We bought a kayak recently, and someone from Mr. FG’s work let us pick up his extra kayak so that we’d have two.
Mr. FG and and I took them down to the river in our neighborhood and hopped in the water.
(Neither of us had kayaked before, although I logged many hours of canoe camping with my family in my teens. So I expected this to be pretty easy.)
We paddled out and Mr. FG was doing great, but I had serious trouble with my kayak going in circles.
![kayak on a shady river](https://kristenprompted.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/lgJC8GOHQicMzHh5AQ5mw-768x1024.jpg)
I kept trying to correct the direction, and then my kayak got overcorrected in the other direction, and around I went.
After a very circular trek (for me!) up the river, we headed back to the dock and switched kayaks.
![Mr. FG in orange kayak](https://kristenprompted.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_7472-1024x807.jpeg)
Well, we discovered that the issue was not my inferior paddling, because after Mr. FG stuffed himself into the other kayak (it has a very small opening), he started going in circles too.
And when I looked back and saw him all scrunched in the kayak, knees sticking up, repeatedly going in circles, I could not stop laughing.
Luckily he had a much less crabby attitude about going in circles than I did. 😉
It turns out that the borrowed kayak is really meant for whitewater kayaking, not paddling on a quiet river that’s more like a lake.
So, Mr. FG is shopping for a second non-whitewater kayak.
And that will make our outings much easier, if less hilarious.
My mother-in-law’s suggestion that I throw a bucket of ice water on the snake that struck at me in our chicken coop. She meant well–the idea, I suppose, is that the ice water would make the snake torpid and easier to handle–so I didn’t laugh at her, but later when I was relating this to my husband I had to break down. I mean, THROW ICE WATER ON A SNAKE? In an enclosed space? You first.
Oooh, I would be loathe to throw ice water on a snake as well!
Ask the snake to just wait, while you run to the house, wash your hands, get a big container, dispense your cubes or get them out of your ice cube trays, add water, run back… sounds like I Love Lucy or something…
I know, right? One of the more ridiculous things I had ever heard. Albeit hilarious in its ridiculousness.
Kristin: I wouldn’t return to the chicken coop even though I LOVE fresh eggs! 🙂
Kristen: Your neighborhood, with that cool water to play in, is gorgeous.
How wonderful for you to be so close to water! Can you swim in it also?