RICHMOND —
It started out as a regular day. Phone calls. E-mails. Occasional trip to refill my water bottle. But then it was time for lunch.
I knew the EKU Outdoor Adventure Club was having a picnic at the Lake Reba park Thursday and tried to convince some of my work colleagues to join me. One consented.
I remember the email boasted, “Come and paddle around Lake Reba!” And I thought, “Wow, that sounds fun.” Little did I know I was in for an unexpected free way to cool off during the hot day.
We started heading down to the boats, strapped on our life vests and grabbed our paddles. Then we were off.
The sun was overcast with clouds which left the lake with a sort of cool calmness as we paddled along towards the island. One time around the island then we'd go back and grab some burgers before our lunch break was finished.
We enjoyed the peacefulness of the lake and being able to take a break from work on such a beautiful day.
My companion had brought her iPhone, without a baggie on it (despite me telling her to), in the canoe with her to take pictures of us. We stopped paddling for a bit so we could take a picture. First me, then her. Both were a success. Then we began to paddle again.
Almost all the way around the island now. “Mary, I'm really glad you made me do this,” says my coworker.
But then the boat begins to rock a little more than usual. I try to steady it by leaning on the other side, but so does my colleague.
“Crystal!” I scream as right before the canoe tips over and we fall in the water with our dress clothes, watch and iPhone.
We're both in shock: “What happened? Are you OK? Where are my shoes? Man, my mascara's running. Where's my phone?!”
Once we had retrieved everything we could (her expensive prescription sunglasses sank), we began to laugh. What else could we do at that point?
And we swam ourselves back to shore dragging the canoe.
Halfway to the shore, a kayaker with the Adventure Club spotted us and came to empty our water-filled canoe on the island. However, the kayak and the canoe ended up being too much to manage so we swam back to the island to help him.
After wading barefoot through the island’s mud, rocks and who-knows-what, we staggered back into the canoe for another round.
Although it was a short distance from the island to shore, the wind blew our canoe in the wrong direction. Getting to dry land without taking another unwanted dunk became a greater ordeal than it should have been.
When we finally reached shore and felt the warm mud between our toes we gathered our shoes and had a good laugh and a hamburger with the Club.
Only then did our kayaker tell us he had been worried about snakes in the water. Ugh.
But even though there were some financial casualties, (new iPhone and sunglasses) it was still a priceless memory. And definitely something I'll never forget about from my time in Richmond.
However, we are still debating about whose fault it is that we tipped.
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Related Photos
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Mary Barczak
A day on (in) Lake Reba
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