A simple micro adventure

Sunset on the bay - Camera captures a single imageIt was not a big effort, in fact if anything, it was a very simple paddle that I had in mind.  The sun was beginning to dip and I knew I had about an hour before sunset.  The winds had been strong from the south all day whipping up the bay in white capped frenzy.  Now, calm was setting in, with the wind still pushing, just not as forcefully as before.

I grabbed my drysuit, put on my thermals, grabbed my bag of gear and a single Northern Light Greenland paddle and headed out to catch the last of the light.  The NDK slipped effortlessly into the water, always one of my favorite parts of any paddle, the time when you slip the spray skirt on and embrace the beauty and elegance of a kayak floating on the water. 

The tide rips were still going off, creating a bit of beam side slop as I headed to the island and my favorite nest of bald eagles.  I approached and as always was greeted with their beautiful sounding voices.  Floating silently, I let the current pull me around the point, a place right on the water that always hosts one of the adults or juveniles. As I rounded the corner, there she was, taking flight at my approach, gracefully arcing up and around my drifting kayak.  Slowly she circled and came back, only to take up residence in the high safety of her nest.

Off to the other side of the bay now, heading into the slop, the wind still pushing the tide rip trying to force me in a different direction.  The sun was getting lower and the low clouds were creating a visual feast for my eyes.  I cleared the rip, and calm surrounded the boat.  Quick, now grab the camera and try and shoot a couple of images before I drift back into the slop. The shutter releases only to see the message that no space was left on my card.  Were it not for the rip, I would have floated and deleted some old images on the card, something I had been meaning to do for days, but obviously had not done.  Oh well, sometimes we don't get to shoot, instead we get to record the scene in silence using our finely tuned multi-mega pixel eyes and brain.

Dark is setting and now I get the ride from the rip but slop from the wind, nothing big, just enough to make it challenging.  I work my way back to the dock, less than an hour from when I left.  I feel rejuvenated from being on the water, being one with sport.  Micro adventures are just that, small forays out into the world of adventure.  Some are bigger than others, but all are easily done right in our own back yard. 

Tonight I was rewarded with a dance on the water, a beautiful sunset for my spirit, and the grace of Eagles flying over my head.