Winding Down the Rogue River

We were ready to canoe when we set out this morning. Yes, we were. David even commented that it might be good or bad for our marriage--sharing a canoe, that is. We were going to test the waters, so to speak.

Until we showed up at Powers Outdoors in Rockford, Michigan, and we saw the solo kayaks sitting there. Suddenly, David pictured us making our way down the river side-by-side in separate kayaks. He got no complaints from me. I'm all in favor of marital harmony.

The temp in Michigan got down to a chilly 48 degrees this morning, but by the time we hit the water, I think it was about 70. And so proceeded 2 1/2 hours of alternately drifting lazily and paddling quickly to make sure we didn't hit major boulders or downed trees.

For most of the 2 1/2 hours, I followed just a bit behind David, staring at the back of his head while I pumped the paddle to catch up. I always wax sentimental when I'm near the water; I've tried to just relax and enjoy the ride, but you know me. Always digging deeper.

And so, as David led the way, I started thinking about how he's literally ahead of me age-wise for always by about  seven years. And what that might mean for our future... See what I mean, journeying down a river gets you thinking.

Until you ramp up your kayak on a bunch of rocks and get stuck in the middle of the river. Then you just think about being stuck. Instead of struggling to break free, I asked David to stop for a trail mix break.

Soon, we broke free and kept on drifting. We saw a stately blue heron twice, but she always flew away in a flash. We saw two turtles, tons of minnows, and a few too many empty beer cans. And we got just close enough to see how big swans really are!

It's hard to believe it, but we were the only voyagers on the Rogue River today, until 4 local women met up with us toward the end, leaving us in their wake. They were just paddling down to a local restaurant for lunch.

And then we banked up on the shore, very close to the well-known Rockford dam. There are only two things I would try to remember if David and I do this kayaking thing again anytime soon: sunscreen, of course; and many, many questions to ask my husband while I have his captive attention and he has nothing else to think about. Nothing like trapping your man on the water to unearth deep relational riches. Spoken like a true woman.

Cheers!