Kayaking

Carole and I discovered some time back that we prefer kayaking over canoeing. The canoe has its place, but for casual cruising on the lakes and rivers, I much prefer kayaks over canoes. The thing I like most about kayaks is their superior maneuverability. They're just a whole lot easier to steer than canoes. Another thing I like about them over canoes is that they seem to draw less water--I've paddled in water a few inches deep without scraping bottom in a good kayak.

Carole speeds ahead of me on the Catawba River.

The kayaks that we want to purchase are a bit expensive. So we've been holding off on getting replacements for our canoe. We like the idea of solo kayaks instead of a tandem model, so that will also add to the cost. In addition, we want to get kayaks that we can use in slightly rough water--maybe up to Class III rapids--and something that will allow us to take multi-day trips with room for camping gear. We've actually picked out the models we want, so we're just waiting for the budget to allow for the purchase.

I find a nice backwater channel to chill out and listen to the woods.

I took this video mainly to illustrate with sounds and moving images the song of the cicadas in the forest on the island we circumnavigated. In this inlet they were really chirping away. The discordant screeching of a group of human children behind me distracts from the song of the insects, but you can still feel the power of the singing cicadas.

Andy stopped to go wading in the shallows at the low end of the island. (Behind him are the chattering kids--nice children, but I just wanted them to be quiet for a bit. Oh, well. Quiet's not something that kids normally do.)