Lately I've been motivated to get out and try new things. The weather has been topsy turvy, with one day experiencing torrential downpours and the next a cloudless summer dream. This weekend was two full days of the latter, and I couldn't wait to get outside and explore it.
Right near my house is the great Tyler State Park. I regularly visit the hiking trails and biking paths. And on the occasions I have little people in tow, we hit up the playground and soccer field. Winding through Tyler is a river, with several dams, waterfalls, and rope swings. Well, the perfect summer day called for a canoe trip.
The last time I was seen in a canoe was the summer of 99. Sleepaway church camp, to be exact. I wasn't great at it then, either, what with the overwhelming fear that I didn't know how to swim and a simple rock one way or the other could send us all overboard. But this time, I steeled myself, zippered up that life jacket, and pretended I had it all under control. The boat and my life vest matched my outfit, so at least I had that going for me. Plus, I've learned to bring along my handy-dandy Eagle Scout for occasions such as this.
The first twenty minutes into the hour long journey consisted of me trying to figure out which way the paddle was supposed to go, and trying to avoid imaginary rocks. I'm not great if I don't have visual instruction, so sitting in the front was a trip. You can tell I wasn't straining myself at all what with that iron grip and the flexed muscles.
Once I decided to chill out, it was a nice ride. Pennsylvania - and Bucks County, specifically - is known for it's abundance of wildlife. While floating through the river, we caught sight of deer peeking out through the bushes, and a blue heron coasting just above the water. Every so often we'd pass kayakers sunbathing, or kids jumping off a rope swing. As much as I sweating, I was enjoying every minute of it.
*for the record: yes, the only pictures I have from this excursion are of me. this is simply because I didn't want to bring my phone in the boat due to the inevitability of being capsized. iphones aren't waterproof.
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