When we were still newlyweds, my husband had an idea about kayaking, he suggested that maybe we could enjoy it as a hobby.I was always up for a new learning experience and adventure so I agreed to participate in a class. I feel relaxed when I’m in water, swimming at sea and even scuba diving. I changed my mind after our second meet with the kayak instructor. The session was about what to do if the boat turned over leaving you upside down. The thought of it already frightened me. My husband though was having a time of his life, as they say, what a duck feels when he’s home.
So, we took many kayaking trips on every river he could find – the more rapids, the more adrenaline rush. Since I didn’t want to go on the kayak, I agreed to driving him to the drop-off site and fetching him afterwards down the river.This was perfectly fine with me. While waiting in the car surrounded by the woods, I could read a book or just relax, or I could get out of the car, go hiking and observe the local animals and greeneries along the way.Because we worked it out this way, we could pack the car with lunch, clothes and equipment. He also loves taking pictures like I do, so we also brought our cameras with us, including chargers, batteries and all the accessories that we could bring!
A buddy of his was also convinced by my husband to try kayaking as well. This friend of ours as far as I know didn’t like going out much.But he wanted to try it and learn something new. He learned how to flip and maneuver the kayak very well.On the first trip out, however, it was a different story. What happened was he got stuck while the kayak was upside down. He got tangled in some branches and could not flip the boat back up.
My husband was keeping an eye on him and when he didn’t flip the boat right away, he knew he was in trouble, so he dove under and pulled him from the debris. If my husband hadn’t seen what went wrong with him and rescue was delayed, he would have died. He believed my husband’s quick reflex saved his life. That experience traumatized him that he didn’t want anything to do with the kayak anymore, he immediately disposed his kayak the next day.We had a lot of wonderful adventures in those days and many photographs to remind us of the places we have been.
As we have moved forward in our lives and activities, so has technology. Kayaking is already out of the picture, however photography and hiking is still in.Used to, when we would hike, it was very difficult to carry all the camera equipment, extra batteries and such. Especially nowadays, that we have cellular phones, Blackberries, and other stuff to add on. Bringing additional batteries need not burden us anymore with what me and my husband acquired lately which is the most excellent piece of item. It’s a solar panel that is bendable. You can easily roll it up to carry on the back pack. It resists water, it doesn’t break easily and it’s handy – you can bring it while kayaking or hiking up in the mountains and most especially camping. The solar panel can provide power for the used-up batteries of our cell phones, cameras, video cams, and the car’s battery as well. It’s convenient to keep and bring along on our travels. Now we’re still using it for something else, when it could have been handy during our kayaking days.