Where the Brathay meets the lake

After a summer on my feet I was a little trepidatious about being back in a boat - especially when I saw what the overnight rain had done to a river I usually think of as gentle. But I'd a new (to me) playboat to christen & it takes a lot of effort to get into a wetsuit, drycag and spraydeck - so what the heck...
B is an excellent coach & we know each other too well for worries to creep in, so I did as I was told, pointed the nose upstream into the bumpy bits and went in search of some islands of security! All too soon the 'fun' choppy stuff was over and we glided out into the lake. Just as I was (secretly  ok out loud) thinking "this is a bit boring", I turned around, and was rewarded with this stunning view of the fells.

Of course B's not daft - we still had to paddle back up stream - just as it was getting tiring we glided into a big lee pool & a kingfisher flashed past - as we tried to follow his flight we saw a female red deer grazing in the maize at the water edge - nature worked its wonders & I was invigorated enough to plough on - paying alot of attention to B's technique tips for cutting across the flow & making it easier. I also realised, however strong my climbing shoulders are - they are no match for B's combination of paddling power & technique (I'm typing this in the bath with a straw in my G&T as I can't lift my arms).

Unsurprisingly, like most fun things, its a bit addictive - I think we'll head out again next week :-)