First, the day was a true gift, sunny and warm enough for me to skip wearing gloves ... enough maneuvering required to keep us paying attention, but no trees down after the recent winds.
However, I do need to report several transgressions. Although for reasons deemed valid, I ARRIVED LATE at the put-in, and further, my STERN LINE TRAILED briefly. Nancy Briggs' footgear consisted solely of DRESS CROCS. Roseanne's concentration lapsed as she executed a LESS THAN PERFECT SEAL LAUNCH. Sara brought her new camera with NO SD CARD. Bob admitted that in at least one case, he has been TOO HASTY SHEDDING GEAR, and fessed up that the neoprene boots he once sold me, which I gave back, were useful after all. Plus, albeit intentional, he had NO STERN LINE. As for Maxi ... well, can PERFECTION be faulted?
Jocelyn
A few extra comments from Sara, the Trip Leader:
It was truly a purr-fect afternoon, socializing with everyone as we paddled, enjoying a few extra chances to show off our paddling skills, as we worked our way around the many stumps, logs, rocks & gravel, removing layers as it warmed up even more. We followed a huge blue heron downstream for awhile, and were sorry to leave the river & our small group, when we got to the take-out at Indian Hill. There were no "unplanned" or "unauthorized" swims, though Nancy, the newcomer, got a wet butt since she didn't have a kayak skirt, but had lots of fun surfing through the riffles. Without question, Hugo's Bichon, Max, had the most fun, sniffing all of the scents along the river, standing on the bow, watching all the scenery, with no worries or responsibilities!
Jocelyn & Max in her Sandpiper