Yesterday, Jacob, Antonia and I spent three hours on the Chippewa River in central Michigan west of Mount Pleasant. Though on the low side, which was only noticeable in the stern of my boat, the Chippewa moves swiftly compared to the lumbering Grand River.
It was nice to scoop up a rock and examine it for helgramites, mayfly larvae, and caddisfly (macroinvertebrates - fish food for the uninitiated) and to swim in some nice gravel bottom holes. We saw tons of muskrats and even more drunken coeds on tubes. Something on the river for everyone to enjoy. For the upper part of the river we had it virtually to ourselves, except for the occaissional rat or tube.
This is a great river until you hit the golf course. The bottom is silted and the banks eroded and elderly ladies wave at you as they fly by in thier carts - which isn't bad, just a different kind of wildlife. My inner watershed planner reminded me that there is room for everyone on a river, er, even on their banks - that is, if done well.
Any day on a river is a good day.
A year ago, I passed on a number of canoeing opportunities because the act of hoisting my boat, gathering supplies and rounding up my kids was overwhelming. I'm not sure if I'm in better shape, certainly have seemed to helped the anemia problem with the recent surgery, or if I have just rekindled my river flame. Yesterday I remained undaunted as the day turned into afternoon and yet I managed to pack us up and drive an hour and a half to the Chippewa. We got on the river at 3:30 with a great spot from the folks at the Chippewa Canoe Livery.
On the first day of the Grand River Expedition, as Jacob and I were beginning the second and very long eventful leg of the day, Jacob said, "Dad, you know other dad's don't do this. I really enjoy canoeing with you." That was music to my ears. All too often I am painfully reminded of the many things I don't do that other fathers can do in contrast to things that I do do - like dialysis which most fathers do not need to do. It gladdens me that I can offer my children incredible outdoor adventures. The Grand River Expedition has inspired me to get my kids outside much more often that I did. Neither Jacob nor Antonia wanted our trip to end yesterday. And as soon as I had them back in the boats they yearned to be in the water and so did I.
I told them yesterday that my favorite thing in the world is swimming in a swift moving, cool clean stream - and to share that with my children was an amazing treat. To which Jacob said, "doesn't everybody?" A crescendo to the symphany I was hearing. I reminded him that many people don't like to swim in anything other than a pool and wouldn't want to share the river with a helgramite.
When we were in Lansing during the Grand River Expedition, my long time friend and Ingham County Treasurer, Eric Schertzing mentioned that the Grand River was liquid soul as he welcomed the paddlers. Liquid soul, such an eloquent term for the Grand and for all rivers. It certainly fits for my beloved Clinton River to which I'm thinking of taking the kids to this fall to have some fun on.
The River Dude.
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