Sometimes the City Has the Best Wilderness!

Sometimes the city has the best wilderness, but you can still rely on cell signal...

Today C and I went canoeing, or canoing... however you spell that!  Whatever.  After living in the desert for a solid year (no more seasonal moving!), I really needed some water time.  My visit to Houston just wouldn't be complete without some serious water time.  So C came to my rescue with dragon boating at Clear Lake and paddling in Armand Bayou.  (Like how I sidestepped the whole canoe-as-verb landmine?)  After the dragon boat workout, I wasn't sure if my spaghetti arms would take a good long canoe morning, but hey, its adventurous to be stranded in a canoe, right?

So I pulled myself out of bed at an extremely early time when on vacation and headed, coffee in hand, up to C's place to prepare the jeep.  We loaded everything up (thank you mom for hosting our Freezer Bag needs) and we were off!

This was my view for the hour ride out to the bayou

Got out to Armand Bayou, home of many birds, turtles, and alligators....

Seriously, you know you're in bayou country when they have to remind you not to try and catch an alligator! Also, what's with the "free-ranging" alligator?  So its okay to feed captives but the free-range guys are like free-range chickens...?

We got lucky and had some help getting into the water.  Thank you to Stranger Steve!  It was a bit windy but that's ok with me; keeps you from being too sweaty.  C took the back so he could steer, leaving me with the better view and the position of captain.  I've learned that every good trip starts with the woman being the look-out captain and the man can steer, making them feel like they are in control, (we know better though, right ladies?)  My trick to canoeing was to be in the front and just paddle when C told me to.  It allowed me to watch for things like alligators so I could yell and point, and then demand that he steer away from them.  The reply to that was always that I needed to paddle faster.  Fine.

Now I didn't get any photos of the large gators 'cause they sink under water when you approach, causing me to yell more.  I envision the mean alligator will launch itself at our canoe and a paddle is NOT the best defensive weapon, unless you are in Cape Fear.  Or - it will come up from beneath to capsize the canoe and have a Thanksgiving-sized feast-o-humans.

I did get photos of the cute little baby alligators that will one day lose their innocence and become big fat killing machines.  (not really, alligators are pretty tame.  only my dad is terrified of them).

There were TONS of birds - I got no photos of them either.  I'm not a bird expert but I think they were: Gulls, Sandpipers, maybe Green Herons, some kind of hawk, a Crimson-colored Grosbeak, Sandhill Cranes, Turkey Vultures, and more.  I was just excited to see birds flying overhead that weren't all vultures and bald eagles!

looking for birds... ok, honestly, looking for alligators.

We paddled like crazy against the wind for an hour or so, then U-turned and chilled on the current back.  This afforded me the opportunity to take lots of bayou paddling pictures!

Horrid shot of me but this ain't a fashion show!

We passed tons of fishermen but fortunately C left his rod and reel at home.  Fishing is not my thing.  I had promised him an hour of fishing if I got to bring a book.  I guess I could've just checked Facebook since we had such excellent cell service.

After a few hours of communing with nature, C asked where the trail really headed.  That's the international sign for "I'm ready to go when you are" so we turned back and headed for the docks.  Goodbye birds, goodbye turtles, even a goodbye to the gators.

C is happy to be back at the dock.  Don't worry, I paddle-splashed that big grin off his face soon after this shot.

Loaded up and ready to go!

It was a great day hanging with C, a great day on the water, and a great day to work on my tan.  So very unlike another canoe trip that I took with my family.  That's another story for another day, but it will make the blog.

And FYI ladies:  just in case you were wondering, there is no ladylike way to exit a canoe.  Don't try to be cute, just try to stay dry! 

So what you, internet, have learned here is that you can rock out in the wilderness without leaving town!  Just find whatever local paths you can, or you can borrow ours!

Oh, and if possible, don't forget the dogs...

Lennox doesn't canoe but he does enjoy a roll in the water!