My Tin Communion

This morning Susan, my wife, called me to look at a boat moving slowly and steadily down the lake.  I pulled out the telescope and realized it was an aluminum canoe being paddled by one person.  I think the paddler had reversed the canoe and was sitting on the bow seat, for better balance.  As the light caught the hull it made a wonderful image, and I grabbed my camera.  I caught the shot below as he flipped his paddle.

Early morning paddling has been a staple for me for many years.  I keep an old Grumman ‘tin’ canoe for the purpose, and like today’s paddler, I reverse the hull and sit on the bow seat.

There is something nearly magical about canoeing in light air, early in the morning or late in the evening.  I seldom have a destination.  By just being on the water, feeling the light breeze, listening to the sounds of water, birds and animals, moving slightly to balance, propel, direct the canoe, I feel at one with nature and clear my mind.

Sand Lake, on the Rideau Canal Elgin, Ontario