{"id":22090,"date":"2020-02-07T18:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T02:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=22090"},"modified":"2020-04-07T09:22:22","modified_gmt":"2020-04-07T16:22:22","slug":"canoeing-and-childish-wonder-on-scotlands-tay-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2020\/02\/07\/canoeing-and-childish-wonder-on-scotlands-tay-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Canoeing and Childish Wonder on Scotland’s Tay River"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tiptoeing over mud puddles and dancing between trickling streams, we\u2019re fighting to keep our feet dry while portaging gear down to the River Tay. The mid-September showers have subsided, for the moment, and we use the break to load paddles, drybags, throwbags and a small dog, named Gigha, into whitewater canoes. But this is Scotland, so the impending drizzles, mist and fog only add to the ambiance of a day paddling on the longest river in this water-rich country.<\/p>\n

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When my foot slips into the river, submerging fully as I push the canoe away from the shore, I can finally surrender to the rain and stop fighting the losing battle to stay dry. The moment socks become saturated and soles are soiled, is when a paddling trip\u2014be it a day outing or a month-long adventure\u2014really begins. It\u2019s the moment when your adult worries wash away, and you can enjoy the simplicity, excitement and exploration of paddling a canoe on a new river. It\u2019s when you start to feel like a kid again.<\/p>\n