Meredith at Centennial Lake

Undoing the very long cam straps that keep the kayak firmly in place while the car is moving.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:19 -0700

flyaway
Undoing the very long cam straps that keep the kayak firmly in place while the car is moving.

Hoisting the boat -- which weighs 43 pounds! -- off the top of the car.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:20 -0700

flyaway
Hoisting the boat -- which weighs 43 pounds! -- off the top of the car.

"What do you mean I'm supposed to unwrap it before I eat it?!"

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:22 -0700

flyaway
"What do you mean I'm supposed to unwrap it before I eat it?!"

Meredith finds the straps on her Wonderjacket PFD a bit tricky, but she always checks to make sure they're fastened correctly. (A PFD is a Personal Flotation Device -- what most people call ...

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:22 -0700

flyaway
Meredith finds the straps on her Wonderjacket PFD a bit tricky, but she always checks to make sure they're fastened correctly. (A PFD is a Personal Flotation Device -- what most people call ...

After putting her paddle together, Meredith is almost ready!.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:24 -0700

flyaway
After putting her paddle together, Meredith is almost ready!.

Sprayskirts look funny when you're just walking around on land, but they keep the drips and spray out of the cockpit while you're on the water.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:26 -0700

flyaway
Sprayskirts look funny when you're just walking around on land, but they keep the drips and spray out of the cockpit while you're on the water.

Concrete isn't a great surface to launch from, but the boat is made of plastic so a few scratches won't hurt it ... much.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:24 -0700

flyaway
Concrete isn't a great surface to launch from, but the boat is made of plastic so a few scratches won't hurt it ... much.

It's important that the sprayskirt fit the cockpit perfectly. If it's too small, it won't go all the way around. If it's too big, the seal will be loose and allow water into the boat.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:27 -0700

flyaway
It's important that the sprayskirt fit the cockpit perfectly. If it's too small, it won't go all the way around. If it's too big, the seal will be loose and allow water into the boat.

The water is too shallow to paddle here, but pushing the paddle against the concrete floor will get the boat to deeper water.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:27 -0700

flyaway
The water is too shallow to paddle here, but pushing the paddle against the concrete floor will get the boat to deeper water.

Meredith is clowning around pretending she's about to roll over.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:29 -0700

flyaway
Meredith is clowning around pretending she's about to roll over.

Meredith pauses to give Mom a happy smile before she heads out.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:39 -0700

flyaway
Meredith pauses to give Mom a happy smile before she heads out.

Paddling along.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:39 -0700

flyaway
Paddling along.

After dodging the many fishing boats on the lake on this beautiful day, Meredith heads toward a point of land to meet Mom.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:41 -0700

flyaway
After dodging the many fishing boats on the lake on this beautiful day, Meredith heads toward a point of land to meet Mom.

As environmentally-friendly boats, kayaks can go just about anywhere -- including into a waterlily patch.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:40 -0700

flyaway
As environmentally-friendly boats, kayaks can go just about anywhere -- including into a waterlily patch.

A kayaker can get up close and personal with waterlilies and take beautiful photographs that can't be gotten by those stuck on shore.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Tue, 08 Jun 2004 21:27:01 -0700

flyaway
A kayaker can get up close and personal with waterlilies and take beautiful photographs that can't be gotten by those stuck on shore.

As she was talking to Meredith, Mom suddenly turned to check out a bird that had just flown into a tree.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 13:11:52 -0700

flyaway
As she was talking to Meredith, Mom suddenly turned to check out a bird that had just flown into a tree.

Meredith's paddle creates whirlpools as she backpaddles to turn around.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 12:38:30 -0700

flyaway
Meredith's paddle creates whirlpools as she backpaddles to turn around.

The main dock at Centennial Lake offers paddleboat, canoe, and double kayak rental, as well as a snack bar and bait store. The flags were at half-mast because Ronald Reagan had died the ...

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:43 -0700

flyaway
The main dock at Centennial Lake offers paddleboat, canoe, and double kayak rental, as well as a snack bar and bait store. The flags were at half-mast because Ronald Reagan had died the ...

Heading under the dock to take pictures of baby Barn Swallows.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:44 -0700

flyaway
Heading under the dock to take pictures of baby Barn Swallows.

A Barn Swallow sitting on one of the large concrete pilings that support the dock.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:45 -0700

flyaway
A Barn Swallow sitting on one of the large concrete pilings that support the dock.

"Feed me, feed me, feed me!"

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:48 -0700

flyaway
"Feed me, feed me, feed me!"

Little did Meredith know that as she paused in her paddling, a KILLER GOOSE was lurking behind her!

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:49 -0700

flyaway
Little did Meredith know that as she paused in her paddling, a KILLER GOOSE was lurking behind her!

Returning to the launching ramp after chatting with members of an L.L. Bean guided trip.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 08:08:49 -0700

flyaway
Returning to the launching ramp after chatting with members of an L.L. Bean guided trip.

Small recreational kayaks are more difficult to paddle than sea kayaks because they don't cut through the water as cleanly as the longer boats do, so Meredith has to paddle hard to get her s ...

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:32 -0700

flyaway
Small recreational kayaks are more difficult to paddle than sea kayaks because they don't cut through the water as cleanly as the longer boats do, so Meredith has to paddle hard to get her s ...

Meredith enjoys the feeling of being on in her kayak for one more moment before pulling the boat out and leaving the lake.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 07:55:31 -0700

flyaway
Meredith enjoys the feeling of being on in her kayak for one more moment before pulling the boat out and leaving the lake.

I'm proud of my beautiful daughter.

nobody@smugmug.com (flyaway) — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 10:43:36 -0700

flyaway
I'm proud of my beautiful daughter.