July 8 Sherman Island with my girls!

For Mother's Day, Erin & Megan planned to take me kayaking. They thought, and I agree; that it would be nice to have a Mother/daughter day on the water. Erin ended up with a horrible case of the Flu, including a trip to the E.R., so we had to postpone. Then there was the Bridal Shower, the Wedding, our trip to Washington state, rainy weather...  The new date was selected, the weather forecast was promising and we were psyched.

The girls arrive

Sue is ready to go in her new life vest

 I got home from work at 4 PM. Erin was there and Tim already had the Jeep all loaded with our kayaks and gear. Megan gets out of work at 5 PM and would hurry home so we could head straight out. We wanted to make the best of our time before sunset. At about 4:15 it started raining out. Actually it was pouring! The sky was dark, and we were a little concerned. In nearby Sillwater they were being hit with thunder & lightning as well! We stayed optomistic and thankfully the rain stopped and the sun came back out. Megan rolled in about 5:45. She ran in to change, we loaded her car and off we went.

We chose Sherman Island as our destination for several reasons: it's beautiful there, the water is almost always calm, and it is seldom crowded. We weren't disappointed! The water was as smooth as glass and there wasn't any one else there!

We headed off and Erin immediately started to rock her boat from side to side. "I love to rock!" She's a nut.  Ranger Sue was on Megan's boat wearing her new life jacket that I made for her to surprise Megan.
I was in my boat ready to enjoy my Mother's Day in July!
Tim stayed on shore while we paddled. He came prepared with his crossword puzzles to keep him busy while we were gone.

Nance, Erin & Megan

 As we paddled I told the girls to watch for the Bald Eagle that Tim & I had seen last weekend. I really wanted them to get the chance to see it. Megan had her camera with her and would have been able to get some great pictures.

We paddled, and talked, and laughed. It was nice. It was special. I was really enjoying my time with my girls. There aren't many times when we get to spend time alone like this. It was the first time Megan & Erin had been here. They were surprised that we were on the Hudson River; mainly because the water was so calm.
I explained to them that since we were between dams, there was very little current.

Erin & Megan head out

I showed them some of our favorite areas: where we had a picnic, where the hidden bridge is, and the little inlets and islands that are there. As we headed back, the girls started collecting sticks that were floating on the water. It's Erin's thing that she does. Each time she has kayaked with us, she has collected sticks. She got Megan picking up sticks too. It was funny. There aren't even "driftwood".

Since last week, sticks have been removed and this is almost passable!

We watched for the Eagle with out any luck. There were a lot of rings forming in the water where there must have been fish below us. Erin & Megan thought they saw a beaver in the water and we saw a big fish splash.

Sue, Megan and some "driftwood"

Check out the reflection of the girls and the kayaks. The water was so smooth. It was ideal for kayaking!

Tim was waiting for us at the shore. He had enjoyed himself. The air was a nice temperature and there were no bugs. He was able to finish his puzzles and relax. So, we all had a nice evening. Now we need to get a fourth kayak so we can all go together next time!

We arrive at shore after a beautiful evening