Spring is Coming! - Canoecopia

HANNAH KINZER
It had rained in heavy sheets and a thin haze shrouded the small pond behind
Rutabaga. Though it was fairly miserable outside I was excited. I stared
calculatingly at the kayaks. “Am I supposed to ride and steer that thing?” Long,
slender, and painted in the vibrant colors that reflected my mood, I got in the line
with my mom to get my kayak.
When we all got our kayaks, we had to practice paddling on land. I was a little
irritated, impatient to get into my kayak. Why couldn’t we just get on the water?
But the instructor began with “let’s start with the basics of paddling.” Grudgingly I
participated.
Finally, I boarded my kayak and was pushed off from shore. The pond was
beautiful and I got a whole different perspective from kayak level. After going
around the fountain in the middle of the pond a few times, I got the hang of steering.
We headed out of the pond. After paddling under a large and noisy bridge, which
was crowded with bird nests, we made it to the marsh. Tiny bugs whizzed back and
forth on the water’s surface. A family of ducks paddled past so close it seemed you
could reach out and touch their soft, water-sprinkled feathers. Fog covered the marsh
like a misty veil. A bird could be heard in the distance. It was beautifully still, the
quiet only broken by the light splashes of our paddling. This was what I had wanted
to do. Now I could relax and listen to the sounds of the lake that filled the world
around me.
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For detailed class information visit us at www.rutabaga.com/outdoorprograms or call 800-472-3353.
Canoecopia 2010 www.rutabaga.com