A couple of years ago, Shelley asked me what I wanted for Father's Day. ... I answered a canoe.
At first she didn't believe me. Because we connected later in life, she didn't much know the outdoorsy side of me because, frankly, since we had been together we hadn't had time to be outdoorsy. We were always busy with kids or work or school.
But in 2018 our kids were growing and mostly beginning to take care of themselves, and the inspiration struck me that it was time to get outdoorsy again. So I said, "I want a canoe."
The thought was a little daunting to Shelley who hadn't grown up with the outdoorsy thing. Yes, she had grown up on lakes as a kid, but her family's outdoor activities include boats and pontoons and things powered with motors. Not, small, vulnerable, paddle-driven modes of transportation such as a canoe.
But the more she quizzed me on it, the more she became enamored with the idea, and one weekend we set out for a trip toward Erhard, Minn., where we had found a used canoe dealer in our price range. The canoe shopping trip alone was quite the adventure as we learned about how the dealer, stuck way out there in the boonies, and one other competitor in the state, had come into rivalry for snatching up used canoes for sale. And now the two of them essentially have cornered the market on used canoe sales in the state of Minnesota. It is quite the fascinating story, and I wish I would have written two years ago when it was fresh in my mind! ... (Note to self: Go back and find canoe guy and write story for a magazine!)
But I digress ...
Fast forward to the next weekend, June 23, 2018, and Shelley and I couldn't wait to get that canoe wet for the first time. As we got her to water, I mentioned that every good canoe has a name, and that before we set forth on our maiden voyage, we should name her. (Aren't all watercraft women???)
Eyeing the canoe closely, I noticed that on the side of the canoe was stenciled in spray paint the name "Unit 1," as it likely was one of many canoes in some fleet somewhere. Given my propensity for all things Star Wars, the name sounded very "Star Warsy" to me, and I suggested it. ... Shelley agreed it was very fitting to name my canoe "Unit 1," and so she had a name.
The previous week when we had road-tripped to pick up the canoe, I had noticed a little highway-side lake by the name of Anderson Lake near where we purchased the canoe. I knew that it was a good starting lake for us, being we'd never canoed together, and I wanted a smaller lake to help ease Shelley's anxieties about being in a canoe. So we Googled it, found our directions and set out, canoe strapped to the top of the car and gear in tow.
The headline photo above was the very first photo I took of "Unit 1" that day as we had unloaded it at the shoreline and laid in all of our gear. Seeing that canoe there on the beach, the sun glistening off the water and nature just beckoning us to come visit, so many memories flooded back to me of a childhood spent in nature. ... I was so happy to be back.
Despite some learning curves being new canoeing partners together, Shelley and I had an unforgettable day on the lake in our new canoe. We fished, shared a few beers, took photos and paddled for hours. And, as I had suspected, it was a terrific beginner lake for our first voyage. We saw only one motored boat all day, and there was little traffic around as there were only three private residences on the entire lake.
For future reference, you can find Anderson Lake here. I'd highly recommend the trip there if you like canoeing and some strong pan fishing.
While everything about the day was spectacular, probably the most memorable event of the entire day was our boarding.
I had positioned the canoe so that my end was farther out in the water because I am taller and step into the bottom of the canoe easier, and I reasoned that with my paddle and prodding pole I could get us out into the water easier after Shelley had entered.
Well, silly me, I had forgotten that Shelley hadn't ever canoed before. And so when she went to get into the canoe, she placed her hands on the side, stepped a foot over into the near edge and tried to lift up her other foot at the same time. ... The result, as you can imagine, is that the canoe immediately listed severely to the side, and unsuspecting my weight went with it, and I tumbled into the water, head over heels, along with everything else in the canoe.
It all happened so fast that I didn't have time to reach for my glasses or secure anything in the canoe. Whoosh! I took a might fast bath! ... And so we hadn't even officially launched our canoe, and I was already drenched!
Adding insult to injury, as I emerged from the water, not only had my glasses drifted off my face, but I turned to Shelley in tears she was laughing so hard. ... I, however, wasn't amused. But her retort was perfect: "Well, what did you expect? I've been canoeing before! This is your fault for not teaching me!" ... And she was right. And my consequence was a quick dip! ... We will never forget that moment!
What a beautiful memory!
The side story to this bath was that I had indeed lost my glasses in the lake. And I'm a tad screwed without them. Sure, I can see fairly OK in short distance, but to read signs and to see long distance (i.e. drive, write, read) I HAVE to have my glasses.
As the realization settled in that my glasses were somewhere on the bottom of the lake in four feet of cloudy water, doom settled in. I was scheduled to leave with our church's youth group the very next day for a week trip to Houston, Texas, for the ELCA's tri-annual National Youth Gathering. ... How in the heck was I supposed to navigate a trip for eight days with a dozen or so youth without my glasses? I started to panic.
Thankfully, Shelley remained calm for the both of us, and said, well let's start looking. Her leap into action snapped me back out of my sulk, and we started searching the lake floor. But of course, we could only do it in slow, careful, sweeping motions with our feet as we could not see the bottom. Ten minutes wore on. No glasses. Twenty minutes. And twenty-five minutes. Still no glasses. ... I was beside myself. Desperate, I closed my eyes and said a prayer: "God, please help us find those glasses. I do not know what I will do without them for an entire week on this youth trip!"... Later, when we talked about this incident, Shelley confided in me that she had said a prayer at that exact same moment.
I opened my eyes, slowly swept a foot over some more lake bottom, and lo and behold my foot scraped over something smooth. I quickly squatted in the water and used hands and feet to secure the item -- which turned out to be my glasses! ... Unhurt. Unscratched. Perfectly fine.
I think back today about all of the square feet we searched; the muddy water; the fact that neither of us stepped on the glasses; the improbability of finding them. And I marvel. ... Thank you, God, indeed! ... This part of the trip just adds to the overall priceless day we had. ... How soon can we go back?!?!?
And one more aside: After spending all day on the lake, packing up our gear and loading the canoe on top, we were famished. We set off in search of a place to fill our bellies and grab a drink before heading home. We found a unique offering just down the road in the city of Erhard: Hillbillies Vittles & Brew.
Don't let the name fool you! ... This quaint little place might not have been much to look at from the outside, and the name may be a little disconcerting for city slickers, but this was a fantastic decision. The staff was top notch, waiting on us hand and foot. The inside of the building was freshly redone and gave you that heartwarming, small town bar feel, and the food was worth the stop. Think small town supper club and that is exactly what you got here. We haven't been back in a couple of years, but I assume they are still open. It seems that Google says they are. (And do me a favor, if you do Google it, pay no attention to the photos online. They don't do the place justice!)
All in all, both the experience on the lake and the dining experience at Hillbillies Vittles & Brew will have us coming back one day.
And Shelley and I both found faith in the experience that day! ... We will never forget it!
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