My husband's brother Dick went on his last paddle today before boarding a flight home. His visit these last 5 days has included a major canoe paddle every day, some lasting all day.
This year, I did something different. I encouraged George and Dick to go on paddles alone, without me.
I've noticed over the years, in these paddles with 'Uncle Dick', that they've gotten a little incongruent - I want something gentle and relaxing, and Dick and George want to take high risk, going to the places we'd never consider 'an easy paddle'.
So, we alternated days - first, an easy paddle, and I'd go along, sitting in a box in the middle of the canoe. Dick would paddle up front, and George at the rear. Then, Dick and George would go on a serious paddle, with crashing waves, wind, and high risk. They canoed across open water, braving wind and incoming barges headed right for them. They trudged through low tide muck, getting their shoes, pants, and the canoe filthy. They loved it.
I'm convinced that a great vacation 'for men', is thrills. They loved canoeing completely around Blake Island, like a couple of pirates looking for adventure. They braved wind and strong currents, pitching the canoe up and down, crashing it through the waves. They paddled hard until both were breathless, weary, and full of mud - yes, they forgot about the tides, and had to plod through 50 feet of muck. The last time this happened, I told George to take a long board along, to crawl across. Well, no such 'planning ahead' for them. They drove into town, put their sandy clothes in the washer, and took the boat to the carwash.
When I was along, I told George 2 rules: Don't paddle fast (so I can look at everything), and do not choose a location that has underwater stumps and snags. (They can cause the canoe to capsize, or can snag a lifejacket and trap a person underwater). Well, George chose Lake Kapowsin for my last paddle with Dick, and it was full of them. We got high-centered a number of times because Dick couldn't see the stumps underwater. The tannins in the water made it very black, obscuring underwater debris. We paddled around an island in the lake, enjoying the scenery, then it started to thunder, with stormy clouds broiling overhead.
We completed our paddle safely, and headed for home. I think we worked out a good arrangement that will bode well for future vacations: Give the men most of the canoeing days alone together. When they come home, they have a great story to tell - and, dinner is waiting, the house is clean, and the laundry done.
