Summer always sneaks up on me in Cleveland. Instead of the gradual warming I grew up with, here we get a few warm days followed by winter temperatures in sequence from early April through May. The all of a sudden I wake up with the covers kicked off and hot despite the ceiling fan and realize it's summer.

Sunday was predicted to be in the 90s, and my bike is in the shop anyway, so we decided instead of our normal Sunday outing we'd opt for going to one of the local lakes (not the lake, something about the mercury content and the knowledge that when things like the blackout happen sewage empties into it steer me away from swimming in Lake Erie).

Patrick had the idea that we should rent a boat. Neither of us knows anything about boating or has ever driven a boat, so instead of one with a motor we opted for renting a canoe at Findley State Park.

It was a bit comical at the beginning - me afraid the boat would tip over any second and neither of us sure how to steer with the paddles so we kept riding into the bank and having to push off again. Eventually we figured out the basic physics of it - that I was primarily the rudder in the back and my paddle steered more than propelled, going right when on the left and vice versa, and Patrick was the propultion inthe front of the canoe. After we got the hang of it it was really fun, although we agreed that it would be more interesting in a creek or river instead of a lake, since we'd get to see more than just open water.

After canoeing in the hot sun for about an hour we turned in the boat and went to cool off in the swimming area of the lake. I still have to say that despite swimming as a child in the creek near my house natural bodies of water creep me out with the bugs and the nasty feeling sand under my toes. But it was a refreshing break and a great way to spend a summer day, completed by stopping at our local ice cream stand on the way home. |