Don’t Rock My Boat

By Gus Dotson

It was a late summer day and my family was on the beach. We were paddle boarding and swimming. I was coming out of the water, when my Dad asked me if I wanted to use the canoe. I said, “Sure!” over the sound of water sloshing against our dock and the sailboat moored farther out.

Our family had been talking about using the canoe but we hadn’t gotten around to it. So, we decided that it was the perfect day. First we pulled out the canoe, then we got some oars. Finally, we put the canoe in the water. I was the first to use it so I got in and paddled out. As I paddled, I remembered when my friends and I would go canoeing in the Great Swamp in Westchester. The Swamp is in a nature preserve that is home to many species of turtles, birds and other living things. We used to go there with my mom and some of the guides she worked with at the Nature Conservancy. We would take friends and go out to see the wildlife.

Then all of a sudden I snapped back because a wave shook my canoe. I almost fell, but I caught myself. The water was fairly calm and there was a small breeze. I was excited and nervous. As I kept paddling, I thought I might flip at any moment. But after a minute I got the hang of paddling. So I picked up my brother and sister and we all went out together. At first we stayed close to the dock, but after a little while we started to go out farther and farther. The farthest we got was a quarter of the way to the East Dumpling.

The Dumplings are two small islands out in the harbor; there is an East Dumpling and a West Dumpling. This spring I hope to paddle all the way to the East Dumpling. The East Dumpling is an uninhabited island that has very good fishing areas around it. A lot of people like to have picnics on it. Also there are a few birds that live in it.