I float (soon)

It’s on my mind to buy a kayak.

In my much younger days (before Sarah), I owned a speed boat – it was a wonderfully fun thing to take it out on a lake or river on a beautiful summer day, ski, and party like there-is-no-tomorrow.  It had a Chevy Nova engine (I forget the horsepower), and it could flat out FLY.   Zipping across the water at top speed bouncing over the wake of other boats was (to borrow Emily’s expression) the bomb.com.  But also, one of my favorite things was to go back in a quiet cove at Grayson Lake, drop anchor in the shade, and swim.  It was a wonderful thing to have no worries; to lay on the deck with nothing to do, look up at the sky through the trees, listen to birds and to the water lap up on the rocks along the cliffs – it  made for a great lazy afternoon.  The day I bought that boat and the day I sold it were two of the best days of my life.  Boat ownership was like a giant hole that I was constantly trying to fill up with money.

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Someone has no interest in boating, so kayaking will be something I do without him.  That’s OK.  I have no interest in watching TV hours on end; he does that without me.  I’ve never been in a kayak, but in my imagination it’s fun and peaceful.  Primarily, I’ll be taking it to the small lakes in this area…at least until I learn what to do with it.  In reality, I’m sure there will be all sorts of gnats, mosquitoes, bees, and an occasional snake dropping off a tree into my lap.  We will see.

 

Of course, one can’t just buy a kayak.  There’re all sorts of necessary accessories.  A paddle, a lifejacket (required for anyone in/on a watercraft in Kentucky), some sort of waterproof floating container to hold my keys and phone, and any other must-haves that can’t get wet.  My van has a rack on top, but I'll need to buy something to secure my kayak quickly and easily to the rack.   

 

I get excited just thinking about taking MY NEW KAYAK out on a lake somewhere….which is a very good thing.  It’s been all work and no play for this old bird way too long.

Someone is leaving for the beach house tomorrow to vacation with his family.  Emily is leaving for cheer leading camp tomorrow.  Erin and I....have some shopping to do this weekend.