Sustainability is the key to all facets of life...whether it be farming and gardening, camping and kayaking, or simply living on this planet from day to day.

Campers, hikers, and lovers of the outdoors have been doing it for years. We call it 'leave no trace' ~ leaving things nicer than we found them ~ in essence, the very same philosophy that we learned as little children but, which sadly, for many has fallen by the wayside as life just keeps getting busier and busier and as the world keeps moving faster and faster.

Slow down for a moment and sit a spell in the rocker on the front porch as I do my best to return my own life to those simpler times.

Enjoy your visit, come back as often as you like, and feel free to bring a friend every now and again~

MarySue

"We never really grow up, we just learn how to act in public." ~Bryan White















Monday, October 10, 2011

Lessons learned from my Columbus Day Camping/Paddling Trip: Lesson #1

I just returned from a wonderful camping and kayaking weekend with a great group of people.  Some were folks who were already friends, some prior acquaintances, and some were new faces.  All were nice. 

We spent the weekend exploring Cobham Bay on the James River by kayak. 

Three major points came to me this weekend.  This post will be the first of them. 

Lesson One: Never forget to savor the beauty and splendor right in your own back yard. 

I have learned over the years to 'live like a tourist'...and I am so glad that I do!

When I moved to Maryland, and now here in Virginia, I find that I am exploring and 'discovering' (couldn't resist -- it is actually Columbus Day today, after all) places and things that my friends who have lived here their whole lives have never taken the time to explore.

Cobham Bay, for instance.  What a beautiful and diverse little place.  We paddled a total of just over 30 miles this weekend -- most of it in the same area because there was just so much to see and to explore.  We did a 7.5 mile creek paddle on Saturday afternoon.  It was nothing strenuous -- just pretty and peaceful.

Lower Chippokes Creek













Serenity


After that, we took a little break to eat our supper before a few of us headed out for an absolutely breathtaking sunset/moonlight paddle.  It was another 7.8 miles of easy paddling.  It was so peaceful and so beautiful and, although I was only a little more than an hour from home, I felt so very far away. 

I felt like I was on a vacation far, far from home.
 
 
Thanks to my friend, JJ, for taking this photo of me paddling into the sunset.  It is one of my favorites!
 
The perfect end to a perfect day!

















After the paddle, we returned to the campsite to visit with our friends around the campfire before retiring to our tents.  It was a perfect day!

On Sunday morning, we woke up and paddled just under 14 miles, exploring the rest of Cobham Bay before heading home. On Sunday, we saw lots of  interesting things. 

Beautifully eroded sand bluffs...











...and fossils
...and cypress swamps.

...and even the not so pretty (nor photo worthy) Surry Nuclear Plant.




I liked the sunsets and the sand and the cypress trees better than the nuke plant.



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2 comments:

  1. mybloomnartOctober 10, 2011 at 9:40 PM

    wow! beautiful photos Mary. Especially the one showing a setting/rising sun with the tip of your kayak showing...so pretty.

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  2. MarySueOctober 10, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    Thanks, Sherri...it was so peaceful out there. Truly hard to believe that I was only a little over an hour from home. Life is good! It looks like you had a great vacation....and lots of great things to come home to!

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