Launched..!

I never went kayaking once last summer. It was criminal. This weekend daughter Rachel was visiting and suggested we get the boats out and launch them. This meant we'd need to haul them out, clean them, (rid them of spiders and such!) dry them out (a neat trick) and get them loaded up in the truck. Quite a lot of trouble, really, but we forged ahead.

http://blog.mrlakefront.net/2012/04/01/the-ponds-of-union-maine-seven-tree-crawford-and-round-pond/

We went here, to one of our favorite spots, just minutes away from home. There was a woman with two big dogs tossing sticks into the water for them to fetch, but no one else was around. The day was warm but the breeze on the water cool and sweet. We paddled up a little river inlet and out to Round Pond. We saw turtles and lots of birds, including two Cormorants who let us approach the dead tree they were perched on quite closely before taking flight and circling the pond. There were no other people out on the pond, just us. The water was mirror calm and peacefulness and beauty surrounded us. On the way back we finally passed a few other folk out in kayaks. We beached our little boats and took a cool dip before heading back home. I think I will leave my kayak in the back of my truck and make up for last years lack of paddling by going twice as often this summer.