Nice weather.
Day 1 of 2 of kayaking and canoeing for the first time ever at 54 - actually slightly nearer to 55. Never even had a wet suit on before. Almost drowned in the first five minutes and had to be rescued. A 60 something wag on the bank roared. After that I somehow managed not to capsize. The others said that they had no prior experience but then the canoe holiday in Canada emerged from two (late thirties/early forties) and some seriously active stuff if mainly on dry land from a girl barely into her twenties (mountain biking) etc. I was the oldest and the least adept but wasn't as awful as I anticipated. A couple of them were kind enough to say I did fine. "Well, you did travel entirely on your own across three quarters of the water".
This is an entirely different world in which (a) the trainers are at most in their mid twenties and have been doing such things regularly since six (thirteen competitively) and (b) on the internet there are many in their late 60s and 70s (mainly American) regretting how they can't always handle the vessels quite like they did fifty years ago. Like they should worry!
It is also a scene. Family bbbqs on the terrace (Quorn sausages), lots of kids - many cultures excited about the prospect of taking up various sports and, in fact, it is partially with a view to light supervision that their parents are putting themselves through the courses. I also felt that there was something distinctly herbal on the breezes but perhaps it was imagination.
Everyone was pleasant. We were asked at the outset why we were there. I made it quite clear that other than walking I had never been especially active. I just woke up one day last week and felt it had to be done. Cue some laughter. It is harder work than I thought it would be. Quite physical over four hours and the second four hours will be tomorrow. After that, there may be nothing more at all. The old romantic in me knew the best bit. While in the two person canoe, the sun fell on to the lake and surrounding trees and made it almost into "On Golden Pond". When I'm not "audio", I'm visual. I feel that I have missed out by not being more on the go but I'm also glad to have had appreciation for nature and, of course, art.
Signed - your roving correspondent!
Day 1 of 2 of kayaking and canoeing for the first time ever at 54 - actually slightly nearer to 55. Never even had a wet suit on before. Almost drowned in the first five minutes and had to be rescued. A 60 something wag on the bank roared. After that I somehow managed not to capsize. The others said that they had no prior experience but then the canoe holiday in Canada emerged from two (late thirties/early forties) and some seriously active stuff if mainly on dry land from a girl barely into her twenties (mountain biking) etc. I was the oldest and the least adept but wasn't as awful as I anticipated. A couple of them were kind enough to say I did fine. "Well, you did travel entirely on your own across three quarters of the water".
This is an entirely different world in which (a) the trainers are at most in their mid twenties and have been doing such things regularly since six (thirteen competitively) and (b) on the internet there are many in their late 60s and 70s (mainly American) regretting how they can't always handle the vessels quite like they did fifty years ago. Like they should worry!
It is also a scene. Family bbbqs on the terrace (Quorn sausages), lots of kids - many cultures excited about the prospect of taking up various sports and, in fact, it is partially with a view to light supervision that their parents are putting themselves through the courses. I also felt that there was something distinctly herbal on the breezes but perhaps it was imagination.
Everyone was pleasant. We were asked at the outset why we were there. I made it quite clear that other than walking I had never been especially active. I just woke up one day last week and felt it had to be done. Cue some laughter. It is harder work than I thought it would be. Quite physical over four hours and the second four hours will be tomorrow. After that, there may be nothing more at all. The old romantic in me knew the best bit. While in the two person canoe, the sun fell on to the lake and surrounding trees and made it almost into "On Golden Pond". When I'm not "audio", I'm visual. I feel that I have missed out by not being more on the go but I'm also glad to have had appreciation for nature and, of course, art.
Signed - your roving correspondent!
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