Kayaking adventure, in which Barb proves to be a wimp

 The title says it all.

This morning, my friend Gerri had a great time, paddling on the white caps out in the main lake.

Me, not so much!  I paddled out to the entry to the main lake, and upon getting through a couple of troughs between the bigger waves, decided I was not up for this.  Not today, anyway.

I turned back and did my paddling in the protected cove.  I would paddle back toward shore, then turn around and paddle back out toward where Gerri had gone out, then turn around and paddle back toward shore.  I kept trying to go a line of waves further with each trip, but in the end, it was pretty much rinse and repeat for about 45 minutes and I was just "done".  

I walked around, ate my snack, talked with Zoey the paddle board / kayak rental mascot dog, used the restroom, and watched the rest of the crew decide to face the whitecaps or not.

Now, mind you, these were NOT hurricane Henri style waves.  They were "wind from the south, let's kick up the water" white caps.  This is not an ocean.  It's a dam-created inland lake.  It looks tame enough in the wider shot.

The paddle boarders came in early, as I had done, and hung out in the protected cove.  It really was a pleasant day, on shore.  I already had my bug spray and sunscreen on, I'd had my 45 minutes of aerobic activity, I was good.

Nearly an hour later, after going back out and truly enjoying the challenge of the waves, my friend was among the last to come back in.

Before she did, though, we had a bit of excitement, as someone got "stuck" out there, and sent someone back to blow the whistle. Another person was wading and pushing their paddle board back (might have been the one blowing the whistle).  The rental folks paddled out to rescue the guy who according to the whistle blower "really needs help".  They hadn't yet returned by the time Gerri and I packed it in and left.  Gerri was in a different corner of the lake, and with the wind, she didn't even hear the whistle.

As for the logistics of the trip, driving in a mask was not a problem.  The N95 allowed me to drive with clear lenses, no leaks.  Gerri wore a cloth mask, and we got to and from with zero issues.  This was my first trip driving masked, other than just in the grocery pick up parking lot, so I am grateful for a smooth, confidence building experience.  Who knows how often over the next year I might need to drive someone who is not "in my bubble" when infection rates are high?

For canine lovers, I'll put Zoey's photo here... what a laid-back companion she is!  She belongs to the owner's dad, who helps out.  It seems like this little kayak / paddle board renting venture is a full-on family affair... we met the owner's cousin today, too.  She brought in a group of 20, including that paddle-board crew.

Now let's get on with the remainder of this Sunday, August 22, 2021... the only one we'll ever get!  Be safe, be sensible, and be kind.  For life is good!  Spark on.