Three Miles East of Serenity

Is where I live.

Last night, Jared suggested on a whim that we take the kayaks out to Lake Snowden. We didn’t get the boats on the water until 8:30pm, but the timing was really perfect. The sun was setting, and dusk always brings out more animals than one normally sees at noon.

Lake Snowden was a big surprise for me. It’s visible from the highway, so I guess I always assumed that what I saw when passing was the greater part of the lake. I never understood why people loved a weedy little lake with a view of Route 50.

But last night I learned that only the smallest part of the lake is visible to the passing motorist. Snowden was created by damming Margaret Creek, so the lake undulates through the former valley like a creek, with lots of little coves and surprising bends.

After a few minutes of paddling, we turned a sharp bend and it instantly seemed as if we were miles from anywhere. The water was glassy smooth and perfectly reflecting the trees, the sky, and the orange kayak gliding along beside me.

I have never seen more wildlife on a lake than I did last night. The birds in particular seemed quite unperturbed by us, so we got much closer to some of them than I expected. We saw a family of mallard ducks take flight rather close to our boats--I could hear the swish of their feathers through the air. Several times fish splashed up out of the lake--this must be a fisherman’s paradise. Once I saw a turtle poke his head out of the water, then dive down again as my kayak drew near.

At another point, Jared and I held our breath as a swan darted out from some hidden cove, and began to stately survey his domain.

Later in our excursion, I thought I saw a muskrat slip gracefully beneath the water’s surface.

The entire time, I was overcome by this amazing sense of awe at the creatures I witnessed and the utter stillness of this lake. In this place, I could entirely forget myself and the petty cares that normally whirl through my mind. There was only sky and water and trees and birds.

This place is serenity. And it is three miles from where I live. I suddenly realized my kayak was worth every penny I spent. How many things in our lives help us to get so utterly away from all that preoccupies and stresses us out?

We managed to get back to the car as the last rays of sunshine dipped below the horizon. Strapping down the boats in the dark was slightly more challenging, but we managed fairly well.

I hope that we make evening kayak excursions a regular part of time together, because I had an amazing time.

[And Moondance wanted to turn this place into an effing gated resort. Just what tranquility needs--upscale dining and shopping. I am so grateful to the efforts of those dedicated individuals who squashed that project.]

New Obsession

Jared and I have been talking about buying kayaks almost since we started dating. Problem is, they are rather expensive. They are also surprisingly hard to find used. But they aren’t really cheap to rent, either, ($14 a piece at Lake Hope), so we’ve been seriously looking at buying some since spring. We went to a couple of kayak demos and narrowed down what we wanted in a kayak, but were still leery of the prices.

Then, I spotted an amazing deal on eBay. Two kayaks, in exactly the brand we were considering, were for sale in Toledo. They were demos--meaning they’d spent all of one day out on the water, so they were practically brand new and deeply discounted. Since they were for pickup only, we actually had a chance at winning them. Which we did--mine even went for the starting bid.

The best part? They are blue and orange.

Hence the reason for last weekend’s detour through Toledo. We found time to stop on our way back to Athens and put them out at Lake Loramie for a couple of hours, which was fabulous. We were on the quieter side of the lake--far from the rumbling “floating patios” that seem so popular there.

Lake Loramie started out as a feeder lake for the nearby Miami-Erie canal system. It’s hard to believe that before the Civil War, this lake was part of a water transportation hub that ran the length of the entire state of Ohio. The trains eventually usurped the canal system, but Loramie survived as a recreational lake.

One hundred and fifty plus years after its important role in moving goods and people across the state, it now serves as a place for people to go. . . . .nowhere in particular. Life can take very unexpected turns sometimes.

So if you’re tired of hearing about my cycling adventures--never fear! Stay tuned for all new kayaking adventures. :o)