Five by Five

Great long weekend. The weather, though cool for March, was good much of the time; good enough that I paddled five times in five days. Okay, seven times in eight days. Only possible because of Bernie carrying my Eliza to the beach for me FIVE of those seven outings. Yay Bernie! Every paddle group should have one.
But on the five days of this long Easter weekend, Thursday afternoon Alison in her Kestrel and I in my Eliza went out to salute the Buddha, play in the rock garden and commute to Flower Island in Cadboro Bay. Twas the usual afternoon paddle that I'd been missing the first two weeks of March, and glad to get back to!
Good Friday morning I went out with John, Louise and Richard from Cadboro Bay over to Mary Tod Island in Oak Bay, where we administered the Bernie lecture to Richard: "Yes, you were perfectly fine. But we couldn't SEE you. You were a dot. Don't scare us!" Amazing how perspective is goofy on the water. We thought he was going out in the currents near Trial Islands, but he was fine, of course.
Saturday morning we were joined at Cadboro Bay by a couple of friends who had never been kayaking before. Bernie got them into the Pamlico and my inflatable Dragonfly, and gave them a good beginner's lesson, and when it was going good, Richard in his Telkwa and I in my Eliza zoomed ahead, past Flower Island out to the light on Cadboro Point. There we played in the ebb current between the rocks, and I got pinned against a rock briefly. We listened to the Freight Train of standing waves, which Rich finally saw. Then back to meet Bernie with Diane and BK out near Flower in the bathtub-calm water. There were lots of herons to spot, which was nice for their first time in kayaks, as we leisurely made our way back to shore.
Easter Sunday morning Bernie loaded my Eliza on Alison's car, and I paddled Thetis Lake on the Day Of Arguing Geese. A very reverent paddle except for the geese ranking out on each other...
And on the Monday afternoon I went out in my Dragonfly to salute the Buddha, play in the rock garden and commute to Flower Island once again. Saw otters looking marvellously healthy and limber, and a seal came up behind me twice, slapping the water the second time so I would turn round. Nice to get out and see the neighbours.