Man, Sunday was a busy day. I’ve been wanting to take our new inflatable kayaks out for a spin, but it’s been so windy and rainy that it just hasn’t worked out. But finally, this morning, it looked like the weather would cut us a break. So I got Beth out of bed and we loaded up the truck and headed to Barr Lake.
As we arrived, the water and sky looked beautiful. Very calm and glassy. But, it took us about 30 or 45 minutes to inflate our new inflatable kayaks (this was Beth’s first time setting hers up, so it took a bit longer than it would otherwise).
Sadly, by the time we got in the water, the wind had kicked up severely and we were getting whitecaps on the lake. But we set out anyhow. Beth had a bit of trouble at first, but once we got away from the cottonwoods growing in the water near shore, it was much easier. We paddled out a ways into the lake.
Here’s a shot of Beth in her kayaking duds.
The Crocs in the foreground are mine, strapped to the top of my own kayak. The camera wasn’t too steady, due to the high winds and choppy waves, but at least we finally got our boats out on the water!
My boat took on a lot of water, and I discovered just how flexible it gets when the kayak gets cold. You see, when it gets cold from the water, the air pressure goes down, and then the kayak starts to sag in the middle. Given the waves, I had a lot of water splashing up over the saggy part, and into my lap. My lesson learned is that if I’m going to inflate it on hot asphalt, I should cool it down and then top off the pressure before going boating. I also think I’ll start packing a sponge to bail it out. Unfortunately, these aren’t self-bailers.
Anyhow, we paddled back to shore and packed up, and then headed back to Broomfield. By then, I was late for my Ultimate Frisbee game, which started at 1:00. So, I quickly changed clothes and rushed to the game, which was actually two games since we have double headers every week this season.
My team lost both games, unfortunately, but I got more than my fill of exercise. I was pooped out by the end of the 2nd game.
But when I got home, I edged and mowed the lawn. Normally, that’s just not a seriously tiring job. But on top of everything else, it really exhausted me. Fortunately, Beth made a yummy supper and I’ve been rehydrating ever since.