Re: canoeing & camping

[Guest guest]

Wow...I felt like I was there in the boat with you. Thanks for bringing me

along! -Betz

Betsy Jack itsbetsy@...

[ ] canoeing & camping

I have just returned from the most restful 3.5 days in my life. I

am happy to be back, but I will be out again, very soon. Walking

and running are not currently good options for my feet, so it has

been hard to keep myself in shape. I have not been exercizing. My

camper trailer/canoe trip with my son has been great medicine. I

really believe nature has a way of helping heal us if we let it.

Last night, he challenged me to paddle with him into a gale blowing

white caps across the high mountain lake where we were camping. Off

we went, and what a fight we had! I felt so alive! We got a good

half-hour aerobic and stretching workout on the way to the distant

protected bay where we tied up and caught trout that were (luckily

for them) undersized.

Our return was even more delightful - as the wind had switched

directions, we got to have the fight all over again. My chest

gladly expanded from the pulling of the paddle and the laughing we

shared between us. I routinely dipped my low hand into the cold

mountain water, thus keeping the swelling down. Upon landing, we

noticed that the few other groups of campers who were staying at the

lake were standing near the shore, some with binoculars in hand, and

smiling and shaking their heads at us. I think we made their day.

I think they wished they were us - a much needed, though not a

common, feeling for a psoriatic arthritic!

My son, now almost 13, is rapidly becoming a man. He is gaining

skills and strength that I am losing, and I will be glad when I will

be able to say, " It is your turn to take the stern. " He is a pretty

handy cook too. He came up with a good trick for making s'mores:

heat some rocks by the fire and place your graham wafer with the

chocolate on that while roasting your marshmallow - it gets really

soft and gooey that way! Also, alternate a bite of fresh strawberry

between every bite of s'more.

Happy summer everyone... until later... Brent

[Guest guest]

Hi Brent,

I'm really happy that you had such a brilliant time with your son on the

canoe trip. I felt that I was there with you because you described it so well!

lol

I hope that is one of many such outings you have together.

Reading on............

I hope you and your wife had a great 15th wedding anniversary. Did you do

anything special?

I hope you are keeping well Brent........................or at least as well

as we can expect to be. lol

Take care,

In a message dated 08/07/2006 20:05:18 GMT Daylight Time, brentherman@...

writes:

I have just returned from the most restful 3.5 days in my life. I

am happy to be back, but I will be out again, very soon. Walking

and running are not currently good options for my feet, so it has

been hard to keep myself in shape. I have not been exercizing. My

camper trailer/canoe trip with my son has been great medicine. I

really believe nature has a way of helping heal us if we let it.