Lily paddling

The canoe has waited patiently for an outing like this.
Propped against the side of our old shed and peeking out from between raspberries and newly sprouted walnut trees, she lies marooned on land. Heavy spring rains and a busy calendar have kept us close to home, walking our own trails and watching the waters safely from shore, in anticipation of a day when we could take her for a ride—the bright red canoe borne on the shoulders of the little black car.

Yesterday, we drove east, until cornfields disappeared and every second truck we passed was laden with logs. Then, quietly we slipped her into the cool waters of Lake Hope and let her run free.



Even from across the widest part of this 120-acre lake in Zaleski State Forest, the pink water lilies can be seen on the other side—bright dots against dark water.


We paddle slowly, close to the shore. The day is warm and the cool air tumbling down from within the woods smells of pine.


Beaver live here.
And although they stay hidden, fresh gnawing on the large trees shows their activity. We pass a lodge of their clean sun-bleached sticks, but see none.



A Great Blue Heron stands motionless within the grassy edge, blending with ease, his slender silver form like that of weathered wood—and flies out to hunt further down as we approach.


We have reached the shallows, where lilies spread from shore to shore and the canoe glides easily through, just skimming the bottom.

An Eastern Kingbird is feeding back here, snatching dinner from just above the surface before resting again in dead brush.

And a family of tree swallows seems to be nesting in a box intended for ducks. They dive into the water with a splash and fly off with a juicy morsel--dinnertime entertainment as we picnic, resting in the shady woods.





On the drive home, red canoe back on top of little black car, we turned and made a second pass back to see an unusual large, brown, lifeless lump on the shoulder of the road.
While logging trucks flew past in both directions, we stood and looked at her.
She had the most luxurious coat I’ve ever seen, and a broad, flat tail.