October... best time to paddle

Ah... It's finally October. The best time of year to paddle on the area lakes and rivers. The skies are turning to a deeper blue, the winds have picked up, and the temperature is at a reasonable 70 degrees. The water seems to be crystal clear, and there's a spring in my step as I load the boat onto the truck.

I think that I always look forward to paddling in October because it was late September/early October when I first started paddling in 1995. I started with a nice little boat that I could "piddlefart" around in -- a Wilderness Systems Rascal. I took that little boat everywhere. I spent most of my time in it on Town Lake and on the San Marcos River. For a wide, stable boat, it could make the turns it needed to as the river curved.

The Rascal took me to places I'd never been before to see things that I'd never seen or felt before. I explored around Red Bud Island and discovered turtles, ducks, and other wildlife. I sat in a cool spring that I found nestled in the rocks on the south shore. I saw my first nutria, and was chased by swans. I found my river guide -- the great blue heron -- on almost every journey down the river. The majestic bird would flap its wings, and show me the way.

Paddling introduced me to so many new people, so many close friends. I love being able to paddle quietly with someone, each of us in our own world, yet together. I learned to trust and depend on others, and to have them trust and depend on me. I found spirituality in being one with the water and a part of creation.

What a world paddling has opened for me.