Shiawassee River
Many miles of paddling pleasure!
This summer I finally covered the last stretch of the Shiawassee River. I started this adventure without any clue of the big picture. Looking for a fun activity to do with the kids… I decided to take them and the dog for a ride in the canoe. And living in Holly… the Shiawassee River is a great place to go.
We started out paddling up or down the river a ways… and would then turn around and paddle back. The kids seemed to enjoy that… so one Sunday after church we paddled from Holly over to Fenton. We took other trips on other lakes and rivers… but the Shiawassee was close to home… and fun to explore.
Little did I know at the time… I would end up paddling the entire river. From the headwaters near Davisburg… through the lakes and millponds in all the little towns the river flows through. Eventually covering the last stretch through the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge to where the Shiawassee and Tittabawassee merge to form the Saginaw River… and on to Saginaw.
Piece of River… Peace of Mind
I live in small town called Holly in Michigan. One of the features of our town that I enjoy is the small river running along the edge of town. The Shiawassee River has been an important asset for the town since the beginning. It has served as a route for travel, a source of water and a source of power… where I enjoy it as a source of entertainment and relaxation.
Here is something I said about it in a post some years ago…
I have always loved water. What other substance can crumble mountains, carve canyons, and build fertile plains. I suppose air deserves a solid assist. It gets water where it needs to go…and adds some polish...but water does all the heavy lifting. Yet I love water for a different reason. Sit beside any ocean, lake, or stream and listen…and your blood pressure drops. Take a dip…and it drops even more. Nothing can relax and refresh quite like water.
Nothing has the power of water…except Love. Evil may build mountains of hate, resentment, fear…but love can carve them up, tear them down, and build plains of peace and trust from what remains. Love is the ultimate healing balm…though water is still pretty cool.
And you may wish I would just leave it there…but I can’t. There was a reason Jesus proclaimed to be the living water…and stated that God is Love. Our God possesses all those powers and more. Listen to the Holy Spirit and let it guide you to those plains of peace, trust and Love…and hold fast to them as the world tries to drag you through the canyons, into those mountains of fear and despair. Hang in there baby!
So how can one relax after a day of work?
This is me after a day of too many questions from users.
Add a beautiful evening and a flowing river.
Float and paddle until mixed.
This is me after a little time on the river.
