Aly left on the ferry yesterday evening to return south for school, but before she left, we all got our wish: a family day of kayaking, like the one Aly and I had previously (see Aly/Daddy Time).
On Friday, we gathered the two single kayaks and our double, loaded the extra passenger seat with good things, and kayaked north.
Michelle and Aly inspect the beach at Kelgaya Point (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
I had sailed the route with Dave and Anke on their sailboat, Slacktide about a month ago. We anchored and explored the beach at Kelgaya Point. Kelgaya and Battery Point form a set of beaches that are a popular destination for local hikers. We’d never been there before; I was anxious to show it to Michelle and Aly.
First, though, we stopped at a south-facing beach closer to home. We’ve visited it before; it’s a favorite spot to “get away.” We had lunch there, then pushed north to the points. We played there for a while, then returned home around dinner time.
We probably covered 10-11 miles in all, with perfectly flat water the whole way. We beachcombed some useful gear from the beaches. Aly rescued a dragonfly that had hit the water, and nearly drowned. We explored, collected wild green seeds, laughed, talked, and relaxed.
Michelle marveled at how dreamlike the day felt. The paddling took her completely out of time, away from thoughts or worries about work or anything else. For a whole day we were completely suspended, relaxed, and recreated that went even beyond our usual idyll. The adventure became a climactic event for Aly’s month at home, a final celebration of family fun before we had to part once again.
Aly taking plant photos. Her T-shirt says it all: “Another Day in Paradise” (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
What a wonderful way to spend the day, we were just saying to each other, that our work is taking over our life again..something we tried to get away from 5 years ago…guess being a work-a-holic is something that can’t be cured.
Well, Astrid, as I’m sure you know, when you’re doing something you love, it’s hard to remember that breaks from that can be beneficial as well. We have to constantly monitor our “performance” to make sure we’re not spending every day working, rather than spending some time playing.