On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 16:11:29 -0800, Melissa
wrote:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Hi Wilko,

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:29:36 +0100, you wrote:

That reminds me of paddling in complete darkness not too long ago. I
found it to be a frighthening experience, especially since it was
in a long tunnel with a couple of bends and a drop in which sound
bounced off walls and where dozens of other equally "blind" boaters
were paddling somewhere near me, sometimes with much bigger and
faster craft (three or four person canoes) than my 2 metre (6'7")
playboat.

Obviously, you lived to tell the tale. How are the other paddlers?
:-)

I also enjoy night paddling. Visibility is less of an issue in an
urban setting and/or if not in a long tunnel! I've paddled many times
at night in the Seattle area, and that can be a real pleasure.

Out here, there aren't many light sources other than the moon, so
most of my night paddling here is done under a full moon on clear
nights.

Here's a little something I wrote a couple years ago after waking up
in the middle of the night and going for a full moon paddle:

============================
Sings My Heart

dark purple sea
dreams in the light
of magic and moon
watersprite, awake!
it's time to dance

give me your hand
i'll take you where
gravity floats
and light sings her song
of uncharted depth

sings my heart
this silent song
sings my spirit
these waves of joy
give me your wonder
it's time to float

i recognize this
my waterborne life
this undeserved gift
this dance of tides

bring me ever home
my sea of moonlit dreaming
==============================

I used to explore caves. One of the most terrifying things I can imagine
would be to be kayaking in a cave down a rushing underground river when the
passage and river keep on going but the airspace doesn't. This, of course,
takes place in the dark, cold underground, your light having gone out long
ago. Paddling upstream I could handle, downstream is something I'd rather
avoid. In a non-overhead environment I could see how it could be quite
attractive, however.

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Guns don't kill people, religions do