CANOEING ON THE RUSSIAN RIVER

Yesterday, Debra and I drove to Santa Rosa to spend the weekend with my sister, Judy. After checking into our motel, we joined Judy and her friend Dave for dinner. Then, this morning, we picked up Judy at her house and headed for River's Edge Kayak and Canoe Trips in Healdsburg to rent a canoe for a half-day trip down the Russian River.

The weather was perfect and the trip was relaxing, except when we capsized the canoe and feverishly struggled to pull it to the shore as it was filling up with water. We rescued the canoe and all our belongings, spent a few minutes catching our breath, then climbed back into the canoe and proceeded down the river.

Judy, me, and Debra waiting to get into the van for the the drive upstream to start of our afternoon on the Russian River.

Debra and Judy ready to launch the canoe from the shore.

Judy spent most of the time steering the canoe from the front, but we all took turns steering from the front, paddling from the back, and resting in the middle of the canoe.

About halfway through the trip, we beached the canoe on a gravel island in the middle of the river, ate lunch, rested, then got back into the canoe and finished the trip.