To Drift Down Under

 

My former neighbor had asked me a while back if I wanted a canoe of his that he didn’t otherwise need and I immediately and repeatedly said “Yes.” But I thought he'd later sold it.  And  then he asked again this winter and I said “Yes, yes!” When he and his stepson brought it over and left I was very grateful as I wanted to take it out on the Wallkill river which runs not far from here down towards the Hudson.  I’ve driven over the Wallkill many times, in one town or another, cruising along the New York State Throughway, but it does end up being a bit of an elusive river and I’ve been keen for a while to ride along the river and see where it goes. 

The key gating factor has been the rack for the SUV.  Ticked that box last weekend.  Got the paddles.  (they seemed a bit petite and so I ordered a longer one for me, the engine man.)  Got the preservers.  Got some bungie cords. And was then laughed at, scoffed at, derided and counseled to wait by the various target passengers whom I'd need to accompany me.  All that I needed was a really warm day and when I looked at the forecast this morning you could see that it was going to rise and then continue to rise.  Craven baksheesh. Yes.  This was what it took.  But this managed to win over the little one, surprisingly and with her support, garnering her mother’s buy-in wouldn’t be difficult. 

 

A canoe is heavy.  And when you flip this orca over and lay it on the car rack there is much to worry about as you try to fasten the ship down, so that it will not slide forward or backward or to the side up in the air.  Fortunately, there is a backroad from our house down to the river.  The river is so close, it is a blessing really, and now we pulled up into Sojourner Truth park where we got the boat down and ourselves out in the river.

 

Well, it was cool to drift down under the bridge near the town.  And then down past the roadside park and then out off into some quiet backyards and tracks of reclaimed fields and forests.  There was a man behind us who sailed passed us in a funky single-man yellow scull-like thing and then later two other kayakers, but that’s it.  We continued along and saw bald eagles and lots of ducks and geese and all the while soaked up that sun that wasn’t really that hot, but for us fifty-five degrees was feeling tropical and my daughter put on some anime soundtrack music that sounded pretty good with the denuded, newly budding canopy and I asked her though I could already tell that she was having a good time.  So was I. 

Saturday, 03/20/21