Can an Adventure be Calm?

 
Adventure buddy, Ellen, and I were bemoaning our lack of time to get together recently. She invited me to come to her place on Bass Lake tonight to do a little paddling, and then she would fix dinner.

I got there later than I wanted... just too much running around I had to do. But all the summer people are gone. The lake is quiet, and tonight as we made our way across the lake by kayak and into the outlet channel the water became smooth as glass. The sun was low in the sky making great shadows, even of the veins in the water lily leaves.



I stopped paddling at the pace my mind was still racing and just dipped the blades often enough to keep the kayak moving, trying to be as still as possible. We could still hear cars on the road in the distance, but there were no motor boats, no children yelling or splashing. Ducks quacked, and then exploded into the air in front of us. A late dragonfly hummed by. A leaf drifted down.



There were a few people where the outlet reaches Lake Michigan, come down to watch the sunset, but they were quiet too. Dune grass softens the vastness of big Lake Michigan beyond.



We walked out to the beach and were surprised that the big lake is still quite warm. Once it does warm up it takes a long while to cool down again.

Dock ornament or real bird? I wasn't sure until it picked up a foot! A few herons are still here. They tend to stick around until ponds begin to freeze and they can't find fish to eat.



We caught the last of the light paddling back. The sun at our backs lit the trees on the opposite shore. The colors are almost garish in intensity.



We arrived back at Ellen's just in time for sunset. She grilled some brats which we ate with roasted cabbage and waldorf salad. A wonderful calming adventure.



Too bad I have to be at work in 40 minutes!

	See The Launching of the Kayak for how crowded the outlet is in summer
if you like this blog, click the +1   or