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| My new hobby! |
With a flip of the seats in my Jeep, my kayak slides
smoothly in with room for the paddle and the life jacket. I weave my way round
the empty roads to Fox Lake (1.3 miles) where I meet up with the 101 Lake
Goddesses for a kayaking adventure.
I feel like a pro as I pull the kayak out and place it in
the water, but I laugh to myself as this is only my second time to kayak ever.
Ever. Okay, one time in Ocracoke I went kayaking, but it was a double kayak and
I was not in charge so I do not think that counts!
The other six Goddesses show up one at a time with their
kayaks (and one guy, Bill Eyster). Most are dressed in bathing suits or attire
for sunshine, but I am covered from head to toe with long sleeves, long pants
and a hat. I have made it a point to stay out of the sun thinking, what would
Mary Shelley do? I notice right away how colorful we are with the rainbow array
of kayaks! I also notice we are all so happy. I mean, who isn’t happy in a
kayak? I also notice this group of independent women all have single kayaks!
With life jackets in tow, we push off one at a time. It
is delicious to be out on or sitting in the water. Why did I wait so long to
buy this kayak? I have been wanting to do this for years, but just hesitated.
Is it because my sons kept telling me I would drown? I started looking a couple
years ago, but I am often slow in decision-making. It took me three years to
find this great old house! One time it took me a year to buy new silverware.
However, on the other side, I once bought a Celtic harp during intermission of
my storytelling show. “Lou Ann, think about how much fun you would have telling
stories with a harp?” My harp is lovely. It sits on top of my piano and holds a
1930’s men’s hat!
I did not really grow up with boats, but we did come up
to Lake James to visit friends when I was a teen ager! I learned to ski during
those days. We all learned to ski then! My sons all have boats. Abe takes his
family out into the bayous of Charleston on a weekly basis. Adam runs a charter
boat business out of St. Pete. Aaron is always out on the water with his boat.
I now brag to my sons that I also own a boat. They laugh at me, but I do not
care. My boat is portable and was very cheap and the best part? No gas!
The six of us goddesses tool around the lake. I keep my
distance from June Julien-Loff as she has a reputation as the tipping queen. We
find a quiet corner to stop and visit for a while and take photos. I keep one
eye out for the three beautiful swans circling around us. Jill Thomas is
anchored out on her pontoon with her lovely granddaughters. I introduce
everyone and they make new friendships! We decide this will be the new sandbar
meet up…Fox Lake. Maybe we can even get Hubie to come out and give us a
concert. Okay, stranger things have happened!
We then head out on our own. I look around the lake and
see all these colorful kayaks dotting the lake. We are quiet as we glide
through the water. All too soon, the afternoon ends and we head back to shore.
One at a time we pull out our kayaks, drain out the water and haul them back
into our cars. Reluctantly we bid farewell to one another. I drive slowly home
with my kayak keeping me company.
As I drive I think about my small covered wagon…the Jeep.
Everything I need fits into the back of this vehicle. My kayak, my ukulele, my
tent, and my storytelling props. For that fleeting moment, I think about the
gypsy life. Yes, sell the purple house and hit the road. But then I pull into
my driveway, and this old house whispers “Welcome home” so I decide to stay, at
least for now.
I rest my kayak against the picket fence so I can look at
it whenever I want to.
By the way, our club is open to goddesses everywhere!
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| The Kayaking Goddesses! |
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