A course I had been attending was finally done and I had my certificate in hand. You know what its like. Being done with it all. The heart is heavy and the soul weary and all one wants to do is soothe the senses. I mostly craved silence. The absolute peace of it. I yearned to be away from mindless chatter and a busy schedule. I had been thinking about circumnavigating the island for a long time and kind of talking myself out of the idea the way one does. Salt Spring island is 184 kilometers long and has 135 kilometers of shoreline, pristine and beautiful. When a friend suggested some time out together on a two night trip, I accepted. It would not be a circumnavigation but the timing was perfect for what had lately been on my mind.
Launching
from a beach, not far from where we lived, we set out. Whether it was the wine
that
disappeared on the first night, or my thoughtful silence and monosyllabic responses, she announced
without warning her dog did not have enough food and that she was heading up Fulford Harbour towards home. I was dismayed. She told me
to continue if I wished, that it would be alright
with her that I use the equipment, just to mind I took care of it. I recognized this as an
opportunity, and that a solo kayak was what I wanted more than anything. The
clear skies beckoned, we said our good byes and her parting comment rang in my
ears that I had no hatch cover or float bag. What? Mildly disturbed, I weighed in my
mind the risks and turned inward with the question. Do I keep going with the
knowledge I was handicapped? Food was also a problem. I got the inner nod. It was a go.
 |
| The decision is made. |