Wistful Longings

I entered my happy place yesterday. Asherel was off to her riding lesson, hubby off hitting golf balls, so I loaded my kayak in the van and followed the siren call of the Catawba River, the herons, the Osprey and the turtles: "Come Vicky, come! The peace of God settles upon the waters! Come feel His presence!"

It was my first trip kayaking this season. I unloaded my little boat, the lightweight, wonderful boat my dear Dad bought me at the end of last season. I carried it to the water, and glanced up to see a heron mama settle in her nest. Soon I will see little herons stretch their snaky necks to the sky, high above the water where the kayaks glide.

I paddled upstream so that when I grew tired, I could turn back and float with the current. Turtles watched me slip by, oars dripping water on my thighs. It was my first time out this season, and i knew I should turn around after half an hour. If I didn't, I would get blisters, sore wrists, and painful muscles that would scream at me all night. But who can turn around when the blue sky beckons, the trees wrap gentle fingers around puffy clouds, and turtles line the shores?

Finally, I turned reluctantly back....and the stiff breeze that I hadn't known was at my back was now at my face. OOps.

No wonder it had been so painless, so euphoric, so fun.

I returned to the dock at a much slower pace than I had left it. I knew I would be sore the next day. But it was so worth it.

As I tugged the kayak back to my van, an elderly couple sat in a car next to the van and hailed me.
"Do you need help?" they asked.
"Thank you, no," I answered, "My dad bought me this boat because it was light enough for me to handle on my own."
They nodded.
"Are you just watching the river?" I asked.
"Yes," they said, "It is so peaceful. That looks mighty fun, what you are doing."
"It was glorious," I acceded.
With a look of longing on their wrinkled faces, they asked, "Where did you get your kayak, if you don't mind us asking?"
I told them, and I didn't mind them asking at all. I only minded that I could not take their aging bodies, plop them on my kayak and shove them out onto the river where the heron mamas kept vigil in their nests, high above the water.

Psalm 148:12-13 (NIV)
young men and women, old men and children. [13] Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

PS- Personal plea- My 15 year old homeschooled daughter, Asherel Kaseorg needs your votes to win the congressional art contest. To vote, click on the picture and then like it when you are redirected to the site. It takes 2 seconds and would help her so much! We would appreciate you sharing it, but please copy this blurb to accompany sharing the link. Very Important: If you just "like" the post, it isn't a vote. You have to click on the picture, and "like" it at the Pittenger Art Contest site. (She has lost quite a few votes because people don't get that.)Thank you in advance. You can vote until April 17. She needs to be in the top 5 to make the finals. This is completely hand drawn- no copy, trace, projector, computer assist- it took her months.
The link to her picture is:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=442774002471926&set=pb.376142742468386.-2207520000.1365426928&type=3&theater


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