First paddle of the year!

My kayak needed a few repairs from the previous year, and I was very slow to accomplish them.  The fiberglass had peeled away on the aft deck, and I had to cut the bad glass away and patch in a new piece.

Melissa, Amber, Kaitlyn, and I went on vacation to visit my parents in Massachusetts.  I wanted to get together w/ my grandfather for a paddle, as he's a paddling and cycling enthusiast @ age 73.  I brought my kayak with us on the trip.  Man, were we loaded heavy!  We even bought a Hitch Hauler platform to load even more junk on!

My mother came along with us, and borrowed my uncle Everett's kayak.  Thanks, Everett!

Gramps and I rode together to Webster Lake, and had a great chat on the way.  

We launched from the lower southeast corner of the south lake, and paddle clockwise around the lake.  There weren't a whole lot of boats on the water at first, but the traffic quickly filled in.  The wind was light, but in our faces most of the way.

There are some beautiful houses on the lake, so it was a nice sightseeing trip   There are ton of little coves to expore, and there were quite a few people out on their lawns that we chatted with.

A few highlights of the trip:

Stopped at a small beach at 'The Narrows' and had a snack and a swim.
Borrowed my grandfathers' feathered paddle and dumped myself by not remembering to twist it in my grip on a particularly strong stroke
Dropped my mother off at the northeast corner of the lake, as the wind was whipping up from the south and it was going to be a tough paddle back.  I picked her up on the drive back home.
Paddled like crazy back to the launch point

Total trip length - approx. 5.8 miles.