Kayaking

The weather was so nice today!! With the sun out, the temperature warmed up to the high 30's and there was just a little breeze instead of the gales we've been having. Taylor, Heidi and Reagan all decided it was the perfect day to go kayaking to explore the opposite side of the river. Ever since autumn, when the big fire swept across the plateaus in the west, Taylor has wanted to get a closer look at the burned area and see if he could climb all the way to the top of one those plateaus.

When the kids finished up their school, they worked together to inflate a kayak, Heidi packed them all a lunch and using the red wagon, they carted the kayak down to the river.
At that point, Taylor called me on the cell phone to tell me they were at the dock and ready to launch. I brought them gloves and hats with ear flaps because the breeze was picking up and everyone was all ready getting cold. I found that rather funny because Reagan had originally planned on wearing a bathing suit. :-) My kids always want to run through the sprinkler in April and sometimes I let them, but I told Reagan that asking to swim in the river in February is a little ridiculous!
From the Suburban,I had fun viewing them through my binoculars. I could watch Heidi and Reagan scramble up a ravine and play among the boulders. I could see Taylor crest the top of the plateau and he called to tell me that from that vantage point he could see over a 100 windmills!I also watched a blue heron sitting on a log preening its feathers until it heard the kids and clumsily flapped its wings and flew further down river. I've loved blue herons ever since CJ Strike. They may be geeky, awkward looking birds with their legs trailing behind them as they fly, but I find them fascinating.

On days like this I remember how much I love living near the river. I'm so happy the kids like to get out and explore their big backyard.