thekelsmith:

This guy puts into words one of the things I enjoyed best about this past weekend. Hearing Loons at night takes me back to my childhood. Getting to see them on the water at sunset was so fantastic! 

When I was 14, I got to spend just over two weeks puttering around Canada with my 8th grade science teacher and a few classmates. The bulk of the trip was spent canoeing (and portaging—oh, the portaging!) around Algonquin Provincial Park. Every night, we were audience members to the concert above. Some nights the wolves chimed in, too—but the Loons were a constant. Listening to this brings back a flood of memories of paddling, swimming and cliff diving, drinking straight from the lakes, and dodging moose (back paddle, back paddle!) on the upper meandering stretches of the Petawawa River.

More photos from this morning’s adventures at the lake. It was a busy day: lake in the morning, dinner and fun with the Sadler’s in Cedar City this evening.

Since today turned into hell The Day Lice Took Over the Girls’ Hair®, I’m extra glad I took the boss up on her offer to leave early yesterday afternoon. As you can see, I put the extra leave to use as quality daddy-daughter time and took the girls out on the water. This was the only photo I could snap since the wind was somethin’ awful; just keeping the canoe pointed in the right direction (all the while fielding cries of “I wanna go home, papa!” and “where’s my granola bar, papa?”) was challenge enough without trying to manipulate my delicate/mediocre camera.
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Since today turned into hell The Day Lice Took Over the Girls’ Hair®, I’m extra glad I took the boss up on her offer to leave early yesterday afternoon. As you can see, I put the extra leave to use as quality daddy-daughter time and took the girls out on the water.

This was the only photo I could snap since the wind was somethin’ awful; just keeping the canoe pointed in the right direction (all the while fielding cries of “I wanna go home, papa!” and “where’s my granola bar, papa?”) was challenge enough without trying to manipulate my delicate/mediocre camera.

So I got back from Dan’s (re)wedding (more on that later) and promptly bought a used canoe.

Sidebar #1: I love craigslist. I know I’m late to that party, but seriously.

Why a canoe? None of the kids are old enough to come on a river trip yet, which is kinda a bummer.

Sidebar #2: did I mention that I get two (2!) river trips this summer? I believe the proper blogging term to put here is “squee!”

Anyhoo—back to the canoe: I realized a few months ago that I was about Amber’s age when my family came into semi-permanent possession of a canoe. My dad would take the kids out on the local reservoir (which I’m sure, in retrospect, was an attempt to give my mother some Saturday peace). I have little doubt that my love of the water, and my relative comfort on the water, comes from these early experiences. And do I want my kids also enamored with the thought of propelling themselves around in plasticy boats? Yes. Yes I do.

Hence the canoe.

Tonight was the maiden voyage; based on the faces you see above, my plans seem to be working splendidly.