I’ve recently become an official member of the Chester River Rowing Club. I took the novice class last year, and though I rowed crew in college for a season, I had never learned to scull (that’s using two oars at the same time, as opposed to sweep rowing, in which you only use one oar, and rely on someone else to deal with the oar on the other side). So, the exciting thing about learning to scull is that I can go out in a boat all by myself, and don’t have to coordinate with anyone else. It satisfies my inner need to be uncooperative as well as my delight in being on the water.
So I’ve been going out a few mornings a week for an hour or so while Matthew tends to the nurturing of the children. And this morning it was absolutely gorgeous on the Chester River. You can see the bridge into Chestertown in the distance.
It was flat calm, 64 degrees and clear skies. To the right is the much-less-populated Queen Anne’s County side of the river. Though, it takes about two seconds to get away from the only-slightly-more-populated section of the Chestertown side of the river and into the trees. I spotted two blue herons and some nesting osprey, but could only take pictures when I had successfully stopped and steadied the boat (one of the downsides of sculling – the boats are so tippy that there is not a lot of wiggle room for doing anything other than rowing).
And it is obviously a match made in heaven, because look at what the brand of my boat is!
This whole post was really just to convince friend rowers Neil (and, okay, Cathy and Young Emily) and Peter (and, okay, Veronica and Young Anna) to move to Chestertown. We’ve got it all.
(For any locals, the club is great. They have boats you can take out pretty much any time once you’ve taken the novice class, and they also have scheduled rowing for people who like to row in fours or eights. It’s a nice way to get out on the river and (not that this has ever motivated me) a great way to get some exercise.)
WOW. I am so envious. That’s it, I’m officially moving to Chestertown. And at your current reproduction rate, you’re going to need a live-in nanny anyway. Or maybe I’ll live somewhere else and you’ll just make the kids live with me when they are an inconvenience and/or nuisance.
Don: Bring it!!
What an offer. Saint Don?
The sculling looks wonderful. We have an old wooden canoe that we take out on the lake, but it’s kind of an ordeal…strapping it on to the car, and then carrying it and dropping it in the water, etc.. The sucker is really heavy, no way could I do it on my own. I have always had a fantasy about going solo in a little lightweight kayak. Though it kind of peeves D when I wax on about it. “Why on earth would I want to go without him?!”…is his reaction…
This is great news. I’ve had many happy hours on the river, and hope the same for you.
I really missed early mornings on the Potomac when I went to Williams. Somehow Onota wasn’t the same, especially when I was a single sculler in 8+. In retrospect, the 5:15 AM practices in my single were wonderful–not that they felt that way all the time, especially in the snow!
What is your best 2k time? I need to recruit you for my boys varsity eight.
Clare – I was once told that canoeing with your partner is the surest way to see whether or not you will survive a marriage together. Turns out, Matthew and I are TERRIBLE at it. We expect divorce at any moment.
Abby – I have to say, when I wax nostalgic, I wax nostalgic about Onota in the fall with the leaves changing (and no current). I picture my retirement on exactly some such lake, with my very own single (no adjusting!).
Neil – oh ha ha ha. I know your boys got beaten by a bunch of girls, but the joy of this particular approach is that I don’t have to go fast at all! It’s the best! I stop about every 5 minutes, and I also can’t steer worth a damn, so I pretty much zigzag my way along. If I ever enter a race, the only way I will win is by cutting everyone else off. Hooray for REC rowing!!
Robbi, If you ever had a chance of convincing us to move to Chestertown, this would be the ticket. I’m going to have to have a talk with Anna. Maybe we can convince Veronica. How great is it to be back on the water?