Risking Living

We were dismayed to discover there is no free lunch. Not even free snacks. Our beloved docking place on the Catawba river to launch our kayaks was sold, and the new evil Capitalist owner feels the need to charge us for the privilege of using his land. My good looks and new spf 50 bathing suit did nothing to change his mind. I even tried quoting scripture about loving thy neighbor. No good. He insists on making a living.

So we had no choice but to find alternatives. I scoured the internet for public docking/swimming sites on nearby Lake Wylie. Due to concerns over liability, Lake Wylie had closed their one public beach many years ago. As yet, they have not reopened any. And while I will kayak joyfully with no need to hop in the water to cool off, my sidekick insists that half the fun of kayaking is finding swimming holes. I found private beaches that have kayak launch sites and a minimal yearly parking fee. In between Matt's summer spree of doctor visits, I dashed off to Lake Wylie with Asherel to check the beach out and decide if it was worth the fee. As soon as we pulled in to the parking lot, I knew we had found Nirvana. It was a shady sandy beach area, with the kayak launch right there. And to seal the deal, sitting on a nearby dock was a great blue Heron. I love Great Blue Herons, and always feel God sends them to remind me of His presence. They remind me of God- elusive, rarely seen, usually only glimpsed in peripheral vision, but magnificent. We hurried to pay the parking fee for the year and raced home for doc appt. # 3,007 .

Later, I did a little research on our new kayaking site. I discovered some interesting facts about Lake Wylie. It has monsters. There are sightings of alligators in it. 3 juvenile alligators were caught on video near a popular swimming spot. I clicked on the video. The popular swimming spot looked eerily like the beach we had just visited and plunked down money to be allowed to swim there. In fact, the camera panned over a nearby dock, a dock that looked eerily like the one where the symbol of God, the Great Blue Heron had perched.

Kayakers and swimmers have swum those beaches and kayaked those waters for years, and there is not one report of an aggressive alligator, or alligator incident. They are probably pets that were released when they got too big, and the experts say that alligators can't breed in Lake Wylie- too cold they claim. Still, I must admit, this news gives me pause. For someone who broke her toe just walking the dog around the block, and gives new meaning to "accident prone", I am just not nuts about paddling around with Leviathan.

It seems inevitable that in every endeavor there seems to be risk. Sharks in oceans, lightning in the sky, meteors hurtling from outer space, cars swerving, pollution filling lungs, food clogging arteries....As soon as my eyes open, the day is spotted with land mines. I could certainly be justified in living each breath in fear.....

But I think maybe the heron perched on the dock was to remind me of something. God is there, always there. In the midst of dangers and trials, there is beauty and wonder and joy. To live in complete safety is impossible and to live in fear is miserable. To find the fullness of life, and the wonder of all God's creation, one must risk living. But just in case, I googled "alligator deterrents". The best advice: "don't fly to Florida and if you do, don't get off the plane. There are no documented evidence of alligator attacks on airplanes."

Psalm 3:5-7 (New International Version)

⁵ I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

⁶ I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

⁷ Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

Dangerous Activities

Unfortunately, Asherel is insisting we snowboard, so I am still looking for dates to do so, but in the meantime, I have developed a new malady from the even more death-defying activity....Canis Ambulavi - dog walking. Walking one dog is dangerous enough, but walking two dogs is something a beginner should never attempt without lessons, helmets, and pads.

Dog walking requires skills that tap every aspect of an athlete's physical prowess. Concentration and mental acuity must be intense, as at any moment hazards such as squirrels may cross in front of the athlete. The athlete must prepare for the inevitable sudden bone snapping lunge of the leash. Ear plugs are an absolute must in this sport as the decibel level of the eruption of barking has been known to topple skyscrapers.

It is highly advised that the athlete engage in rigorous weight training as the stress to the joints can be extreme. While the well documented effects of "squirrel passing" has been noted, this is not nearly as exhilarating as the "dog passing nearby" challenge. In this challenge of the sport, dogs seen in the distance while engaging in Canis Ambulavi can invoke the g-forces equal to astronauts leaving earth's orbit as the dog snaps forward. There have been reported cases of arms being completely detached from the body in these instances.

Some of the constant athletic requirements implicit in this sport include, but are not limited to: dexterity in untangling leashes from legs and paws, regaining balance as dog trods on heel and trips athlete sometimes purposefully (fouls are rarely called), and sudden unexpected stops as the dog has an uncontrollable urge to pee every 20 feet or so. There is considerable discussion currently of making dog-walking an Olympic Sport, to be sharing broadcast time with Curling.

So, anyway, the malady I have developed which is not uncommon with athletes of my caliber in this demanding sport is "anconagra". This is latin for "pain in the elbow" and the term in the vernacular is "dog-walker's elbow." I am now eager to try my hand at snowboarding, as Canis Ambulari seems to be fraught with too much danger and likelihood of injury.

Ecclesiastes 12:5
when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets...