Delete This? No Way.

Kayak for Conservation was a huge success as around 50 paddlers took to the river Saturday to support the Tennessee River Gorge Trust.
This was a first for me. I have been whitewater rafting on the Ocoee and in Alaska. I've paddled an inflatable "funyak" on the Hiawassee and Nantahala Rivers. And I've spent a couple of summers canoe camping in Canada. But I've never been in a sea kayak before. It was awesome.
Many thanks to Rock Creek Down Under, Chattanooga OutVenture, and Lotus Designs/Patagonia for making this event come together and run so smoothly.
I'm going to post quite a few pictures in the coming days for anyone who stops by to check out because I think this is an untapped recreational opportunity that a lot of folks around here would really enjoy. And it's right here and not an hour away.
Don't get me wrong I really enjoy getting over to the paddling/rafting opportunities east of Chattanooga. It's just that it seems harder and harder every year to get away for a day or two to enjoy those places. I'm always pulled in another direction like yardwork that eats up enough time where going to the Ocoee is a bit impractical. But a quick trip around here could fit in with a hectic schedule for a lot of people.
Today's skies were as blue as you can get. And there was just a slight breeze out of the north. Just enough to knock down the sun's powerful rays. For a moment or two I would pause mid stream and take a picture or two. And for the first time in a couple of weeks I felt truly relaxed. (That's quite a moment when something inside you says, "Hey this is what it's all about.") Another amusing moment hit me about the same time. You see when you take a picture with my little digital camera, it politely asks you, "Delete This?". At the time I was admiring the image of the blue skies, and the Tennessee River Gorge I had just captured. Delete This? No way. With the camera, the way to save an image is to patiently do nothing. Just don't touch any buttons and the view is saved. Too bad it's not that way in the real world. Do nothing and The Gorge is saved.
Thankfully there are those who did something. Those who didn't wait for someone else to act. Those who created the River Gorge Trust years ago so we have the "Grand Canyon Of Tennessee" to enjoy today. And thankfully there are so many folks who keep working on that mission today.