Maiden Voyage of "The Bri-ak", my Spouse's Kayak

Calm Pensacola Bay in the morning. In the photo is The Chappie James Bridge is in the background, as Brian and I launched our kayaks at Shoreline Park in Gulf Breeze. Photo by The Pensacola Hippie. 

Brian has a kayak. He hunted hard for this boat and is quite proud of her. He calls her " The Bri-Ak", and she is a fishing kayak that is almost 12 feet long. Somehow, we managed to fit both her and my kayak, " Good Trouble" in our pickup truck bed & rode over to Shoreline Park to launch. 

It took both of us, but we unloaded both boats and soon set out on some calm waters. We saw our usual osprey friends as well as Egret. 

Egret looking for fish near The Tree Of Life. Shoreline Park, Gulf Breeze, FL. Photo by The Pensacola Hippie. 

Following the example of a friend, I secured my phone in a Ziplock bag and fit it snugly in the pocket of the life jacket I am amazed at the different beauty of " our" park as I see it from the water.  For instance, our " Tree of Life's" big branches & roots look more magical from the vantage point of a boat.  Additionally, the quiet boat allows me to sneak up on wildlife for photos: I've been trying to capture this egret in a photo for weeks. 

I only open my phone to snap photos. To me, this water is sacred, as is the ground at its edge. Kayaking dictates that I remain fully engaged in what I do : I don't want to tip the boat! 

If it were not for the Florida heat and humidity, I could stay on the water literally all day. As I have mentioned before, I feel the most at peace and connected to The Divine when I am either swimming in or paddling on water. I feel safe from the virus and the evils of humanity as I converse with the Osprey in their language. { Brian says I imitate an Osprey call fairly well}  I've gotten to know the Osprey who live at Shoreline Park: and they have names. I can't know for certain, but I like to think that the Osprey siblings know me as I know them. 

During a paddling break, I dipped my fingertips in the water: its temperature was perfect! 

No matter how advanced computer software can become, certain things about life cannot be replaced by a digital format. The virus keeps me here in Pensacola this summer, but I've done my best to enjoy the natural world in my own backyard. I do miss my Appalachian mountains and especially my kin there, but safety dictates that I not ride on an airplane right now. 

In a season where nearly all human interaction is done on Zoom & Facebook, our almost daily trips to the park feed my soul and remind me that a loving Creator holds all of us lovingly. showing up here in my sacred spot among the birds, fish and trees, as well as making some effort to " show up" for daily prayer sustains me. 

In the Name of the Holy Three...

Amen.

~Sarah