Nov. 10th, ’09-Tom and I are checking cattle fence and the sun is splattering brightness and 50 degree weather is enticing. I’m ready for a 20 min. lunch break in the canoe. I grab the lunch bucket and roll an orange in my hands and plunge it in my pocket.  Tom happily agrees to hit the backwaters with the Michicraft Canoe. I have to offer with a grin to  paddle. It’s goofy ritual and he offers heartily to get us past the tall grasses , then I can give ‘er! I notice a black hunk of something floating in the 3′ deep water. Tom guesses it’s a tuber from a dead water lily.  Just melting and merging with the Michicraft, nature and consciousness. We’re just quiet and sitting in our thoughts or in my case-no thoughts. Just staring all ga ga @ the slight ripples on the clear water. Tom mentions he and Keith Bollinger had again removed some of the beaver’s work on their dam. That was the reason the water level lowered and now he’s sweating, trying to get us out to deeper backwaters.  He had no waders on, since this was spontaneous bursts of an idea to play hooky.  I am now throwing myself ahead while sitting bottomed out in the canoe. I’m compelled to sink my pretty paddle in the mucky  waters and feel like I’m actually helping.  In true Sue form, I try to joke and hear my voice say,  “Excuse me sir, I’m on lunchbreak and I have to get back to work soon. I have an orange along and was wondering where I should eat it since it’s not a smooth ride on the calm backwaters this sunny day!”  He laughs and says, “You really have an orange??” Oh no..he’s hungry too and he is only halfway across this low water, we have no tall boots and we’re gonna starve out here.  “Umm Tom, I could sing and we could just go back the way we came and call it good.”  It’s time to focus on the blue surrounding me and let go of the time and schedule.  I am wrapped up in the weave of the way the water is so true and blue.  “Tom, there’s a lot of water in this canoe..”  “That was in here before we left shore.” We finally arrive to the beaver dam and I’m clutching a camera en-cased in a OB sleeve bag from the vet route. “I hope this holds me!”  I stand wobbily on the dam and look @ the deep water that we’re heading into. It’s my turn to do my daddle paddle as I sit on a floaty-boaty -tushy-cushion.  Intense peace as the paddle drips and trickles water drops to the 7′  deep beaver dam area.  What a blessing to have the land and a hubby that  appreciates a daddle paddle girl that’s a strong-willed German/French Voyager.

Canoe it and Wing it!

Sue Roskos