Paddle Report

Letting Life Pass You By......

I woke naturally at 7.03am. The sun was bleeding through the curtains and the birds were singing. It appeared to be a beautiful day outside, a perfect morning for a paddle. Instead I fell into deep thought, planning the future of the shop and upcoming events. There is so much to do, to achieve to get my business running just how I want it.
A bird's shrill, jolted me from my thoughts, I really should jump out of bed and go paddling, but instead I fell back into thought.

I felt guilty lying there, I knew I should be out there experiencing the river environment and getting some exercise. Yesterday the river was full of magical moments. First there were many tiny ducklings scampering around at several places on the river. The first two families were Chestnut Breasted Shelduck. I found the colourful parents shadowing several beautiful fluffy ducklings. Behind them a few moulting feathers skimmed across the water with the breeze. What a magnificent sight!
Further on a family of wood ducks, brown head freckly chest, were grazing on the bank. The seven chicks, which were a little older and bigger than the Shelduck, foraged amongst the grassy slopes. These freckly bundles of feathers had more confidence than the younger chicks, and were less vulnerable to the dangers around them.

Not far along there was a musk duck, a blackish brown duck with an unusual large leathery flap under its bill. It's not terribly common along this part of the river so it was exciting to see it. As I approached, it duck dived and surfaced some moments later. I paddled on thinking about its strange appearance, and the sight of young ducklings all of these are great spirit lifters.
Near Point Reserve three cormorants perched on old wooden stakes imitating the stance of Karate Kid. They pooed in the water but stood their ground as I past.
My 30 minute paddle finished just as a pelican landed nearby like the 'Concorde'.
It is now 7.15am, I continue to lie in bed and my chance to paddle has now been lost. My guilt eats into me, but I respond by telling myself that I have no reasons to paddle this morning apart from keeping fit and keeping my weight down.

The river had beckoned, but instead I chose slumber and missed the wondrous life on the river. I had let life pass me by and I now won't be able to settle into the day knowing it.
I know I shouldn't let life pass me by, it's just too short.

Terry Bolland