By Daris Howard
It was family reunion time, and my brother brought his two canoes. That is one thing our family always looks forward to. My littlest girls even decided they wanted to make the trip down the river. There were a lot of family members that wanted to go, and it would be a while before it was our turn.
I helped do the driving back and forth along the river for the first run. My wife, Donna, and my two little girls, five-year-old Elliana and seven-year-old Heather, rode along. Patience is not a virtue that graces youth, and their excitement drove them to a million questions. They asked again and again how long the first group would be and when it would be their turn.
The canoes on the first run finally came into view around the bend in the river, and, seeing us waiting, those inside paddled hard to be the first there. It wasn’t long before the canoes were again loaded on the trailer, and we were driving back up the river. Heather and Elliana talked incessantly as their excitement grew with every mile.
Donna, Heather, Elliana, and my nephew, John, loaded into one of the canoes with me. There were paddles for Donna, John, and myself, with a miniature paddle for the little girls. They, of course, both wanted it, and we had to work out a schedule so they could switch off.
Both canoes launched out at the same time, and we were finally heading down the river. Donna was at front, I was steering at back, and John was in the center. Though the other canoe had only teenagers and adults, we were soon off to a comfortable lead. It really wasn’t a race, but as many things in life seem to be, if there is any opportunity for competition, it soon becomes one.
We were probably fifty yards ahead when we came to the first island. The water ran on both sides, and we chose to go to the right while they chose the left. We had quit paddling and were enjoying the view. A beautiful blue heron flew over, while little swallows swooped low across the water, skimming for insects.
We were so busy watching that we didn’t see the rock directly ahead of us. We hit it hard, and the current twisted us up and sideways, then flipped the canoe over. The twist had thrown me to the downstream end. Though the water wasn’t deep, about two to three feet, it was swift, and the bottom of the river was covered with slippery rocks. It was hard to get footing.
Elliana and Heather screamed. Even though the life jackets held them safely out of the water, the instant chill was a shock and frightened them. I pulled them both into my arms and grabbed at what paddles I could reach. Between myself, John, and Donna, we were able to get all of the paddles except the smallest one. I had to allow it to float by in order to keep my little girls safe.
I carried them and helped drag the canoe to the sand bar on the island. I handed off the girls to Donna, and John and I tipped the water out of the canoe and put it back into the water. Elliana and Heather weren’t sure they wanted to get back in, but with a little reassurance, and a reminder that there was no other way out of the river, they were soon seated in the bottom.
We were now a long ways behind the other canoe, and though they were aware of our mishap, they seemed unconcerned. We paddled at a good pace to catch up some of the distance, but still took time to enjoy the trip. We watched as a hawk dove toward the water, though he came up empty on his fishing attempt. We looked at the beautiful homes that lined the banks. We smelled the mint that grew abundantly along the shore. We listened to the sand hill cranes that called proudly from the pastures not far from shore. We spent quite a bit of time pointing out the beauties of the world around us to each other, and especially to Elliana and Heather.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip. As we neared the end, we put on a burst of speed to cut the last of the distance between our canoes, arriving at almost the same time.
As we stepped out of the canoe, my brother asked Heather how she enjoyed the ride. The only part she told him about was getting tipped into the water. Then, putting her hands on her hips, she said, “It was definitely the worst day of my life! I just hope that someday I can look back on this and laugh.”
