I needed most what I did today. I kayaked the Pomme de Terre River from Potters Ford to the 215 bridge. Mark was in his canoe. The day was a perfect balance of several important things. There was peace, found by communing with nature by being still. There was the perfect amount of adventure, which lies in the freezing cold water and fallen trees across the river that get really close to flipping you over. The water was clear as crystal. At the bottom of the river we saw countless turtles. We saw a herd of deer cross the river behind us. There were several herons, ducks, and one bald eagle. The eagle was eating a deer carcass and as we approached he flew up to a tree limb. We passed right under him. Even though the leaves were gone, there was still so much green around. We saw little patches of tall blue-green colored grass. The scenery was just like the images of the Ozarks that Andreas Feininger took back in the 40s. [link] We underestimated the float time and had to take out two bridges early. As we waited for Bethany to come we built a fire under the 215 bridge and got warm as it got dark. The trip was capped off by finding a truck parked right behind my dad's truck and an interaction with 3 angry deer hunters. They said that the land owner was mad that I parked there and decided to trap me in and that he was off in the field somewhere. When I said, "I think I can just pull forward and back out behind it," they then said "Well, maybe the keys are inside the truck." They were, of course, and then they moved it for me. I think it was a very mutual distrust of each other's truthfullness.