beyond the bow. . .April 19, 2011

The first trip of the season and the first trip after my hand surgery three months ago. This was also the earliest in the season we had ever started. The water was chilly, in the sixties, but it only felt cold for a minute or two. The sun was warm on our arms and legs so the colder water felt good.

We left about 1030, which is unusual for us. We prefer early morning or late afternoon trips, so we can catch either the sunrise or the sunset. I can't even remember the last time we were out at midday.

I remember putting sunscreen on my face, arms and thighs, but I never even thought about putting it on my shins. Obviously, after two hours in the water at midday, I had a sunburn to deal with. Glen, who burns much easier than I, had more sunburn in spite of using sunscreen more diligently than I did.

I had been hoping for a nice, easy calm-water trip out and back. This was not that day. We had decided to head over to the bay. We know usually during the morning, the bay tends to be calm, but it was windy. The waves were kicking up a little as we started and only increased as we continued. By the time we were coming back, we were dealing with some three and four foot waves.

Halfway through our trip, we managed to find a spot of sandy beach where we could get out of our boats, stretch our legs and enjoy the view of the bay, without having to concentrate on the current and the waves.

After our short break, we headed back. This was when the waves were at their highest. Each stroke took concentration. It wasn't until after we had crossed over into smaller Polecat bay that the water was calmer. I enjoyed just putting my hands into the cold water and feeling the warm sun on my face.

It was nice kayaking without my hand going numb. This was the final test of my surgery. I can now tell my surgeon it was a complete success!