On the beautiful Ottawa River there are many things that can make the day even better. There are also many things that can make a wonderful day, very painful at times. Keeners are always prepared for any circumstance- a lost rafter, trash in the river, someone who had an ugly argument with Garberator; regardless of what it is, Keeners are normally ready for it. There are of course a variety of things that even prepared for a Keener can fall victim to. This usually includes;
-Poison Ivy
-Lost Equipment
-The Wrath of Anna
Poison Ivy is a horrible thing for a few days and for a Keener that spends the majority of the day in an enclosed kayak where it's hard to itch, it's misery. And the wrath of Anna our wonderful Keener Mom is not something even the most daring Keener would risk. But the last, the case of lost equipment is something that happens often. To some it is GoPros, to others their paddles. In my case it was the depressing moment of losing my right shoe. When I found that my line was not only slightly off, but very off while running the end of McKoy's rapid, I slammed rather violently into a large hole. After spinning over a few times, my paddle was pulled form my grip and without a concrete hand roll I pulled my skirt, to my own chagrin. As I came up out of the water for a desperate breath of air I realized that my right foot felt slightly lighter than my left. Finally as I left the water I saw the sad lack of shoe upon my foot. For the next two days, whenever it came time to portage, scout or even move our boats, my eyes would be glued to my path and my face would constantly wince. No, it wasn't as bad as losing a paddle, or a GoPro; but it's incredible how even a little, tiny thing you'd almost never consider can have such an effect on your day. Now here I am with a new pair of shoes, and a new day to look forward to! It's an important lesson. No matter how prepared you are, things can go wrong. But that doesn't mean things won't get better.
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