Saturday, December 3, 2011

Reverb11, Day 3: Solitidue

Solitude. For me that involves the wilderness. This year for our lakehouse renters we purchased kayaks. I'd kayaked a few times before but certainly never had the confidence to go out on my own. It turns out the hardest part is getting into the kayak.

I learned during the summer from my friend Sandra (one weekend in August it was her first time kayaking) that the best time to go out on the lake is the morning. The lake is calm and there are no jet skis or crazy speedboats showing off. We decided one Sunday morning to take the kayaks out before breakfast. It's strange, I'm not a morning person during the work week but take me into the woods and suddenly getting out and doing something involving nature in the morning (versus being in an office) and I'm all over it.

We went to a part of the lake I'd never been since the water was high enough. There were lily pads and various ducks. Since we were in kayaks we could navigate the shallow water. To me this is the perfect illustration of solitude: getting outside before the rest of the world is up. There are no waves. There are no bugs to bite you. Trying something new is never easy (like kayaking) but now that I've got a kayak I can't imagine life without one.

What did you do in 2011 that allowed you to enjoy the solitude? Did you enjoy stargazing around a campfire or hiking in the woods? Did you enjoy an early morning kayaking adventure with a friend that allowed you to take in the scenery and the quiet morning like I did? I'd love to hear from you.

(Me hiking in Eastern Iceland, September 2011)

7 comments:

  1. How I love this line:

    >>> To me this is the perfect illustration of solitude: getting outside before the rest of the world is up<<<

    What a lovely post. I am going to write on this prompt, today, too. What an assortment of riches coming from all the folks at Reverb11. I have never kayaked but as a child I loved Canoeing. I need to get back to it!

    You have inspired me!

    Read some of my Reverb11 writing here!

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  2. Wow, thank you Julie! Checking out your post now!

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  3. Thanks for visiting my blog! I also enjoy a quiet paddle on the lake or river. There's nothing like gliding past a turtle. And, yes, getting in is the hardest part.

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  4. Thanks for visiting my blog.
    Solitude is the necessary thing in my life. The only time it happens is early, very early in the mornings before anyone else is awake. I sit by myself and just be. Sometimes, I paint, just me, the canvas and the brushes. It's beautiful.

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  5. You're welcome, Debbie & Cynthia! Thank you for your thoughts on Solitude as well.

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  6. Leah - I couldn't agree with you more about those solitary paddles. They are bliss!

    My favorite time is going out first thing in the morning on a lake in New Hampshire. The water is as smooth as glass and the mist is rising from the water. It's a perfect way to start the day.

    Nancy

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  7. Nancy--thank you for stopping by. I'm so glad I started kayaking. :)

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