Out on the Lake, Day 3

We wanted to go canoeing/kayaking on the Black River, but the river was too low.  Hatfield Sport Shop suggested we paddle on this beautiful lake!

Lake Arbutus is in Jackson County, northeast of Black River Falls, and just a few minutes from the cabin.  So Ally and Cy took kayaks, Mark, Shae & Wynne took a canoe, and Paige and I took another canoe out on a sunny Wednesday morning.

It was a bit breezy that day, and with me not having canoed for probably 15 years, it didn't take long for Paige and I go get way behind the others.  They rounded the bend on this huge lake, and I was so made because I wanted to all stick together and get some family pictures!!  As you can see, they were nowhere in sight. (although you can see my camera strap;)

I was in the front of the canoe (the bow), and I had to turn around carefully to snap this picture of my sternswoman, Paigey!

Cy beat us all like it was some sort of a race or something.

 Mark, Wynne, and Shae were way ahead of us on the way out  on the lake, but then they started to slow down on the way back.  I thought Mark was trying to be slow so he could sneak up & overtake us on the way back.  He smirked at me when we finally met up with them on the way out, so I figured he was going to tease us by letting us "think" we were beating his canoe on the way back to the beach.

 Ally loves to kayak and got lots of experience at her Uncle Greg & Aunt Marin's lake a few weeks ago.

 This is the last picture I took of these 3 in their canoe.  It's kind of scary to look at it now, because after we rounded the bend and headed back, the wind picked up and made things very difficult for all of us.  Ally, Cy, and I didn't see these guys tip their canoe and have to swim to shore!!

 On our way back to the beach, Paige and I saw Mark and the girls walking along the shoreline.  I knew something was wrong when I saw them all walking barefoot, Mark with no cap, Wynne holding one of his shoes, and Shae holding only one oar.  After a very scary encounter in the choppy water, they finally managed to swim to shore.  The rental shop received a call that someone saw one of their capsized canoes and a flipflop!  Thank God everyone was safe!!

A nice homeowner on the lake drove Mark and the girls to the park where we were waiting (with the beach).  Then Mark and Paige paddled in our canoe back to where we had put in to get our vehicle and pick the rest of us up.  You can't tell from Wynne and Shae's smiles that they had gone through something very traumatic and scary just minutes before.

  In the waiting time, I prayed and thanked God for my family and our safety.

 Ally got a hold of the camera and started snapping these candids.  Yuck...there's one of me!!!

I had a dream of what Mark might have gone through that night.  It was a scary, helpless feeling underwater for him, not knowing where Wynne was for a few seconds (when she was under the canoe).  Thank God we were all wearing lifejackets and that our girls have had some swimming lessons.  Thank God that He saw fit to spare us a tragedy that bright, blue, breezy day.  Who knows how many times we are spared throughout our lifetimes, when we don't even know it?  As we learned last month in VBS, the Lord is our strong tower where we can run and be safe!!

The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life.--Psalm 121:7