a dragonfly lover and came over to greet me.
After a short “get acquainted to the feel” of being in the water in the kayak with Sue holding on to it, she gave me a push out into the water. The area was just loaded with dragonflies and damselflies in a variety of species! A number of them landed on me at various times, and they were flying around me all throughout my time on the water.
Sue walked along the shore, keeping an eye on me, while I got used to using the paddles and working on getting my paddle strokes down. After watching me from the shore for a while, Sue asked if I wanted to try to paddle across the cove to the other side. Did I hear her right? That’s open water! And there was a bit of a breeze. But I went for it. As I started across, both Sue and I heard the distinctive chattering of a Belted Kingfisher in the area. After arriving at the “far side” (so to speak), Sue asked if I wanted to continue down that shoreline. When I asked if she felt I would then be able to cross back over the much wider expanse of open water from a certain point in the distance, Sue replied in the affirmative. Off I went!
The goal was to go to an area that had been improved with campsites and a boat launch. Sue was there waiting for me – I discovered that she can walk faster than I can paddle. What I found out, though, was that the way the water was moving in that area, combined with the wind, I wasn’t making a lot of progress. I told Sue that I felt it best if I just headed back across the reservoir.
I then paddled back across and did another short “tour” of the shore where we started. Next, I went effortlessly back down to our “put in” spot and, somehow, disembarked without falling in the water.
It was a beautiful day to be on the water. With the leaves beginning to change color, crisp blue skies, and the temperature in the low 70s, it couldn’t have been better. Well, there was a bit of a breeze, but it wasn’t bad.
Thanks, Sue! Now we’ll see how my arms feel tomorrow.
Sue shows me how it's done with a short demonstration.
Here I am paddling along the shore in a cove at the Que. I later paddled to the opposite shore, then down that side and back across at a point further down.
Here I am bringing it back in to the shore.
The trees are starting to show their fall colors. This photo, and the two of me, were taken by Sue.
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