BE QUIET

It's an awfully noisy world in which we live. Traffic, radios, TVs, people yelling into cell phones, airplanes and on and on. Even on the lake an offshore breeze often carries the sound of modern life across the water and for amazing distances. There is almost no where one can go to escape the sound of a bazillion tires rubbing against miles of roads. It wasn't always like that.

The Greenland style skin on frames were built to be quiet, to be unseen and to move with stealth. The paddle, when properly used, produces little if any sound. All this was essential for hunting which required getting close to unwary prey. Today, however, there is another need for quiet, at least there is for me.

My soul seeks it, sometimes in meditation, sometimes in camping and sometimes in just taking a quiet walk alone. A solo paddle, when the wind is on shore, can bring a unique serenity to my world. It calms me and lowers my blood pressure. And, like the Inuit who hunts for his food, I sometimes have privy to scenes in which I would not have been welcomed had I not approached with quiet respect.

Paddle safe...

DS