Indelible Sensations

A journey this long leaves a number of indelible impressions. 

• The sound of a blackbird singing, and a mockingbird cycling through his full repertoire. 
• The crashing splash of a pelican, and a dolphin blowing out and then breathing in.
• The sewage-like smell of mangrove muck.
• The sound of oysters scrapping the bottom of the boat.
• The tug of the muck as your foot sinks deep into it.
• The gritty feel of sand on the paddle.
• The callous bumps on palms and fingers.
• Paddling in concrete against wind and current or in butter with the wind and current.
• The braking tug of shallow water.
• The rising and falling of the boat, or the bow shifting back and forth, as waves pass under.
• The utter effortlessness of the body riding the bouncing boat. 
• The acid sting of no-seeums.
• The sandy footprints of raccoons all over the boat in the morning.
• The skin searing in the intense radiation of the sun.
• The spacelessness of no horizon.
• The springiness of the wooden paddle as the stroke begins and then ends.
• The pleasant tiredness of physical activity.
• Boredom on land, and the desire to paddle.
• Getting hot and sweaty stuffing the bow bag into the boat.
• The explosion of sound and water as a manatee panics.
• The joyous feel when the paddling technique is just right.