O Happy Living Things!

I packed my lunch with care, I'm not always hungry in the mornings but knew I would be after a few hours in the canoe.  I had oatmeal and coffee anyway, I need to get in the habit of eating like a normal person.  While I have my license, I didn't bring my fishing gear, I don't like fish and I don't like hurting animals of any kind.  I also put in water and a cold six pack of beer which completely filled my icebox.  While I don't sunburn, I brought a wide brimmed hat to wear if the light became overwhelming as it so often does on the water, with that and sunglasses I would be as protected as I needed to be.  Because I sweat the wind should cool me if I got too hot, sweat mats my fur but it does allow a breeze to cool me somewhat.  The main thing about being on the water is to not overdo it, the canoe is very heavy and it is easy to wear oneself out paddling that thing.  But it will hold about 900 lbs, it may be clunky but for any kind of serious boating this thing is the way to go.  I've seen too many aluminum canoes smashed against trees, if one of those things gets sideways and hits something in the middle it will snap like a breadstick.  The Rogue River 14 can be handled by one guy and it's unbreakable, it doesn't sink, and I can pack all I desire to take with me.  After all, food can always be thrown away if it comes to that.  My belief is that any fool can be uncomfortable, I like to take more than I think I will need even if I'm not going to be out of sight of the house.  
I put a pair of old boots in the boat next to the cooler, I didn't know if I was going to be getting out but it's nice to have the option.  There are no beaches here, just oyster shells and stones on mud.  Oyster shells can slash car tires, never mind a rabbit's foot.  I put out extra food for MeeMee and Precious, made sure they had two bowls of water, and then turned on the living room lights so that I could see the house perfectly if I returned home after dark.  I was wearing my favorite cut off jeans, the back snapped around my tail and they are my favorite garment.  I locked the door, waved at both cats in the front window, and drug the canoe down to the water's edge.  There were two locals fishing, I didn't know them by name but I had seen 'em around.  They waved and I waved back.  It's only the tourists that don't know about me.  I shoved the canoe out in the water and stepped in it as it started floating forward, the hull ground the mud a bit and then I was afloat.  There were some waves but nothing that would bother me, and the paddling was easy as I headed through the cut that would take me out to the Laguna Madre proper.  Our shoreline is as complex as a Mandelbrot set, more names and small bays than one can shake a stick at.  Today I was heading for the small chain of islands that forms the landward side of the Laguna.  There are shoals of small fish and above all hermit crabs that are a delight to look at, once again I was kinda sad I didn't have a kid with me to show the wonders of the ocean that are not visible from the shore.  Of course I have nothing to do with children, they usually like talking to me but their parents can get upset.  Last time a father almost broke my nose and that was because his little girl asked me if I was the Easter Bunny.
It was hot but the sun felt good, I paddled slowly and with deliberation so as not to exhaust myself before I was even halfway through the trip.  Fish were jumping and the pelicans were having a field day.  They hit the water with a bang and have been known to break their necks while diving for fish.  I've never seen a pelican die while diving, it must not happen very often or their wouldn't be any left.  I paddled on  while thinking about design flaws in nature.
I got to the islands around 2, it had been an easy trip and I decided to eat lunch.  I ran the nose of the canoe up onto the shore and took out some peanut butter sandwiches wrapped in wax paper.  While eating I watched the incredible show the shoreline life put on, schools of silver minnows reflected the sunlight into my eyes.  I put on my Polaroids and was able to see through the water much better.  The islands are mostly mud but only if you walk in the water or otherwise disturb the ground will your vision be impaired by clouds of mud.  There were a couple of jet skies roaring around but too far off for me to see the riders, which meant they couldn't see me. 
If I had a camera I would have taken photos of the shore life, but I can barely work my phone and the pictures I take with it never look a thing like what I thought I had photographed.  The hermit crabs are always a treat to watch and one of them was backed into an old bottle.  The bottle was blue with air bubbles cast into it, old but not unusual and I didn't want to disturb the little guy anyway. 
I must have sat by the islands for a couple of hours easy, and then I turned the canoe for home.  By the time I had gotten back to my house it was starting to get dark and I wanted to be inside before the stars came out.  I drug the canoe up across the grass and chained it to the porch, I decided that I would put up the icebox tomorrow and I doubt very much anyone would steal it.  I was more tired than I thought I would be.  Meems and Precious were tripping me as they cried for their supper.  I fed them a can of tuna and then went back out to get the six pack I had in the cooler.  I opened a can of beer and watched the news for awhile, the world was on the edge of war and I dreaded being called back up to serve.  The modified infantry program was dead but under the guise of combat the government could deal with me once and for all and no questions asked.  I watched Reno 911 and laughed my ass off, how people can be so funny is beyond me.  Then I fell asleep.

 I was standing in front of two doors guarded by two demons.  Both doors led to Hell, my only choice was which one would I take.  Then I was in a tornado or something and empty blood soaked uniforms swirled around in the fierce wind.  I was walking through that wind to a coal black horizon, and the more I walked the darker it became.

I woke on the couch, moved Precious off of me and went to bed.  I had no further dreams and it was bright and lovely outside when I woke.  No matter how scared or despondent I am waking up to a beautiful morning always fills me with hope. 
False hope is still hope. 

Picture by Garth Williams, The Adventures of Benjamin Pink.  1951.

Title quote from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  1834.