We celebrated Jon's birthday with a successful* canoe trip down the Huron River. The weather was sunny and crisp and we got to see lots of trees starting to change color. It was a fabulous afternoon.
We shared the river with a few different sets of swans that came surprisingly close to our canoe. Jon is quite the animal lover and was practicing his bird calls (the birds were not impressed!).
The sky was so beautiful that day!
*I made the same canoe trip about 15 years ago with my friend, Laura. Let's just say that we had an awful time. I would say that it was all her fault for not paddling the right way, and I'm pretty sure that she would say the same about me! Ever since that trip, we have decided that canoeing was not a good partner activity for us.
What a great birthday trip! I grew up around you somewhere. I stumbled across your blog one day through looking at pictures of your quilts. That dam looks awfully familiar, but I am sure there are many dams on the Huron River. In the summer my mom and I would get ice cream at Dairy Queen and walk down to the river and what the animals and eat our ice cream. The pictures reminded me of that. Thanks for sharing them and happy birthday, Jon! =]
Posted by: Adrienne | 23 October 2009 at 09:18 AM
Fun! Happy Birthday to Jon! That paddling can be quite a treacherous thing - hubby and I had a double kayak in Florida and our paddling was not in sync. Yes, we went over into the crocodile infested waters. We don't say it out loud - but both of us blame the other's terrible paddling skills. lol
Posted by: MichelleB | 23 October 2009 at 09:59 AM
what a great day you had!! happy birthday to Jon!!!
Posted by: RosaMaría | 23 October 2009 at 11:01 AM
happy birthday jon! what a fun way to celebrate!
Posted by: montague | 23 October 2009 at 02:33 PM
I happily acknowledge that I paddle willy nilly and Risto corrects the path we take.
What a gorgeous day!!
Posted by: Natalie | 23 October 2009 at 02:41 PM
That's too funny about you and your friend not paddling in the same direction. This is why we have significant others who mesh well with us so we have paddling buddies! My husband and I have a double kayak, but we haven't been out since before I had our son. Your photos are beautiful and really make me want to get back out there! Hope Jon had a great birthday!!
Posted by: Stephanie | 23 October 2009 at 09:36 PM
Looks like a perfect day to me. Happy Birthday John!
Posted by: Allie | 23 October 2009 at 10:17 PM
That is hilarious! I went on this all women canoe and camping trip this summer and it was probably the last time I will canoe for a quite some time. It is not much fun to flip into 50 degree water about an hour into a 6-hour trip, just before freezing cold rain and grey skies. Canoe trips:: friend makers :: friend breakers.
Posted by: erica | 24 October 2009 at 01:20 AM
looks like a perfect day!
Posted by: CMV | 24 October 2009 at 09:22 AM
i'd be afraid to take my camera on a canoe trip like that. it looks like you had a beautiful time!
Posted by: amandajean | 24 October 2009 at 01:04 PM
I had a similar trip with a bunch of my friends only it was in the white water rapids...let's just say they had to use the safety rope on us and they hadn't used it in 20 years! We don't raft anymore. I'm glad you and Jon and a great time-it was a beautiful day!
Posted by: jessica | 25 October 2009 at 06:02 PM
That sounds like a lovely time. I went canoeing in Florida once and it was quite a workout. Especially since my friend barely paddled and I was the one doing all the work in the front.
Posted by: Oiyi | 27 October 2009 at 07:39 PM