Off The Yak

   I've never been paddle boarding.  But I've watched Jane Todd and Kayla do it plenty of times.  I'm too lazy to put the kayak rack back on the car so I ask if I can go paddle boarding with Jane Todd rather than kayaking.  No body sees why not.
   The two of us drive over to the yacht club in the morning to pick them up.  Jane Todd grabs the key to the shed while I slip a blanket on to the top of the car.  I help her move boxes of styrofoam cups out of the way and then we heave the beasts out of the small room.  The boards rest on the car with the fins sticking up towards the sky.

   It's the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life.  Once I slide onto mine and drift out into the water, I immediately start taking on water, I'm wobbling over to each side just enough to feel like I'm going to flip, and no matter how I paddle I start turning 180º.  I'm uncomfortable but I know that if I try to adjust myself this board will be bottoms up.  I look at Jane Todd.  She makes it look so easy.  She's jumping around, cruising farther away from me by the second.
   "Jane Todd!" I cry out, "How do I make it work!"
   She looks at me and laughs, "Well, for starters, you're on it backwards."
   I look down at my feet and back at her, "Are you sure?"
   "I'm positive."
   Very cautiously, I turn myself around and start paddling.
   It's a miracle!  I'm flying!  Okay, not really, but it's so much easier.  The fin is in the back and I can do it!

   Okay this is still the hardest thing I've ever done. We've gone a mile and I have gained zero confidence. Maybe I can stand.. Nope. That was a terrible idea.  I'll just sit. No! I can do better than that! I'll just sit on my knees. That's basically the same thing as standing, right? Right.

   Jane Todd is no where in sight. Wait, I think here mousey call.. "Jillianne?"
   "I'm here!"
   "Where?" she calls.
   Jane Todd there's only one way you can go. I'll give you three guesses on where I am.
   "Marco!" I scream.
   A pause, "POLOOOO!"
   I see her turning around the corner to join me as I struggle.
   "How can you do this so easily?" I ask softly.
   She smiles, "How can you kayak so easily?"
   "I mean, I do it a lot."
   "Exactly," she motions her hand over her board, "I feel the same."

   We're coming up on Alligator Alley. I made it under the bridge with no problem and I'm improving my steering. Things are good.
   All of sudden, I hear a hiss coming through the grassy swamps that are on our right. It sounds like a rustling, something is in there?  I'm watching, sitting as still as I ever have in my life.  Jane Todd's eyes are glued, my eyes are glued.. Fifteen feet in front of us, a full-grown, 7-foot, mama gator makes her way out of the grass and slinks into the water..right..in..front..of us.
   Jane Todd looks and me and lets out a mix of a bloody murder cry and a laugh.
   I smile meekly and say, "Well, we have to go that way, so. Let's just keep paddling."
   I take the lead, paddling with the shallowest strokes this world has ever seen.  I hadn't known fear until that moment.  The idea of gliding directly over an alligator with my only protection being a 3-inch thick flat board of foam is an idea I hope none of you are ever presented with.

   So we're cruising along. We've been out here for maybe three days? Kidding, three hours. And I'm killing it.  I actually passed Jane Todd.  Now she's way behind me screaming, "Wait!"
   We arrive at the mouth of the Bay, the sun is warm, surprise surprise, Jane Todd is taking selfies and I'm not.  We strip down to our bikinis and just lie on the boards, letting the current pull us wherever we need to go.  As I'm relaxing, two pelicans fly over me.  I wonder if maybe they are a couple, or if they are siblings, or maybe they're just two friends.  Maybe the two of them are thinking the same thing about Jane Todd and me, "Look at those two humans, they have no idea what they're missing down there."  I also start to think about how pelicans were no where to be seen when my mom was my age.  She grew up in this area and she claims that the earth was being filled with these toxic chemicals that eventually drained out into the waters and began killing off all of these birds.  Over time, the majestic pelican has made its return and now whenever my mom sees one, she squeals with happiness and says, "Look at that beautiful creature."

   On our way back, we paddle by a house undergoing construction.  The scene is filled with construction workers and they all smile and tip their heads as we glide by.  One calls out to me, "Take me with you!" The others laugh but I smile and say, "I wish I could."  Jane Todd gives me a grin, and I look onward as I follow the direction of another pelican flying overhead.

Madison

   "Should we sing?  I feel like we should sing," Madison calls out to me across the water.
   "No, that's really -"
   "WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE LIKE A BIG PIZZA PIE.... THAT'S AMORE," she belts out.
   I quietly laugh and continue to paddle towards the bay.
   "Am I doing better than Sarah Anne?" she asks, beginning the sibling rivalry.
   I couldn't lie, "Honestly, yes. You are.  I mean, nowadays, she is much better.  But she's done it more often.  But her first time? She sucked.  She couldn't go straight, she had no idea.  You, you're killing it."
   "Sweet," she smiles ear to ear.
   As we pass the common "No Wake" signs, I think of the first time Sarah Anne saw one and asked if they had to do with funerals.  I figured Madison will know what they mean.
   "No Wake? What does that mean? You can't wake anyone up?  I guess I should apologize for singing so loudly earlier..."
 
   As we're paddling towards the southern side of the Bay Bridge, rain clouds start to flood the sky.  I bring this to Madison's attention and she seems pretty disappointed.  I try to explain, "If it starts raining, and we're 2 miles away from the house... We are beyond screwed."
   After hearing that, Madison begins to understand.
   We turn the yaks around and watch a mullet hurl itself out from the water about ten feet away from Madison.  She screams out, "FISH! Did you see that?!"
   I laugh, "I did."
   About two seconds later, it jumps out a second time, this time about five feet from Madison.
   "They normally jump in sets of-"
   The mullet jumps out again, flying seven feet in the air, and landing smack dab on the bow of her kayak and then flopping back into the water.
   It takes a moment for us to register what we just witnessed.
   "Madison!" I yell, unable to believe it.
   "Oh oh oh ohhhhh ohh ohh ohhhhh oh, did you see that? It was like two feet away from landing in my kayak!"
   "What would you have done!"
   "I don't know! Probably jump out!"
   I throw my head back laughing in agreement and applaud her for having the coolest experience I've ever seen while kayaking.
   We stay where we are for a few moments, laughing and processing, before the clouds remind us that we need to head back.
   While we pass through Alligator Alley, one of the residents has his sprinkler on.  Part of its range includes a narrow part of the water.  Madison takes this as an invitation.  She smiles and says, "I'm going to go for it. Sprinkler time!"
   I try to stop her, but it was too late.  She is gliding right under the trail, soaking herself while laughing with glee, "YAY!"
   "I'll have to move it closer next time," a man calls out from somewhere.  I look up and see a man standing on the house's balcony.  My face floods with red as I smile and apologize.
   "Oh no, it's fine. Again, I'll move it closer next time for ya."
   I smile at a silent and clearly embarrassed Madison and say, "You hear that, Madison? Next time."
   She laughs quietly, avoiding looking at the man, "Next time."

GUEST SPEAKER: A Word From Sarah Anne

   Attention all #backontheyak readers, 

   This is Sarah Anne.  Maybe you remember me from some of Jillianne’s many kayaking excursions or maybe you don’t in which case this is awkward.  Anyway, I don’t have much time before Jillianne notices that I’ve hacked into her blog, and I still need to tell you all the truth.  You need to know the truth about kayaking.

   When Jillianne first asked me to kayak with her, I was genuinely excited.  Visions of high speed descents through raging rapids and close encounters with large boulders filled my mind and I was so happy knowing that we weren’t doing any of that.  We would be enjoying a peaceful cruise over the consistently calm waters of Mallini’s.  No daring escapades, no near death experiences, heck, we would even have life vests.  It couldn’t have been better.  Then the morning of our adventure arrived with the obnoxious shriek of my alarm clock.  Blearily, I looked at the time.  6:30 a.m. It’s at times like this when I start to question my motivations in life.  I am not a morning person and the act of rising before the sun goes against my internal programming.  However, Jillianne had her heart set on our trip and she needed my car so I chalked it up to my chance to be a good friend and hopped to it.

   After being guided to the right spot, we unloaded the yaks and after several shaky attempts, I managed to sit in the blue one without falling over.  Jillianne gave it a shove so that I floated out into the clear water where I gleefully splashed around as I waited for her to follow suit.  Gracefully she glided past and swiftly started to lead the way to our new destination.  With renewed enthusiasm, I grabbed my paddle, plunged it into the cool water, pulled back with all my strength, my eyes locked on Jillianne’s trail, and sharply veered left almost into a wooden dock.  Confused, I tried again, this time shifting horribly to the right.  I quickly glanced at Jillianne to see how she was easily rotating her paddle, almost as if drawing circles on each side.  Perhaps, the circumferences of my circles weren’t the proper size, I thought as I gripped my paddle, determined to master this technique.  Left.  Right. Left. Right. Left. Almost straight but still too far right.  My arms were burning as I kept zigzagging through the once welcoming water. Had the sun always been this hot?  Why was Jillianne still so far ahead?  Was that a vulture?  Suddenly, Jillianne turned around and asked if I was okay.  Pride took over.  Although it had felt like hours, it had only been maybe five minutes.  I couldn’t give up, not like this, so I smiled.

   “Yeah I got it, you go on ahead.”  Seemingly satisfied with my answer, she turned back and continued to paddle forward.  My smile turned grim as my paddle dove back into the water.  I had no choice but to survive this.  After all, there’s no retreat once you’re out on the water and you lack the skill to get out of the boat by yourself.

   Eventually, I managed to have a few moments where my yak went straight and I even managed to catch up to Jillianne when she stopped.  After a while, she told me it was break time and I dropped that paddle like it was hot.  I gulped down some water as she serenely gazed at our surroundings with a smile on her face.  Turning to see what was so wonderful, I nearly dropped my bottle.  Somehow, we had made it to the bay where the water was wavy with a deep blue color, the seagulls were chirping overhead, and oh my goodness was the sea breeze blowing.  As we bobbed up and down, I couldn’t help but marvel at the experience of being present in such a picturesque scene.  The morning sky was filled with wispy, white clouds that stood out against the increasingly blue background and the sun was illuminating the trees just right so that their green leaves looked like emeralds.  In this moment, I realized the truth behind kayaking.  It’s difficult, it makes you get up early, it makes your arms ache, it can make you question your sanity, and can bring you to some of the most astounding locations.  What’s even more amazing is that the more you go, the more you can see.  Even if you’ve driven past a place countless times or kayaked through it numerous times, there is always something just around the river bend that you’ve never seen before.  Maybe it’s the way the light refracts off the water’s surface or the way the current carries a cluster of leaves towards the sea, you never know what you’ll find.  Sure, it requires a bit of effort, or a lot of effort, but the chance to see the world in a new perspective is something that makes it all worth it.

   “Are you ready to head back?” Jillianne asked me, her kayak already pointing away from the bay.  I took one last glance at the scene before nodding my head.  We made it back in one piece, loaded the yaks back up into the truck, and before I knew it, I was back home sitting on my couch too tired to move.  My mom walked in and quickly asked about how it went.  My mind flashed to that deep blue bay as I replied, 

   “Not bad at all.”

   There you have it.  That is my unadulterated truth behind kayaking.  Maybe you have a different one, and that’s okay too.  It just gives me another reason to head back out there, back into the still water, because the more I kayak, the more I see and perhaps one day, I’ll catch a glimpse of another truth just waiting to be discovered underneath those glimmering waves.  

Holiday

   Happy Easter holiday!! Anyone who doesn't celebrate Easter, I understand, congratulations on making it through another week! I am on vacation right now, and I thought in honor of that, I would post about the first time I went kayaking.  That's right! The FIRST time! It was one year ago and happened over Easter break at this same vacation spot (feeling nostalgic).  It's a very cozy and beyond beautiful spot in Alabama.  Mom, Christina (my sister), Sarah Anne, and I got there on a Thursday and were staying until Monday.  That gave us 5 days for opportunities to kayak.  This was while I had my kayak obsession but had yet to get one of my own.  The hotel was on the beach so I knew they kayak rentals, free for guests of the hotels.  That's what I'm talking about, unlimited FREE kayaking! This was going to be the best 5 days of my life!

   Day One:  Rain.  No problem, I still have 4 more days.

   Day Two:  High winds bringing in more rain, water is far too choppy.  No problem, little bit of a downer, but no problem.  

   Day Three:  Only free time we had was in the middle of the day and the water was so wavy we would have flipped immediately.  I want water that looks like glass.

   Day Four:  This has to be the day!! We leave tomorrow and I WILL go kayaking!! We get to the rentals at 6:10 to find out they closed at 6.  I cry.

   Day Five:
   Sarah Anne and I wake up at 7:30 to pack and make sure we are all ready to go.  I slip on my Chacos that are still wet from last night, spray sunscreen on my back, and we run downstairs so we can be the first people at the rentals at 8.
   Not even Jesus himself could have painted a more perfect morning.  The water is as blue as the sky and as still as a rock, not even a ripple.  Pelicans hang by calmly, enjoying the morning as well.  The man at the shop is happy to see us and asks if we want one kayak or two.  Huh?  I didn't know there was an option.  We look at each other and shrug our shoulders, "One?" He smiles and says, "One it is."  He gives us some paperwork to fill out, agreeing that we are not minors and consent to the safety precautions and won't sue the hotel if something goes terribly wrong.  The thing was, I in fact was a minor, my birthday was two months from then, but when I was asked to check that box, there wasn't a bone in my body that was about to let a scribble of ink stand in my way of kayaking, so I checked it without hesitation and grabbed a life vest.
   The was the first time I had ever been kayaking and this was after I had spent months obsessing over kayaks so you can imagine how...happy I was in this moment in time.  It was a level of Euphoria that I haven't found since.
   Sarah Anne sat in the front while I sat in the back since I was better at steering, a lesson we learned years ago in summer camp when we went canoeing.  We only had an hour so we didn't waste anytime.  We were hauling tail across that water!  There were two of us so we were going as fast as the birds flying overhead.  We made it towards one end of the beach where the sand meets the rocks and the rocks meet the piers.  I check my watch and we had only been out here for 10 minutes so far! I thought for sure it would be longer than that.  One of those "Time flies when you're having fun" type moments.  So we stopped.  We were now facing the part of Mobile Bay that isn't blocked off by Mobile, it was just open water.  And, hand to God, the water and the sky was the exact same color.  We could not tell where the water ended and the sky began.  It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.  Then all of a sudden, a nearby pelican take off from his post to catch some breakfast.  He glides down to the water and hurls his head under the surface to snag something in its beak.  It was as if he was a cutout resting on a piece of blue construction paper and then the paper begins the wiggle and ripple as soon as he meets the unseen horizon.  We drift for a few moments, comparing ourselves to a scene in Life of Pi.
   Sarah Anne turns around and says, "This is pretty sweet."
   I don't say anything back, just continue to admire where I am.
   "I get it now."
   My eyes open and I look at her.
   "Why you want a kayak so badly, I mean.  I get it."

   

When Trea Flips Out

Since the post on Thursday was just a playlist.  Here's a treat:

   Back in the day, Trea and I had nothing to do but Kayak and run errands for our mothers.  So after about 5 times out kayaking (This was a few trips before we went out to the middle of the bridge), he finally asked me.. "Jillianne, have you ever practiced flipping your kayak?"  I gawk at him, "What? Why would you do that!"  He laughed at me, "You're supposed to have done that already! So in case it happens while you're out there, you'll know what to do!"  I sulk, "Oh, well... I don't plan on ever being in a situation where I'll flip over.  Calm water, that's me.  That's where I'll stay."  He laughed some more, clearly enjoying where this was going, "No, no, no.  You need to practice.."  He paddled closer to me.  I start paddling backwards, "Trea, you stay away from me,"  he reaches his arm out and nearly grabs the side of my kayak but I stab him with my paddle, "I mean it!"  "Jillianne," he tries to sound comforting, "I'm only doing this for your well-being.  Keeping you safe and prepared.  You need to know what to do!" he reaches my kayak.  Pulling me side by side with him, he smiles, "Okay, I'll make you a deal.." He looks around, "You can either.. let me flip you over right now," I squirm and try to paddle away, "or, we go out into the bay right now," I squirm even harder.  "Please, Trea.  This isn't fun."  "Flipping it is.  Here, give me your phone so it doesn't drown," he held out his hand.  I laugh and yell no.  "Fine," he smirks and jolts one side of my kayak up, but I stay put..  I laugh at him and he begs me some more to let him do it.  "How about you flip yourself.  So I can, you know, have an example.  So I know how easy it is to do."  He laughs but agrees and paddles a good distance away from me, thankfully.  He slips his phone into his dry pack, sets his paddle on the water, and takes a deep breath.  In one quick motion he is underwater and the kayak is bottom-up.  I clap my hands like a child as he quickly bobs up.  "Jillianne," he says seriously, "I can stand."  And sure enough, he plants his feet on the sandy floor raising his chest and up to be above water.  He walks forwards to catch his paddle and trudges back to get back in his boat.  He flips it on its side and puts his torso on the seat as he hurls it upright, bringing himself with it, legs flailing in the air.  He did it, actually, very gracefully.  What followed is what makes it great.  Trea's kayak is a standard one, a standard sit-in kayak.  When he had flipped it back over, it had taken a great deal of water.  As he gets seated, I watch as he looks down at his feet and mumbles, "God dammit."  He holds his head back and sighs.  I snicker, "What's wrong, hun?"  He takes off one of his shoes and tells me to shut up.  He begins shoveling the water out of his kayak with his shoe, his water shoe so it isn't as effective as we all had hoped.  But after a few moments, he seems ready to paddle back over to me to give me another ultimatum.

   When I got home that day, I told my parents how awful Trea had been and how he threatened me and tried to flip me over when I begged him not to.  They completely sided with him.  I think my mom even texted him giving him a direct order to flip me the next time we went out.  

Closed For Season: A New Tale About An Old Time

I'M ALIVE!
   It's been a while.  I know.  But believe it or not, it does in fact get pretty chilly down here on the Gulf Coast.  Maybe not chilly from a northern's perspective, but certainly not warm enough to go water sporting.  So my kayaking adventures have been put on hiatus.  Maybe there will be a warm spell here soon, but until that magical day when I am reunited with Sunburst I thought I would just go on telling tales about the kayaking days before this glorious blog.. ahem.. I mean "movement", came along.  If that's alright with you all, of course.

   "Letting Trea take the lead was a mistake."
   "Why am I even following him?"
   "I should turn around and go back to the car."
   "I could take a nap in the car."
   "Would he even notice that I was gone?"
   "Doubt it."
   "Jesus, letting him take the lead was a mistake."

   Those are the things that flood my mind as I watch Trea's figure get smaller and smaller in the boundless water.  I sit in the mouth of the Bay, sipping my water, listening to my Alternative Indie Love Song Pandora radio station.  By this point, the only way I can see Trea is because of his neon orange life vest.  He's now smaller than a speck, bobbing up and down.

   "That jerk is trying to get to the Bay Bridge," I think to myself.
   A few more brief moments go by before I say, quite loudly, "UGH! Fine."
   I grab my paddle and hurl myself towards him.

   The peak of the Bay Bridge is approximately two miles from where I was sitting.  Two miles is nothing.  Trea and I have covered that in no time at all.  But.. that was when we were side by side, had house to talk about, birds to whistle to, small crabs to count, and plenty of other things to keep our minds occupied while traveling.  Open water is a completely different kind of beast.
   There are waves.  Lots and lots of waves.  And not the pretty little ripply waves.  No.  These are the waves that threaten to flip your yak every time they hit.  There is nothing to look at, except your bare legs looking like sitting ducks to the blinding smoldering exposed sun, and of course, the Bridge itself.
   With the bridge being your only focal point, time passes WAY more slowly.  With the waves ganging up on you, the whole ride is just a game of two steps forward, one step back.  So it takes more time than I would have liked.  The bridge was not getting any bigger and neither was Trea.  Time was frozen, and not in the good way.  I wasn't getting any closer, but the mouth of the bay, where I had come from, had practically diappeared.  Something was wrong.  At a point, I did start to lose my mind. .
   Only two thoughts were repeating through my sunbaked brain:
     I'm gonna die out here.
     I hate Trea.

   After 38 billion hours, I'm there.  Trea welcomes me with a high fave, "Hey! I didn't think you were going to make it!"
   I scoff, "Neither did I."

   Sitting under a bridge that you travel over everyday is quite the experience.  You look up and listen to the cars overhead.  They're all just continuing with their daily routine, completely unaware of the fact that two friends are sitting under them, drinking water, listening to a nearby fisherman's country station, absolutely dreading the moment when one of them decides it's time to go back.
   Trea breaks first, "Well.."
   "-Shut up.  Can we just catch a ride back with one of these friendly boaters?"
   He laughs, "It won't be that bad! The sun will be on our backs, the current will be on our side, and I'll stay with you the whole time.  It will go by in blink."
   I agree, hesitantly.
   And he was wrong.  Oh my God, he was wrong.  About everything.

   Kayaking on what might as well have been a treadmill to the middle of the Bay Bridge and back earned Trea and I major bragging rights.  But you'll never see us jumping at the chance to do it again.




 

Bay Mouth

Pops

   As some know, I'm taking this semester off.  I will not start college until January.  I needed time to think and I needed time to do things I should have done in high school.  Read books, not magazines.  Work seriously on my art.  Keep up with the world, not just the Kardashians.  And it's been going well so far.  I've completed over six novels, I'm putting together a show at a local art gallery, and I got a totally rad job at BCBG Max Azria.  Taking these five months off was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
   The only down side.. all of my friends are gone.  Well, all three of them.  Nonetheless, my options for kayak partners has dramatically decreased.  Patrick is still here of course, finishing up his last year of high school, but he hates kayaking.  So that's a dud.  My sister is around, but she's too glued to studying her precious notecards.  There's mom, but she's too tired, too busy, and far too grouchy.  So that really only leaves one person.
   My father.
   When I asked him if he would like to go, he responded with ample enthusiasm.
   "OF COURSE!  I've been telling you since you bought it that I would LOVE to go kayaking with you!! Thank you so much for asking me, sweetie!"
   It would be good.  He's a triathlete and an Iron Man so I knew he would be able to keep up with me and that he wouldn't complain.  I asked where he wanted to go and naturally he said, "It doesn't matter to me, Jillianne.  I'm just happy to spend time with you."  So I took him where I take all new-comers, Mallini's.  It was the perfect place for beginners.  Great sense of scenery, surrounded by houses, plenty of wildlife, all while having an easy compact route.
   The morning of our adventure, I check the radar and see that we may run into some rain.  I put heavy emphasis on the word "may", strap up the kayaks, waterproof my phone, douse myself in bug repellent, and drive on over to Dad's house.
   He comes down the stairs and meets me in his gravel driveway.  He had a long sleeve quick dry T-shirt that he no doubt acquired for free from one of his past triathlons, a pair of long khaki cargo pants that looked like they belonged to one of the members of Duck Dynasty, and a green Tilly hat.  He opens the car door and takes a seat next to me.
   "What on Earth are you wearing? It's like 90 something degrees outside," I ask.
   He looks down at his pants, "It's all breathable.  I don't want to get sunburnt."
   I make a gentle scoff and put the car in reverse.

   I'm disappointed to see waves when we pull up to the edge of the boat launch.  Clearly spoiled from my last kayaking trip..
   I give Dad a push out into the water and he rocks back and forth trying to find his balance.  We roll out and the thought of taking it slow doesn't even cross my mind.  After a while I look back and ask Dad if this speed is okay, is it too fast, too slow, what?
   "I don't know, you've got a nice little clip on you," he laughed.
   We make it around the bend and come to the area right before the opening to the Bay.  The waves pick up and I hesitate to keep going.  The worst thing is to get caught in the current, you end up kayaking on a treadmill going absolutely nowhere.  So we sit.
   The sun gleaming down on us, rain clouds threatening, waves rocking, mowers mowing, the usual drama in Mallini's.  After about 15 minutes of lounging in the yaks, I ask Dad if he wants to turn around.  His head pops up and he smiles, "Oh, I almost fell asleep, it's so peaceful out here."
   That makes me happy.

Distance  2.65 miles
Time  1:13:45
Min/Mile  27:50
Calories  275

The Loop, Part I

   Sunday morning, I drive over to pick up Sarah Anne.  She comes out of the house with a little lunch box full of goodies, and I'm not just talking about food.  I ask her what's in it and she pulls out a bag of Mud cookies - homemade -,  some watermelon slices, and a bluetooth speaker.  I'm excited to see that, music always makes the kayaking trips that much more enjoyable, and my phone speaker would never be loud enough for the both us to hear.
   "The other day, someone told me I was looking a little more tan," she started, "I said, "Yeah, I'm a kayaker now."."
 
   I get the RunKeeper app and the kayak playlist going and we glide on out.  The water was as smooth as silk, making it that much easier to paddle.
   By now, Sae has mastered the kayak.  She still gets a little flustered when we have to turn around or back up, but she's always up for a challenge and never wants to fall too far behind me.  I knew we were making great time when we were almost to the bay, and sure enough, we get the notification saying we're going at a speed of 17 minutes per mile.
   "Oh my gosh!" Sarah Anne exclaims.
   "That is so good! The fastest Trea and I ever go is 22 min/mile! 17 is fantastic!" I say.
   "I knew we were bookin' it, my arms hurt. And I see you and I'm like 'How does she keep going?!' But then I remember you do this all the time.."
   I laugh and respond, "If you want to go slower, just let me know! I want you to have a good time!"
   "Oh no, this is great!" she smiles.
   I told her we would take a break when we reached the mouth of the bay and we continued onward.

   We reached the bay and I was without words.
   In all of my kayaking adventures, I had never seen the water like this.  There was not a wave in sight.  It looked as if one could walk right on the water.  The sky was crystal clear and the heat was tolerable.  The kind of heat that makes you sweat but doesn't make you want to go back inside.  My jaw hung open, I couldn't believe my eyes.  There were no waves to pull you in a certain direction or slow you down, you only move the way you want to move.  This was everything a kayaker could dream of.
   Sarah Anne hadn't been out as many times as I had so I knew she wouldn't fully appreciate it the way I did.  But I tried to explain the greatness of it to her as best as I could.
   "I'm going to suggest something, and if you don't want to do it, say so.  I'm only going to suggest it because I've never had the water like this and I know I won't have it again anytime soon," I paused, "but I think we should do the loop."
   From the house, one can get to the bay two ways: the way that is taken in Down By The Bay where Trea catapulted the dead fish at me, and the other way I've taken everyone else.  The house is right in the middle of the loop.  The loop is where you go out into the bay one way and come back the other way and go to the house.  Total distance is about 5 miles.  Trea and I had always wanted to do it, but the waves in the bay were always too choppy for us.
   Sarah Anne sighed, looked out at the movementless water, and said, "I guess we really don't have a choice."
   "Really?"
   "Yeah, let's do it," she smiles.

An Angelfish Among Fish

   I'm not going to complain about getting the kayaks on and off the car, or the dragonflies filling the air, or even the heat.  I'm too grateful and blinded by the fact that I actually got my angelfish, Patrick, to go kayaking with me.  Sure, he listened to podcasts about League of Legends for a majority of the time, but whatever.  
   We pull up to the same ole house and I, with Patty watching, unstrap the yaks and place them in the water.  I toss him a life vest and he begins to snap it on before I ask, "You're going with your shirt? Or are you going to go rogue and take it off?"
   He blushes and quietly says, "Okay."
   "I was just asking!" I laugh, "Trea always takes his off, so I don't know. You can leave it on."
   "No, I'll take it off," he motions for me to turn around.
   "Big baby," I grumble.
   "What was that?" he laughed.
   I turn back around, his shirt was off and life vest was on, "Nothing," I say with a big grin, "let's go."

   After what felt like hours, my RunKeeper app notified us that we were traveling 1 mile every 37 minutes.  When I heard this, I couldn't help from laughing.
   "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! COMING IN AT A WHOPPING SPEED OF 34 MINUTES PER MILE, THE LIGHTNING FAST.... PATRICK!!!" I shout out to all of the surrounding homes.
   Patrick glides past me in his kayak, lips pursed, "Okay, you're gonna need to stop."
   "Stop?" I throw my hands up to my cheeks, "You mean we've actually been moving this whole time?" I laugh at my own joke, Patty continues down the way, unamused.
 
   The sun was beginning to go down, creating a golden haze all around us.  I snap a few pictures of Patty with sun beans coming in from behind him as we make our way to the golf course and float around in between two holes.  I then start to paddle my way over to the shallow grassy part of the waters.
   "What are you doing?" Patty asks.
   "Fishing out a golf ball.  Would you like one, angelfish?"
   "Absolutely not.  That's stealing, I'm not going to be a felon," he paddles away from me, "I'm going to stay over here.  Completely unaffiliated with you."
   "Whatever," I mumble as I pull a pink golf ball out of the muddy ground, keeping an eye out for any snakes, "I'm getting you one anyway."

   After a while, I pause to take a picture of the setting sun, and a tuckered Patty again glides past me saying, "That's it, leisurely.  Nice and slow.  Leisurely pace.  The world already moves so fast, why make it go faster?" He turns around and says to me, "You know, the turtle did win that race."

Distance  3.78 miles
Time  2:07:11
Min/Mile  33:38
Calories  467


 

'No Wake'

   Since this is Sarah Anne's first time kayaking, I have no choice but to take her to Mallini's, the usual, since it's an easy route and plenty of scenery.
   Back at the house, it's comforting to see that nothing has changed.  Despite longer grass and deeper tire tracks, everything is as it was when I left it last.
   Sarah Anne parks the truck at the edge of the water and I note that the tide is low, making it easier to travel under the bridges we'll be encountering.
   "This is pretty," she smiles.
   "Isn't it?" I laugh.
   She unhitches the latch of the truck and lowers the gate so we can just slide the yaks right out into the water.  I attach my new paddle to my new paddle leash and clip it onto the storage unit in the back of my kayak.  Sarah Anne hops in her yak and I give her a little push out into the water before doing the same.
   Now, Sarah Anne is one of my dearest friends, she's absolutely brilliant and I love her to death, but when I look back and see her rocking around in her yak, turning in one direction and then the other all in a single stroke, I can't help but laugh.
   I watch her continue to struggle before asking, "You got it?" even though it was clear that she indeed did not get it.
   But she smiles and responds, "Yeah, you go on, I'm right behind you."
   I laughed but paddled on anyway, taking it slow.  I didn't want her to get lost or get eaten by an alligator or something like that.
   We yak down my usual route, whistling at the birds, answering the neighbors when they call out to us, "Lovely day for that!"
   After a while I hear Sarah Anne say, "How do you go so straight?! You make it look so easy!" she says as she continues her perfect chevron pattern through the water.
   Eventually, she does get the hang of it..sort of.  I slow down as she gets faster and we meet in the middle.
   "So does this kayak have a name?" she asks.
   "Mhmm, Ohana."
   "Oh that's so cute! Because it's blue! Like Stitch!"
   I laugh aloud, "Yeah, it's pretty precious."
   "What about yours?"
   Taken aback, I say, "No, I've never thought about it.  What would be a good name for it?"
   She looks at my bright orangeish-yellowish kayak, thinks for a moment, and then smiles, "Sunburst, very hippie, very tribal, perfect for you."
   "That is perfect.  Perfect name for a kayak.  I'll have it painted on in no time," I smile.
   We continue down the way, and before long, we're in the bay.  I stop paddling and Sarah Anne looks confused.
   "This is when we take a break."
   She nods and puts down her paddle, soaking in the view.
   We take pictures and chat, bobbing up and down over the waves.
   Sarah Anne points at one of the many signs posted all over that reads 'No Wake' and asks, "What does that mean?"
   I explain that a wake is the waves caused by a boat or technically anything moving through the water and she responds, "Ohh! I was wondering.  Those signs are all over the place and I was like "What an odd thing to put on a sign, you can't have a wake here?" but your definition makes more sense."
   I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach, throwing my head back, "Oh Sae, you kill me!"

   On the way back, I decide to take us through Alligator Alley.  The chances of us actually running into a gator were slim, but it's worth it.  She didn't want to see one, but I had my fingers crossed.  I lead the way, pointing out all of the tiny crabs that line the banks of the water.  There were thousands of them, the size of my thumb nail, crawling up and down the tree roots and grass near the water's edge.  We travel under the first bridge, and I was shocked that Sarah Anne made it through without hitting something or getting her paddle stuck somewhere.
   "Here gator gator gator," I whistle with a grin.
   "Cut it out," I hear Sarah Anne say from behind me.
   I laugh and continue on under the second and final bridge.  She makes her way out and I push her in the shoulder, "Look at you! Made it through the wilderness, and no gators!"
   She smirks and passes by me.
   Just around the corner is the house, I paddle up and Sarah Anne says, "That's it!"
   "That's it!" I laugh.
   "But that was so great!"
   I paddle up the boat launch and come to a halt, "We'll be back, don't fret, hun."

Distance  3.17 miles
Time  1:15:13
Min/Mile  24:29
Calories  298
 
 

Cousin Time

   I walk out of my room at 7 a.m. and smile at Graham who was sound asleep on the living room floor.

   "Graham," I call out to him. He moans and rolls over. 

   "Hun, wake up, we've got to go," I say.  

   He rubs his eyes and whispers, "Okay, I'm up."

   I proceed over to the kitchen and find Mom and Lois chatting about something or another.  Lois's face lights up when I walk in and asks, "Is he up? Are you two going?"

   I laugh, "Psh, of course we're going."

   On the ride over, Graham offers me some Wheat Thins as he looks out the window.  We pull up to the house and he asks, "Do you know these people?" I smile, "Nope, I just wave and smile when they ask if I need help."

   We put the yaks in the water and I hand Graham the better paddle and I take the.. less better one.  He sits in his blue yak and I push him out into the water.  Quickly getting in mine, I push out and paddle in front of him, taking the lead.  

   He follows closely behind before eventually getting the hang of it and surpassing me.   He asks me questions about my previous kayak adventures as we paddle onward.  I try to pick up the pace so we can make it out to the Bay and back all in our one hour time frame.  I point out "Alligator Alley" when we pass it and tell him that if he didn't have a plane to catch, I'd take him down there.  He laughs and says, "Next time then."

   The water is still and the sun remains tolerable.  Mullets hurl themselves out of the water around us and I tell Graham about the time a much bigger fish almost jumped right into Trea's kayak.  

   We make it out into the bay and we say good morning to the fishermen who are slowly beginning to know me as a regular.  I tell Graham not to go past a certain lone pier post, saying that past that point is where the water gets choppy.  We stop paddling and just sit and watch the sun reflect over the water as if thousands of tiny crystals were falling from the sun, dancing on the waves.  No boats are out yet and everything is as quiet as can be. 

   Over on the rocks a few yards away, a white bird catches my eye.  He was creeping up and down the rocks looking for something to catch in the water.  Its legs made up 70% of its body and his head was crouched down to the ground.  I slowly make my way over to him, trying to get as close as I can without scaring him off.  Graham follows and the bird stops.  He stares directly at Graham and crouches even lower to the ground than before.  Graham makes a face at the bird, I snap a pic, and then the bird takes off, flying directly over Graham, making his way over to the other set of rocks where there won't be any goofy teenagers bothering him. 

   I ask Graham if he likes it and he responds, "Yeah, this is pretty sweet," in one of the most sincerest ways I have ever heard anything been said.  

   I look at my watch and tell him we've gone about 1.5 miles.  He seems impressed and looks out at the open water one last time before we head back to the house. 

Distance 2.61 miles

Time 57:32

Min/Mile 22:02

Calories 228

Down By The Bay

     We drive down the dusty little trail and come to a stop as we reach the edge of the launch.  Trea and I sit in the car, watching the temperature go from 90 degrees to 91 degrees.  After a few moments of silence, I turn to him and say with a grin, "It's not too late to turn around and go home." He laughs but responds, "It's not a hobby if you don't enjoy it." So we unload the kayaks, attach our paddles, buckle our life vests, say good morning to the adorable family who allows us to use their boat launch at our disposal, and then head out.  We each press play on our individual Pandora stations and I hit start in my RunKeeper app to begin the workout.

     I take the front, leading us around the bend. The sun shining brightly down on me, the sound of my kayak's teeny tiny wake following me.  We travel around the island, whistling at the family of egrets sitting on an abandoned wooden bench.  The tide pulls us out with it, making it much easier to paddle through the swampy waters.  A few boats motor past us, the children smiling and pointing, before we reach a small harbor.  To our surprise, there was actually a boat all the way from New Jersey. We paddle under a small bridge, pausing for a moment to take refuge in its cool shade.  After a few more turns, we see the bay.  A shallow part approaches so we stay to the right in order not to get stuck in the murky sand.  The waves become greater as we drift out farther into the bay.  Trea catches up to me and grabs ahold of the side of my kayak.  We sit and chat and then all of a sudden we wash up on the sandy and rocky coast.  Trea's kayak crashing into mine, causing water to flood over, soaking my shorts.  Thankfully my kayak was self-bailing; Trea didn't have such luck.  He sees something floating a few feet away from him and asks what it is.  I say, "Either a Styrofoam cup or maybe it's the Kraken." He laughs and goes to investigate.  Turns out it's the head of a dead fish.  He picks it up out of the water and holds it up so I can see.  I cringe and he pulls it back as if he's about to throw it at me.  I shriek as he hurls it in my direction, he laughs as it just misses me and lands on the sand. "You're such a girl," he smiles.  I laugh, "I'm sorry I don't like fish carcasses being thrown at me."  I get out and pull my kayak onto the shore, taking a gulp from my water bottle.  Trea wrestles with the waves and heads back out in the water.  I stay on the beach, laughing at him, before eventually pushing mine back into the bay and not-so-gracefully getting into the yak.  We paddle back into calmer waters and then take a breath.  Trea turns to me and asks, "Ready to head back?"

Distance 3.24 miles
Time 1:22:27
Min/Mi 25:29
Calories 321