Kip’s Comments - June 10, 2024

Something Special

To me there is something special about paddling on a quiet night like we had tonight. Whether you prefer a canoe or a kayak, it does not really matter. What seems to be special is the “quiet” that happens when paddling.

I have several boats that I could use for my evening calming sessions, but I much prefer muscle power. There are no motors, no batteries, no gas or oil, and no exhaust noise. When I paddle it is me and the water and the sound of my paddle blades slicing the surface of the river. Oh, and birds calling and a beaver slapping its tail break the evening silence. There are other sounds, but they are not “noise.” I cannot explain the attraction to being on the river, but it exists and is powerful.

Canoeing the Wapsipinicon River - Image 888526

For this picture there was the sound of the drone as it hovered in place taking a picture every two seconds. My sacrifice for this outing was aerial camera noise necessary to create an image the represented my mood. Not only do I like this picture now, but I will enjoy it in months when the river is cold or frozen and paddling is far from anyone’s plans. This image will put me in the mood.

From a visual standpoint a paddler does not see the repetitive circles on the water created by the paddle, or the expanding “V” seen only from a distance. The patterns create leading lines leading to a quiet passion… a man in his canoe, alone on the river, enjoying a setting sun.

By the way… there was quite a challenge when the photography ended to catch the drone in flight in a canoe moving with the current down the river when the drone remained hovering in place. Obviously I was successful, but it was not easy. There was no room for error.