No Rest

Why would I want to rest? It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining and it wasn't too hot, so of course, we're going to kayak!

Fox came over pretty early. They just got new cars and he wanted to learn about the Thule rack system that we use to carry our kayaks. He helped us load and get ready and off we went. First, we stopped by the office to renew our park use pass, then it was in the water.

Putting in was a little annoying, actually. There was a couple with a young child who was busy prepping a canoe. There was a family with a power boat who didn't want to wait for the canoers (yes, I know that's not a word!) to move, and there were a ton of people fishing (everyone ignores the 'no fishing on weekends and holidays' sign). We unloaded pretty far back from the water and brought the kayaks forward. The canoers looked like they were ready to knock me to the side to get in the water. Because of their impatience, Fox and I (mom was already out) launched in a very hasty way, and had to finish putting things on and zipping things up on the water. I cut my finger on my PFD zipper pull. It bled. We were off around 1140.

We went down Mattaponi Creek with intention to stop at the first landing and walk to the observation tower for lunch. To our dismay, there was a fleet of some 15-20 canoes at our landing. We floated around for a good...maybe 20 minutes while they launched and headed back up the river. It was a class with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

We didn't really feel like walking the mile there and back to the tower, so ate lunch right at the landing. As we were there, the impatient canoeing family showed up to land and eat. We offered to help bring them in, but they didn't accept it after they said they needed it.

After lunch, we asked them to take our picture and we got back in the water and headed back to the landing. We wanted to go easy, this being our first day out in the season. Back at the dock, we were met with the canoe class. They had parked their hauling trucks right in the loading area and were getting a lesson about the health of the river at the dock. We had to bring our cars down to the water's edge to load our boats (the area that we try to keep clear for the power boaters). Then, while we were loading, the canoeing family returned. And the family with the power boat. It was a very busy landing! Well, we were all pissed off at the canoe class for not moving their vehicles out of the way for the other people who use the area. The canoeing family enlisted some help (oh, now you want it) to load at the top of the hill, and the friggin power-boater pulled his van and trailer right in the middle of everything, so we weren't going anywhere until he got out of the way. When we were done loading, we asked him to move, which he kindly complied (in a manner that suggested that he didn't realize he had blocked us in. HELLO?? Where am I going to go? In the water?????). We were glad to get out of that!

Then it was dinner, a touch of shopping, back home, wash the boats, now we're here! I need a weekend from my weekend!