The weekend. I had an epic day, kayaking on the Huron River,
yesterday. A total first, of sorts, for me this year. For one thing, it was a
beautiful, even though; it was predicted to thunderstorm early and late, Saturday.
It didn’t happen. Yes, it was warm but it was cooler on the water. Just about
blue skies for the rest of the day I was on the water.
On the other hand, the epic part…I flipped my kayak. That is
the first time that has ever happened since I’ve owned a kayak and before.
There were a series of cascades, if I remember correctly, five, cascades along
the river, very fast moving. You just needed to lean back and put your paddle over
your head and ride out the fast moving current.
What was kind of troubling, the waters, along the way, were
filled with Tubers, especially kids in tubes and they really were in the way,
most of the times and you hated to run in to one of them. So, you kind of had
to go around a couple of time until they went down. And of course, other
kayakers and folks in those tandem kayaks who thought they had the right of
way, even if you were in the way.
On the very last cascade, some woman, I had to reckon, was
inexperienced, decided to just rush past me, as I was a few meters from the
mouth of the cascade. Of course, I couldn’t stop or I would have gone in
sideways and probably flipped anyway. As she went over, and the last one was
the steepest, she managed to turn right, I had no choice but to go left.
As I leaned, (bad move) to my left I hit a bunch of rocks
and flipped. I came out of the kayak and was pushed a couple meters further
out. The water was about a meter and a half deep and I was totally under my
kayak. I opened my eyes, looking up through the greenish water and noticed that
my gear was still in the kayak, considering it was upside down.
I managed to stand up…I heard someone calling my name and
then saying, “Come to me”. But, I was in a mild panic, more kayaker were
zooming past me as I pushed my way towards a rocky incline. I finally sat down and
surveyed my circumstance. I have carried a Kayak pump with me, ever since I
purchased my kayak, six years prior, and started to pump the water out. Five
minutes later, 99% of the water was out.
I had placed my camera on the deck of my kayak, because it
was pressed between my body and my lifejacket, but it was still soaked. When I
finished pumping, I couldn’t find my camera. About 20 centimeters under the
water was my camera. I knew it was dead! I had taken some 45 pictures on it and
the pictures were stored on a card. I knew they would be okay, but the camera
was another thing.
Someone gave me that 3rd generation camera, a
couple of years ago, right after I had dropped my first generation camera in to
a bucket of water. I still have that shell of a camera, but it has never worked
again. Anyway, I also noticed that the
plastic, Zip-loc bag, was slightly opened. In the bag was my old cell phone,
which I only use to take pictures and a brand new 10,000 mAh battery. They too
were soaked.
What made that so bad, the old camera, cell phone, which was
a rugged camera and waterproof, was missing the tabs that kept the water out.
It too was dead. It too had the remaining, “action” pictures on it, plus,
hundreds of other pictures, (of course backed-up). But, these pictures couldn’t
be backed-up because, I would need a Wi-Fi source, to which none was available
at the time. Lost pictures?
When I got home, I put all three of my devices in a
large plastic bag filled with rice. I hope that works. I read that takes about
24 to 36 hours to find out. Eight more hours to go.
Anyway, I wasn’t the worse for wear. I did manage to scrape
my shin; I now have a two centimeter scar. My only fear, though, Flesh-eating
bacteria! Everything in the world, (from what I hear on the news and from FB)
scares me…a lot! So far, nothing is eating me from the outside, though, I have
a strange red spot on my hand. And, I did get a mouthful of water and my sinuses
are still feeling funny, not laughable funny, but strange funny. I guess I gotta wait and see.
Other then all of that, I still had a great and wonderful
day on the river. I'm going out next week with another group to a local river that
I heard has finally been cleaned up!
I did manage to put a small, outdoors, waterproof camera in
my wish list on Amazon. It really isn’t in my budget right now…I have to get
some new biking gloves and a couple tires from my bike, first.
As for me, I’ve
figured out that if round is a shape, I am in shape! Tell that to my back, as
it stiffened up as I got out of bed this morning! The Motrin has helped a
little, though…and this coffee did wonders too!
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