I grew up on the Little Magothy River, catching frogs along the shore and blue crabs in the channel. As Master and Commander of a small yellow paddleboat, I spent endless afternoons exploring wild, uncharted territory, claiming sandbars as my own, and boldly venturing almost (but not quite) out of range of the dinner bell.

Sunday, we launched at the little beach where my toes first learned to fear crabs, then headed toward the channel, where my dad spent countless hours instructing me in the fine art of chicken-neckin'. It was a cool thing, to see 10 new friends venture out into the same waters that have inspired me since childhood.

Paddling through the channel, we passed by several kids with bare feet and fishing poles, busy making their own memories. They waved and smiled, shouting excitedly about the one THIS BIG that just got away.

Around the corner, at the Cape St. Claire Community Beach (commonly called the Main Beach, so as to avoid confusion with various emergency backup beaches), families with laughing, splashing kids dotted the sand. We pulled ashore for a short rest, admiring the view from Dobbins Island to Baltimore Light.

On the trip back, I couldn't help but think that this is what Sundays were made for...taking a break, enjoying our world, and being thankful for what we have. Then, somewhere in the distance, I was sure I heard a dinner bell ring. Must've been coming from Cathy's house! Making new friends along the way is definitely a bonus. It's gonna be a great summer.


~ Christy
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It was just too hot to dodge sailboats, so our exploration of Back Creek was happily ditched as we paddled out toward the Severn River. What started out as one of the first nasty Heat Advisory days of the summer quickly turned into a breezy, wonderful, perfect Sunday afternoon.

To our delight, Ed from Annapolis Canoe & Kayak came along and taught us many useful techniques, such as how to use a bilge pump as a Super Soaker. Anyone within a 25 foot radius quickly learned to appreciate the advantages of this versatile piece of safety equipment.

The six of us paddled east along the shore, catching a little surf as the waves from passing boats rolled underneath. After an hour of sea breeze and sun, the sandy beaches beconed us to come ashore. Kayaks safely beached, we explored a nearby cove, and combed the beach for lost treasure. And Aye, what treasure we found! One muskrat, one horseshoe crab, a piece of sea glass, and a small boy.

The horseshoe crab was coaxed back into existence with a few splashes of water, and sent along its merry way. The sea glass found its way to my pocket, and the rest were simply observed in their natural habitat, splashing about in the cove.

After a refreshing swim, we paddled back to our launch site on Back Creek, which conveniently was across from Davis' Pub. Again, the shore beconed, and we finished off the afternoon with some frosty beverages and great burgers.


~ Christy
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Memorial Day dawned warm and sunny, promising a great afternoon paddle on Weems Creek. Undaunted by One Way signs directing stray traffic back toward town, we managed to locate the small public ramp behind West Annapolis Elementary.

Saturday was another beautiful day on the water. We headed down to Patuxent River Park just north of the PG county line. At the park office, Gail loaded us up with helpful information, before we drove down to launch at Selby Landing. The entire park area was lush and green, with plenty of wildlife before we even got to the water. En route, we encountered a millipede, a former turtle and a gregarious blacksnake, which was easily pursuaded off the road with a little help from my trusty friend, Stick.

After stumbling through Friday like a stress-filled zombie, I got a reprieve when my deadline was pushed back and my boss sent me home early for a much needed break. Stepping out of the office into the warm bright sunshine it was time to begin a weekend full of kayaking bliss.

I dumped my kayak into the South River and paddled away for several hours. Not heading anywhere in particular, the stress was just melting away with each stroke of my paddle. While paddling up a marshy creek, I saw a majestic white swan up ahead tracking back and forth across the creek. Yes, the weekend was starting off great!

Saturday, Christy and I met up to do some yakkin' on Rock Creek in Pasadena, MD. It was a leisurely paddle into some quiet little coves with lots of wildlife. In Tar Cove, Christy spotted a large snapping turtle that I almost passed by for a floating log. The shell was probably a foot long and the head stuck out another 8" - 10". Unfortunately, it dove out of sight before Christy could snap a picture. We lingered quietly, hoping to catch another glimpse and although he poked his head up a couple of times, we didn't get another good look at him.

Sunday, it was time to tackle a 6 mile round trip kayak on Beards Creek off the South River. It's a fabulous paddle that offers waterfront homes to drool over, serene marshes and plenty of wildlife. A meandering watery path at the head of the creek went on and on and on... we paddled as far as we could go, watching red-winged blackbirds fluttering about and performing amazing feats of balancing to perch on the slender grasses and reeds. After lingering as long as possible in the shallow marshes hoping to spy another turtle, it was an energetic paddle back out to the South River.

Before I knew it, Monday morning was upon me. But after a sunny weekend spent out on the water, I was mentally refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of another work week.

- Jen.

My car is annoyed with me. It's been hunkered down under the dubious shelter of two kayaks for a week now, waiting for the rain to abate. The car simply does not understand the irresistable power of a Yak Attack. It does not fully realize that they can strike at any time, without cause or warning.

I try to be prepared. The paddles are chucked behind the back seat, sunscreen in the center console, spare bottles of water roll around on the floorboards, and yes, there are two yaks strapped to the roof...just in case. Because you never know.

I was last struck by a Yak Attack around 2:00 in the afternoon, while working busily away at my desk. Weather.com threatened scattered thunderstorms. The window in front of me confirmed. It was a tense afternoon, as my attention flitted fitfully between work and window, window and work.

Five o'clock finally arrived, with a clear sky and a warm breeze. My friend Jen and I slid a couple of yaks into College Creek, and headed out for the first paddle of the year. It was beautiful. My favorite part of the trip was Shady Lake, that little cove off to the right as you come into Annapolis on the Naval Academy Bridge. I've always wanted to see what was back there, and I wasn't disappointed. What a great spot, with a heron, an egret, the standard handful of ducks, and some lovely houses. I would've stayed had it not been for the setting sun...and the fact that Jen had already made it back to the bridge.