H2O: hydrogen and oxygen. It’s the only chemistry some of us remember from high school–the simplest part. Its impact on humans is also simple; we simply can’t live without it.
Water covers 71% of the earth and fills about 60% of our bodies. In 16-ounce form, it’s a commercial product encased in plastic. In mass form, it’s a means for maritime commerce and a venue for play, reflection, excitement, and sometimes destruction. (Think hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.)
I don’t buy bottled water. I’m not involved in maritime commerce. But I definitely do water play.
Wherever I live and anywhere I travel, I seek out “the water” — usually to play but often to reflect. (Sometimes both.) If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’ve taken several trips by water, including in Egypt and China. You know that I’m on the water a lot while in Michigan. You may not know I do it a lot in the Washington D.C. area, too. People are often surprised at how many water opportunities you can find in an urban area. All you have to do is look. Here’s a few recent examples.
Susan and I met on a sailboat on the Potomac River decades ago. We both qualified to “captain” — i.e., to rent ourselves — but haven’t rented in decades. Until a week ago. The winds on the Potomac were perfect for a refresher. This is a 19-foot, two-sail “day sailer” called a Flying Scot.
The closest place for me to launch my inflatable board is the Columbia Island Marina adjacent to the Pentagon and just four miles from my house. I launch there often.
In early June, the geese were out in large numbers….
…and some goslings rested on dirty marina pontoons. Maybe waiting for dinner to arrive?
The marina inlet heads inland to pass under a stone bridge. The car passengers crossing this bridge aren’t even aware they are briefly passing over water as they rush to their next appointment.
The water under the bridge swirls with the tide. This inlet joins the Potomac River both upstream and downstream. I’ve done “the circle” once by paddleboard, but the tide and winds made it tricky.
As you pass under the bridge, you almost forget you’re just a mile from the nation’s capitol with all its new construction (like the proposed 250-foot arch very close to here), its argument, and its noise.
The second-closest launch is Washington Sailing Marina, adjacent to National Airport. This is where I qualified to rent local boats. (I was already qualified by the U.S. Navy but that didn’t count.) You can just make out the shoreline of Washington DC on the other side of the big flag.
The third place to launch from the Virginia side of the Potomac River is Belle Haven Marina, where Susan and I rented the sailboat. This week, I explored a weird raft that wasn’t there last year. The osprey was not pleased that I got close. You can see Washington Harbor across the river on the right, built recently as a “destination complex.” Old Town Alexandria is on the left, and the “V” construction of the Wilson Bridge is visible on the other side of the makeshift raft.
I don’t always get on the water…sometimes just alongside it. Here’s the Memorial Bridge into Washington D.C., with the Washington Cathedral visible on the skyline. I’ve jogged, biked, roller-bladed, skied and snowshoed on this path dozens (hundreds?) of times over 30+ years.
One of my favorite sites along that path is the Navy and Marine Memorial, called “Waves and Gulls.” One reason it’s so powerful is its understatement. The Washington Monument is across the river, but looks closer than that here. The President hopes to build his dramatic arch about half as tall, close to this spot. It will change the skyline, the views, and the experience of this trail for me. I would call it an overstatement, and hope it’s stopped somehow. (I sent in my input. For what it’s worth.)
My water play includes diving, which Susan and I did recently in Grenada. I learned to dive in very cold water, but I seek out warm water now. Water play doesn’t need to be uncomfortable!
We also sailed at Grenada. The Hobie Cats sure are fun in the right wind.
Susan got me into water skiing, slalom skiing, and wake surfing — but the last time I did that was three years ago. I don’t mind leaving a few options behind. I don’t go white-water-rafting any more either, though I often think of it. (A trip down the Colorado River may still be possible.) So many water play options! And I haven’t even mentioned kayaking, rowing, and basic cruising.
And then there’s just sitting on the water’s edge. That, too, is satisfying–especially when it’s at a camp we carved out of thick woods and wet soil. This is that calming effect I mentioned.
I also love to sit-and-watch when it’s all stirred up, like this. The water has as many moods as humans–and shows them. (Unlike the “hardy Finns” who learn to hide almost all feelings. 😉 )
Winter and early spring on the water offer their own perspectives, for those willing to look…
I hope these photos inspire you to get “get out there,” if you aren’t already…even if to sit on the shore. And please think again about bottled water. I often see bottles floating on and sometimes under the water. If you saw them, too, I know you’d reconsider bottled-water dependence.
I leave this post with a few “bonus” photos of Boo the Boating Cat, who spent months on a moving boat without complaint. (Well, she did complain once…loudly…when the waves were on the beam.) Here’s how she spends her time across the Potomac River from Washington D.C.
In my garden. Sleeping, yawning, chewing grass…and sometimes puking. It’s what cats do.
At age 17 and just six pounds, she’s still handsome. And brave. I challenged her with adventure, and she accepted it…even on a paddleboard. (That was in Michigan; I won’t chance it here in D.C.) Stay cool, Boo! I know it was 99 degrees today. We’ll be back in the far-north soon. On the water.
For Many Moons 