Water Fun

My brother told me all about his new fishing kayak yesterday, an upright soft-seated craft for both slow moving rivers and broad lakes. It's a Hobie, just like the Hobie Cat sailboats we used to see on Lake Huron years ago. Mom had a little Ghost for awhile, a tiny sailor that just fit the three of us. But the Kayak tale my brother told reminded me more of canoe trips.

My favorite canoe trips were the annual Canoe Safari's my college roommate and her husband hosted. We'd rent canoes at the livery and make our way slowly up the river, stopping frequently for a swim or a snack (or dare I say drink). Invariably at least a few of the guys would tip over a buddy's canoe, soaking his lunch and sometimes breaking open a cooler. I can still laugh watching them chase floating cans downstream.

The river was mostly calm, but we did roll through some tiny rapids between islands each year. We usually stopped there for a swim and a ride on the "waves"--except for the year when the nude sunbathers chose those islands for their full body tanning session.

According to my brother, you can pedal this new kayak and even add a sail. Soon I'll be back on my bike and can train for a trip out with my brother, with or without the fishing pole.