Row'in down the river

Actually, we were paddling. And the Sammamish River feels more like a slough, not a real river.

We took the inflatable Sea Eagle kayak up the quiet creek after dropping it into the water at Bothell Landing. What a tranquil, slow-paced evening! We spent about two hours dipping paddles on alternate sides of the boat.

I giggled off and on for two hours yesterday on our first outing with W's new toy. The boat kept turning from side to side. I saw more riverbank than I've seen in a year of canoeing. It took effort on W's part to get anywhere at all. His shoulders were sore today from all the hard work.

I'd paddle a bit, but when we'd shoot off toward the side, I'd stop to wait for W to get us back on track. I sit pretty still and paddle evenly, but without a rudder (skeg, the little white fin under the back), the twists and turns added a few lengths to our journey. Like I said, it really made me laugh. Today W put on the skeg, and the pace evened out.

On nights like this, I thank God for the abundance and beauty around us. The blackberries hung in great clumps on the riverbanks. Fish jumped to get the little flies hovering above the water surface. Yesterday, two herons poked about the shallows, fishing for supper. Today, several families and their kids drifted by in boats and kayaks.

We're trying out these kayaks for next year's family reunion in Hungry Horse, Montana. "These will be great to float down Glacier River," W enthused.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking a slow quiet drift around Lion Lake would be more my speed.

Missy, our toy poodle, loves the kayak. She lays down on the tarp covering the bow and relaxes while we work. When we pulled the kayak onto a dock to add more air, she didn't move. She sat happily a foot above the ground, waiting for us to get back on the water. She doesn't mind her life jacket, and doesn't fuss when we lift her by the handle on the top of the jacket. Another quality to add to the perfect dog: good sailor.

The sun is going down, the work week is ending, and we are grateful to God for his tender mercies, new every morning and long into the night.


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*Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:1-5 NIV

*On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38 NKJV