Re: [Paddlewise] New Years Paddle

Hi Paul,

Tuesday, January 1, 2008, 7:44:27 PM, you wrote:

> I also was out today for the first paddle of the year. I took out a
> couple of young newbies from work and met 5 other 'yakers paddling
> up the Sammamish Slough from Kenmore.

Wow! It's been so many years since I've seen the Sammamish Slough!
During high school, my friends and I loved to canoe on the slough. I
remember, almost fondly, the severe sunburn I got the last time we did
that on a hot summer day!  Thanks for the memories! :-)

> I spotted a small home built styrofoam boat caught in the brush and
> pulled it out of the water. It was funny looking with nearly spent
> candles on its decks and duct tape to keep it all together. I pulled
> it out and we had a good laugh before we noticed that there were
> hand written notes inside. They were written by perhaps several
> children - a farewell to their father. Really heartbreaking stuff
> especially considering that they must have been written during the
> Christmas season. I rolled up the notes and put them back in the
> boat and got it out into the current, past the brush and back on its
> way down stream.

Interesting, and yes, a heartbreaking discovery. I'm glad you sent the
boat back on its way.

I once found a message in a bottle, half buried in the sand. When I
opened it and read the message, it too, contained a heartbreaking
story. I also realized that the bottle was just launched the day
before, most likely from the very beach where I found it. Apparently,
it just washed right back to shore after it was thrown. I resealed it
and paddled it offshore a few miles, then re-launched it, thinking
that the sender would have wanted it to travel a bit more.

-- 
Melissa
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