The list of 12 sign-ups was impressive for our first official morning outing. Then the cancellations came in bunches of linked communications, with only phone numbers. My departure was so distracted, I put hair cream on my face.
We had moved the start time from 11 am to 10, so the ‘no-traffic’ benefit to daytime kayaking has changed to ‘slightly less traffic.’ When Your Leader was stuck in traffic, the three new-to-kayaking and on-time members had lined up, checked in and were waiting under Janne’s encouraging eyes.
By any measure, this first official outing was a success! We took off with seven and came back with eight. It was a beautiful day. Two hours on the water never fail to freshen one’s outlook, and the lunchtime fellowship provided sustenance for the soul as well as our Shady Grove favorites.
The water was perfectly calm until we got in the boats, then a light breeze blew toward us as we headed for Redbud Island. A fresh morning with a light cloud cover, perfect for Melody P and Effie K. to get the basics of paddling. Another basic: don’t push yourself. They wisely decided to not risk after-paddling soreness by making the whole loop around the island, instead admiring the views, dogs, and cypress roots at the bottom end, meeting up with the rest of the group when they came around the top.
We had observed a woman paddling a black log-like boat on the water, and were told by a fellow-paddler alongside us that the woman was practicing for the Texas Water Safari. The course is San Marcos to Seadrift, and is held in June (https://www.texaswatersafari.org/texas-water-safari/). The conversational fellow-paddler turned out to be (surprise ! ! !) Peg Gavin, in her own boat, who had caught up to us.
Our lunch provided even more nourishment than Shady Grove’s familiar fare. Each of us had a gift of further contacts, ideas, plans for the future to pass along to the others. We started off with Gloria W demonstrating her Nordic walking poles, which Janne B, who is Danish, said her neighbor uses, hale and hearty at over 80. Maria’s planned-unit intentional community development now has a website (www.buenavidaic.com) to show how the property will be developed. Judy A. tipped us off to an excellent T’ai Chi teacher: Heloise Gold. Peg, who pointed out an Osprey to us, high in the trees, is a member of a group which meets early on the first Saturday of the month to survey the birds on a designated stretch of the Colorado River. If you are interested, you can contact her or go to the Facebook page for the Austin Bastrop River Corridor Partnership. She and her husband have recently retired and are involved with Red Cross disaster mental health support training. Effie K. is our new Publicity Chair, her husband is a photographer; they will be updating the TOWN activity photos, so she will be attending a lot of new outings, and already has plans for one of her own.
Below, I am including a photo of Melody who is the most color-coordinated of the eight of us in our boats, having a wonderful time on the water, and the yellow irises sent by Gloria, a nice example of the little surprises around the lake.
On Wednesday the 17th, TOWN is having Lisa McMillan’s Bonus evening kayaking, and on the Wednesday the 24th, Gail will lead another evening outing. The next Daytime Paddle is Thursday May 9th. Wishing everyone fair weather and a wind at your back! LindaF