Saturday, June 02, 2007

My Perfume? It's Lake Water




Chad and I went kayaking by moonlight on Town Lake last night. We both loved it. The scenery was beautiful along the tree-lined banks with the city skyline to the east and the huge, stunning homes of Westlake to the southwest. We journeyed from the rowing docks on Stratford to Red Bud Island, pausing for a lecture on the history of Austin lakes and dams and the moonlight towers before rowing back. As we got further away from the MoPac bridge with its traffic noise, the night was quiet with a nice breeze that made a few waves on the lake.

I'm signing up for next month's moonlight cruise too. Come with us! Sign up through UT Informal Classes.

Here's the course description from the Active Life category:
"Moonlight Kayak Trip on Town Lake -- Experience Town Lake like you haven't before: by the light of the full moon. Our guides will take revelers on a journey in hopes of seeing all kinds of wild night life and moon beams dancing on natural springs. You will feel a million miles away from Austin's hustle and bustle as you take pleasure in Town Lake at its most mysterious, by the light of the silvery moon. Our trip will be at a relaxed pace so both beginner and advanced paddlers alike will enjoy it. Show up 15 minutes early for a quick kayak lesson by Rowing Dock instructors."

It's appropriate that I would be out on the lake last night. My grandfather (Dad's dad) passed away yesterday morning. He was 94, so I have a real peace that it was his time to go. Grandpa Regan lived on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana. I learned to water ski and slalom with him on that lake. I loved going out in the boat. I was terrified of the snapping turtles and water moccasin snakes that I saw on many occasions, but braved the waters anyway. That's kind of like life. There's some scary stuff out there, but you brave it anyway and have some great experiences.