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A quiet weekend isn’t far away. Ten women found this out on April 16
and 17, when they paddled an 8.5 mile stretch of Village Creek near
Kountze, north of Beaumont. The water was flowing about 900 CFS
due to a storm that had blown through earlier in the week.
This made the paddling easy, but also required attention to thread
the downed trees. The temperature was mild, the humidity low, and o
verhanging trees provided shade. A big crowd was putting in at
FM 418, which is common on the weekends in good weather, but
by the time we’d run the shuttle they’d moved on.
We saw just a few other paddlers as we floated along.
Our group was a mix of seasoned and new paddlers, a great opportunity
to get to chat with old friends and make new ones.
Five women were making the trip for the first time.
Cordy Brunson made her first trip in a kayak and did well.
PJ Missman and Perri Wickham took bow positions with canoeists
Martha Williams and Anne Olden. Cecilia Gill and Cheryl Cleary
kayaked on their first women’s outing.. Thanks to Cindy Bartos for
taking the lead and spotting the log that required portaging.
Ann Derby handled her Wenonah smoothly, and
Peggy Schneider worked on her tan while paddling.
Back at the cabin we enjoyed munchies and libations on the shady patio.
Everyone had brought something for dinner or for Sunday breakfast;
Cecilia’s shrimp wrapped in bacon and grilled were a special treat.
And no one touched the fat free whipped cream that Cheryl brought to
top the pound cake and fresh strawberries – we went for the creamy
(read fat and tasty) stuff!
After breakfast on Sunday we went for a stroll in the woods, then
returned to relax on the patio. There are lots of birds to be heard –
and sometimes seen. People seemed reluctant to leave, but by noon
we began packing up. The cabin offers a comfortable,
relaxing retreat not far from Houston. If you want to rent it,
make reservations
at least six months in advance. It’s very popular.
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