Paddles Up!

Another year over – already. Last weekend I participated in the annual Dragon Boat festival in Lethbridge. Once again, I absolutely loved it! Although our times were not great (we came in faster than a couple of other teams – one consisting of severely visually impaired paddlers, the other of members averaging age 72), we still had an AWESOME adventure. It’s hard to describe the feeling of paddling in a boat. It’s sort of like floating across an ice surface, only much warmer. I love the feeling of my paddle dipping into the water, moving quickly through the surface, pulling the water through to start the stream moving toward the end of teh long boat. To think that we are all in unison (well, some of the time), gliding across the water. I can feel the difference every movement in the boat makes – someone adjusts his /her position on the seat, and the whole boat shifts ever so slightly. Sometimes I feel in tune with the drum, catching the memorizing beat and feel us inch our way across the lake. To know that my body is working hard to keep up and be a part of the rhythm – is somehow freeing. Again, words do it no justice – but I LOVE paddling.

A new adventure for me – yesterday I happened across my great-nephew playing his first season of soccer. Like most pre-schoolers, he sort of listened to the coach, and sort of followed the ball. But he was much more interested in simply playing with his best friend. Oh, how I remember – and miss – those days!

I count this day as a new adventure, as I have not seen my great nephew play. And yes, he is great for many reasons, not just because he “really likes me”!

A Tally

OK. Bonzo, we are going to do 55 adventures before January 28th, 2014. So, I’d better keep a score:

Love this motto!

Going backwards, starting in late October

1. Retirement!  I agreed to take a redundancy and will finish my formal time with the college at the end of December. So, the big Freedom 55 adventure looms.
2. We bought recreational land near Beaver Mines!!! This purchase should count for at least 10 different adventures.  Each time I go out, I take a different walk or travel a different road. I am getting used to carrying bear spray, identifying critter scat, following animal tracks, and just being in touch with nature again.  Wonderful!
3. Going to Waterton; Hiking Bear’s Hump and Red Rock Canyon – something I haven’t done for a few years.  IT was also Val’s firs time up Bear’s HUmp.  So I think this day counts as part of the adventure.
4. Nachos and drinks at Twin Butte Mexican Restaurant:  On our way back to the cabin, we stopped at Twin Butte’s Mexican Restaurant for nachos supreme.  I haven’t been to Twin Butte since the 1980’s. So, I think that trip counts as an adventure!
5. Hiking to Bertha Lake -Val, Sue Bodie and I hiked to BErtha Falls. I found the uphill part to be quite a cardio challenge, but otherwise not that difficult compared to our hikes of this past summer.
6. Dragon Boating: I started back to Dragon Boating. This year we fielded a women’s team. We had an absolute blast!  In early September we journeyed to Big Fork, Montana to participate in my first ever international dragon boat competition.  After two months of training, we really improved.  Our team posted our best ever time.  I can’t describe how much I love being out on the boat, feeling the water move beneath my paddle, soaring toward the finish line.  It is unbelievably AWESOME!