Last row of automn

My Sunday starts at 8:15 with breakfast and preparing energy drink and cereal bar. Don't forget the keys and sneak out of the house leaving the family to sleep. This morning it is about 0° C which is freezing point to all you non metric people.

The walk down to the river is about 5 minutes at a brisk pace - beginning of warm up. The upturned boat is covered in ice again this morning, thicker on the foamed compartments. Set up is done gloves on, turn boat over onto chariot after unlocking the chain. Strap on to chariot then go get oars and chariot wheels from the boat shed. Nobody to greet this morning, I am alone.

The dock is covered in frost, careful not to slip when putting the boat in the water! There is a slight breeze from the north, good news, I'll have a tail wind on the way home. It also brings the temperature down a degre or two... Going to be a cool one. Pushing off the breeze is strong enough to spin the boat around before I get the oars set - I really am going to put a fin under the hull to fix that. Gloves off and first strokes northward up the river.

Beginning of warm up - stay slow on the strokes so not to damage any muscles. I am wearing lots of layers today: T-shirt, rugby sweatshirt (All Blacks of course!), a heavy jumper and a windbreaker. My neck is protected with a motorcycle polar tube and I have the wool bonnet pulled well down over the ears. 1 kilometer out, still cold, a flock of seagulls are fighting with three crows over something in the water. One of the crows dives in (!) and flies of with a dead fish in its beak followed by the two others screaming dissaproval. The seagulls shut up and fly of disappointed. 2.5 kilometers out the sun comes up over the horizon and the oaks burst into flame! Reds and oranges brightly lit by the low angle of the sun. Sun glasses on, windbreaker off, I am warm now. Time to drink even though I haven't sweated a drop - easy to forget to take in fluids when it is so cold but your body won't forgive you if you do forget. Jeez the drink is colder than when I took it out of the fridge. Once again the stiff breeze swings the boat around (mutters...).

Heading on to the 5 kilometre mark, still alone on the water, drinking in the beauty as I approche the first Chateau. There are the blazing oaks but also pines and some willows which have kept some green leaves. Flashes of yellow here and there, I forgot the camera again (mutters...). Now is the time to decide, press on or turn back, the 5 km mark is the motorway bridge and a 10 km row is arount the pile and back home. Today despite the cold I decide to press on a little more. I am now quite warm but still in the shade on this side of the river. Another 1.5 kilometres on I decided that my feet are very cold so I turn back. Back down under the bridge far off behind a thwock-thwock, I turn and see the first skiff bearing down on me. 8 kilometres alone this morning. I'm in the sun now and the wind is pushing me, I'm hot. Roll up bonnet off ears and collar down but not so far as to risk a muscular incident in the neck. Feet freezing I continue home meeting more and more boats as I progress. When I get to the second bridge and stop for a drink a female four are also stopped for a breather - "Hello" and smiles, hmmnnn that would be a very pretty boat in the summer season...

Back at the club the good ole boys are out on the float helping crews on and off. They find that my hands are warm compared to theirs - nothing like a natural wood grip to keep rowing hands warm. I only wish my feet were so warm. Fixed seat rowing doesn't use them much compared to sliding seat where they are always in movement. Home and shower - nothing like the hot autumn shower. Now into the kitchen and back to my job - house dad. Todays menu: chinese sauté pork and fried noodles!

Tony Grant [kiwi]