How to spend some family time together while Scott is home? Get out the canoe and the double kayak and take a river trip! Saturday proved to be perfect weather: warm but not too hot with low humidity. Waited until about noon then got the boys up (shades of their youth!) and got everything loaded up and were on the road by 2ish.
Still had not figured out where to go. I had suggested the Rogue, admittedly because there are seven caches on islands. That pretty much ruled it out until nobody could come up with anything better, plus the canoeing book said it was good canoeing. So we started about 3 miles or so above Rockford with the plan to go all the way down to the Grand.
We dropped Eric's car off at the parking area by the Grand, then went up to Rockford to check out the dam. Yep, Steve, there is a dam there even though it wasn't shown in the canoeing book. Don't believe me. I digress. Anyway, determined we could portage so went on to the put in point, 12 mile and Grange. Got everything off loaded, got Max's little life jacket on him, and off we went. Eric and Scott were in the canoe, and Steve and I were in the double kayak with Max in front of Steve. A beautiful afternoon to be out on the river, though it was a bit more shallow than we'd anticipated. So shallow in parts, that one or the other of the boys probably dragged us in the kayak over about a dozen sandbars or other obstacles. Thanks boys!
Took us about 3 hours to go the distance to Rockford. About 20 minutes before we arrived, we saw an orange construction barrel submerged in the middle of the river. Now Steve has this thing about orange barrels so as a joke I called to the boys, "You should get that for Dad!" They took me seriously because not too long thereafter, they caught up to us and, sure enough, they had the barrel sitting in the middle of the canoe! It clearly said City of Rockford on it so they decided to leave it at the dam. Their CITO for the day, I guess.
It was sixish by the time we were almost to Rockford. We'd passed then paddled sort of with a family for a while, asked them how far from the dam down to the Grand. They told us we probably hadn't ought to try it tonight, we wouldn't make it by dark. When we arrived at the canoe landing, friends of theirs were meeting them. They agreed that it wouldn't be a good idea and, since Eric's car was at the Grand instead of in Rockford, gave Steve a ride down to Eric's car while we waited with the boats.
While we waited for Steve, we had our sandwiches and I suggested the nearby ice-cream stop. The boys wanted to wait for Dad. Fine. Dad came back and the boys went to get the van up where we'd left that, so that Steve could eat. Afterwards, I suggested ice-cream to Steve. Let's wait for the boys was the answer. The boys came back with the cars. "Let's load the boats first, then go for ice cream." Ok.
Boats loaded. "I have to go to the bathroom and there's no place to go, so lets go and we'll stop for ice cream somewhere on the way home." (This was Steve talking and he had gone for a walk before the boys came back, looking for a restroom.) So we bypass every single gas station and other possibility in Rockford, go all the way down to Northland Drive in Grand Rapids (a good 10 minutes plus drive) and Steve ends up deciding it would be a treat to get "ice cream" at Burger King..... after the anticipation of getting some really good ice cream (yep Mom I know I didn't need it) that was not worth spending the calories or sugar on. Very disappointed but typical Steve. The trip itself was good and guess that's what counts the most.
Boys both left last night - Scott back up to camp for a few more days of friend time and Eric decided to check in at his apartment since Dad & I both had to work today.
This morning, got ready to go and discovered a flat tire on the van. Everybody already gone - so did what was logical and called Steve. He was quite p.o.'ed at having to come home, never mind the four trips I've made to pick him up because of bike issues in the last few weeks. Told me that he probably spent more in gas to get home than I would make today at work. Also asked me when I was going to do something with my life. Wow, went all the way back to emotionally abusive pretty doggone quickly. Should have anticipated it since we had a good day on Saturday. Good days can't be tolerated so they must have some put downs to follow.
Maybe I'll feel better about it later. Right now, no.
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