Cinco de Mayo

It's the first Saturday in May and my wife and I spent the morning on the American River in our kayaks.   Not the rapids and whitewater part of the river, a calm area with two bridges.  We launched and decided to head upriver.  This is a stretch of the river we visit a couple of times a year, it is close enough that we can actually get there during the week after work.

There is always plenty of wildlife to see.  In the past we have followed beavers, herons and other birds.  This trip we saw a lot of ducks and geese.

There are several reasons to go upriver first, not the least is the fact that if we go upriver first we can then float back to the dock.  When we begin going upriver the current is really gentle and we can paddle easily.  We pass under a new bridge, at least four lanes of traffic across, the noise is deafening.  We paddle a little further and we cross under the old bridge, only two lanes of traffic and less noise.  Right next to the old bridge is the really old pedestrian bridge.  As we pass under each bridge our view of the river is framed by the bridge, closing out anything but the river, and the green hillsides rising on each side, ahead is a hillside covered with trees.

As we pass under the last bridge the river starts to narrow and the current becomes stronger.  It took us twenty minutes to paddle from the dock to the last bridge.  From the last bridge it takes us more than twenty minutes to go less than half the previous distance.  For almost ten minutes we feel like we are paddling on a treadmill, barely making any forward progress.

After almost fifteen minutes on the treadmill we reach our destination, the turnaround point.  Suspended about fifty feet above the water is a sign hanging on a wire.  "Warning, you are entering state prison secure area, TURN BACK.  VIOLATORS MAY BE SHOT, THE WARDEN".  Some days we paddle until we are exactly under the sign before we turn around and ride the current back to the dock.  Other days, like today, we get to the point that we can see the sign and call it a good trip and head back.

Besides getting some exercise and enjoying nature we use the time on the river for another benefit.  All along both banks of the river are blackberry bushes.  We have learned to bring bags with us and we stop along the banks and pick ripe berries.  Unfortunately, we found out the first of May is to early for blackberries this year.  Still, even without the berries, a morning on the river is almost as good as it gets.

Then we floated and paddled back to the dock and pulled the kayaks out of the water.  A successful trip, no one went in the water, no boat got stuck on rocks, bushes or anything else.  Just a pleasant, mostly quiet morning on the river enjoying nature and each other's company.  Now we have to return to reality and think about getting a few things done.

What did any of this have to do with cinco de mayo, I don't know, it was the fifth of May and everywhere I looked stores, restaurants and everything else had signs that said cinco de mayo.