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Forum: BoaterTalk
Date: Nov 08 2008, 4:10 GMT
From: yakmom

	Today I pushed back winter for an hour. Ocoee and I went to the river. He was in his orange boat, red spray jacket, red PFD, yellow paddle – an autumn leaf floating on the Potomac. I was in my Purple 4-Fun. We were in short sleeves – perhaps for the last time this season. The November sun set over the hills behind Harper’s Ferry just as we put on. The light was golden as was the river. Ocoee and I had herons for company. We surfed the small waves and probed the “creek lines”. But more than anything we pushed back winter. I know winter. It is nipping at my life. I see it in father softened by Alzheimer’s. I count it in our 401(K) – not enough, not enough pounds the mantra in my mind.  I hear it in my knees after a day of skiing. I even glimpse winter in my unborn grandchild. For one hour of one afternoon  -in the shadow of rush hour traffic – Ocoee and I floated on a golden river under a rising moon. Warm air brushed our cheeks – cold water ran down our arms. Fish swam under our kayaks. We choose the dry line at Whitehorse then laughed when the waves splashed our faces. I have paddled here before in November.  One fall Seth and I caught every full moon. That year each full moon arrived on unseasonably warm day. He was perfecting his cartwheels and I was addicted to enders. Those days of paddling with Seth were once commonplace – now he is engrossed in school & work & life so days together on the river are rare. Winter slides in quickly when decades skid by. I will remember this day for I have come here not just to drink in the autumn beauty or to spend time with Ocoee but to mark a decision. Today was a juncture. I turned down a job offer at the private school where I taught 25 years ago. A job team teaching in the preschool – my old class. I chose once more to stay home and teach in this small microcosm of our family – to influence the world here in this small realm. Here on this golden river – under the golden sky –in this golden hour – in the company of my small son– my decision is affirmed. Together we spun in the eddy – fall leaves. Today the current is stilled and winter must wait. sheila

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Way to keep it reelz mom! <NT> sunkenhead New

Beautiful Shiela <NT> PhilU. New

ei  :-) <NT> PhilU. New

nice! <NT> peterj New

Beautiful.   I sure miss you folks.  "het," to Pete and all. <NT> rroberts New

That's supposed to be "Hey." <NT> rroberts New

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