Monumental Moment!

The goal after my first of two knee replacements, when asked by my surgeon, was to get back into a kayak.....today I did.  My dear friend Peg of over fifty years now lives in the PNW in Bellingham kept encouraging me and got the rental information for Lake Paddon.   On a whim ( and tired of cleaning up our home of endless clutter)  I took off this morning for the maiden voyage.  I thought I didn't want to go on a sit upon type , but it's all the rental place had...and it worked great and turned out to be pretty easy for me to get in and even out of---I had thought I'd need to just flop into the water to get out ....but I did it and thanks to many friends and my kids cheering me afterwards I felt a very big personal milestone was met and passed. 
   I was an avid  canoeist  in my youth...at camps mostly and took some canoe trips in Maine.  I loved canoeing , but my balance became an issue and I found I love kayaking even more.  My first kayak trip was along Chuckanut Bay near Bellingham years ago when another dear friend Kathleen shared a tandom for a moonlight paddle.  We loved it.  I was hooked and went kayaking with my son on Lake Union in Seattle.  But then the knees got worse...as did my balance and kayaking wasn't an option.....but today I'm seeing water at the end of the tunnel ha ha.  I know kayaking will be a joy once again...a quiet was to savor wilderness and nature.  
   Many thanks and much gratitude to family and friends who helped and encouraged and were there for me through the knee surgeries and difficult rehab to get me to the very very special day making my heart sing!