It had been a long time. Bad weather, bad back, big winds and big busyness had kept us away from the river for most of the winter. But winter was going or gone and at last Eddie and I had the canoe on the water again. Now we were proceeding downriver in a stately manner, scarcely a breath to ruffle the surface.
How good it was to be back, moving the craft unhurriedly, keeping it straight with an admirably neat – well, I admired – J-stroke from the paddler in the back. I remembered the words of the Mole on The Wind in the Willows after he had abandoned his spring cleaning: “This is fine… this is better than whitewashing!”
Eddie and I had fallen into the easy companionability of the canoe, mostly silent, occasionally pointing things out to each other or exchanging words of encouragement, the boat responding to our movements in its own good time. And then the world burst into flame.
Kingfisher! Of course kingfisher: a blazing streak low to the water and quite impossibly blue, a shade that hurt the eyes and demanded that you never look away. I had it in sight for maybe as much as three seconds.
Eddie, in the front, missed it, despite my urgent shout, which grieved me. But as we paddled on through the hypnotic spring waters, we heard Cetti’s warblers in full song, at least five times and maybe as many as four individual birds.
We turned and headed back, sun almost warm, catkins on the alders, a blackbird singing seriously, Eddie paddling with similar commitment. We were doing all right: and soon we’d be in the pub for lunch.
Full of hope, I would say! Thank you.
Very good to read another piece of yours, Simon. Thank you
Thaks for enouragement!
Love this, Simon – great images…picturing you and Eddie paddling – can hear the plashing oars…Sue
I can’t tell you how welcome these well crafted windows into your world are, especially so as it’s dull and rainy here. Thank you.
Thanks for kind message, Anne
How amazing that you saw a kingfisher today, so did I, at Slimbridge. I asked the “twitcher” next to me was it male or female. He said “you can tell its a girl by the lipstick”. I laughed ” what on earth does that mean”!. He then explained that the female has an orange lower beak. WOW, you learn something every day. Like a new word I’d had a propinquity moment. x
Fantastic image,thanks for sharing.
Another life lift. For a moment there I was in the canoe with you both. Joyous. Thank you.