"There's a Difference between Hard and Retard"

You know that voice in the back of your head that sometimes whispers (or shouts) "You know this isn't the best idea you've ever had."?  That internal barometer speaks to me on a semi-regular basis and as I've gotten older I do listen...on occasion.  Most recently this kinda-makes-me-look-crazy conversation occurred on a late Monday in March and I decided that I was going kayaking since it would be my only chance to get out on the water for the rest of the week.  Nevermind the fact that it was 55 degrees and pouring, I was going.  I had even mapped out my latest and greatest route - from Whitmarsh Island to Wassaw Island, a wildlife preserve accessible only by boat.  Almost 14 miles one way...what could go wrong?

From the dock at Whitmarsh to Wassaw Island is almost 14 miles one way.

 Ignore the fact that my last 10+ mile expedition a few weeks ago left me with arms and shoulders that literally hurt for days and so exhausted that I could barely lift the kayak back on top of our Jeep.  But hey, that was 2 weeks ago and I wasn't backing out come hell or high water (see what I did there? haha).

Even as I tore through my closet searching for a rash guard I hadn't used since last summer that voice started popping up.  "Are you sure you want to do this today? Cause it kinda seems like iffy weather.  And by iffy I mean it's going to suck,"  At some point I will learn to listen more often but this wasn't the day for it.  Dressed, kayak loaded, map, snacks and my eternal fluffy sidekick and we were headed for the dock.  I kept looking on the bright side - there wasn't a single soul there.  It was perfect, we would practically have the water all to ourselves which meant no wake to contend with (I can't imagine why no one else was out there).

Rio is so spiffy in her life jacket.

 Once actually in the water the feel-good vibes started to dissipate if they had event been there in the first place.  It was drizzling, the water was rough enough to send buckets into the kayak (remember there's no skirt on it because our dog sits between our legs) and I can't tell where the hell I'm going, map or not.  But even then, I really couldn't just turn around and go back to the car.  We were already out here, already in the water, already wet, we had to have something to show for it.  Perhaps some higher power read my mind because the next moment there was a very recognizable bird call...almost a scream.  If you've ever heard one of these in person, you know exactly what I mean.

A bald eagle perched on a low branch not 30 feet from my kayak.  Totally made the day worth it.

Bald eagles don't have that regal call that most people think - it's a weird chirping, screamy sound that you'll never forget.  And it's totally cool to see one in the wild just hanging out.  After attempting to snap a couple pictures - a few of them turned out thank goodness - I decided that maybe we would cut our trip a little short.  We had gone maybe 4 miles out and the rain went from a drizzle to a outright downpour.  I finally gave in to that voice that had gone from suggesting to demanding.

The way back had our heart rates up a little more than is comfortable - from a easy drizzle to pouring and the winds picking up, our light kayak was doing a valiant job of keeping us from swimming.

It's freezing!  I'll go ahead and admit it, it was not my best idea to go kayaking on this particular day. I'm thanking my stars for a good guardian angel.

The story has a happy ending though - there wasn't any capsizing, thank god, because that's a different disaster than usual when you have a dog with you, even if they are wearing a lifejacket.  Fighting the wind, surf and current meant to took an extra hour to get back to the dock but thankfully other than a few close calls with big waves it was uneventful.  We made it back to the car and Rio, would is usually quite happy to sniff around, was more interested in getting in the car and out of the rain.  I didn't realize just how cold I was until I was out of the kayak and back on land though - shivering and really really really wishing I had brought an extra shirt, this trip was full of plenty of lessons learned.  Pack better.  Listen to the weather.  Stop being so stubborn.  Even though I have years of experience kayaking and other outdoors activities, I know my limits and I need to learn to listen to myself.  It can wait.  We've got all summer.  And the paddle leashes are already on order.

The dog who doesn't like to snuggle didn't mind a little extra attention once we finally made it back to the car.

Special thanks to Francisco for the title inspiration.