“What do you mean, you’ve never been in a canoe?  You’re a Canadian aren’t you?  And so I stepped into a tippy canoe and sat very still and paddled out into the middle of the lake and heard with a chill up my spine the observation, “Hmm….we must look at the little tear in the bottom of the canoe.  More water is coming in than last year” .  It certainly was fun to glide down a little rapid spot between two lakes but later  terrifying to discover that I must paddle really really hard to get back into the first lake.  No question of stopping or the little craft would be swept against some nasty rocks and since we already had that worrisome tear, we wouldn’t want that!  My arms!

” I wonder if we could drive the car through this bit of water?  Bring a long branch and we will test how deep it is. ” This after several kilometers of torturous track during which I had to get out several times while the intrepid driver navigated what looked like a river wash out…..no ATV for us, of course.  A Toyota sedan will do.  “What do you mean there’s nowhere to turn around!”

” You don’t know how to ride a bicycle?  But it’s simple physics.  If we lower the seat and the centre of gravity is low enough, you won’t have any trouble!  What kind of childhood did you have?   OK?  Look here’s a tandem.  You can do that!” Oh, I can

A bookish childhood.  A studious childhood.  A dreamy childhood.  A thoughtful childhood.  A shy and rather timid childhood.

Time to make up for lost time under the kind guidance of one who understands physics…and other things.