Last Saturday, after much waiting and pining, I finally made the overdue crossing to Dalkey Island. We have been gazing at it through our window for almost 5 months. Shaynie was desperate to come, so I took her with me. I was glad to have the company. We paddled by five sea lions relaxing on the rocks. Several jumped in the water and followed us to shore. We took it as a good omen. Much like the dreaded Fire Swamp in "The Princess Bride", Dalkey Island has three dangers (or at least things to see)... Sea Lions, Rabbits, and Goats.
We pulled our Kayak on shore and made our way up to the old chapel (built in the 10th century). The ground was soggy and springy as we made out way along the worn goat paths and clumps of grass.
We looked across the channel to our house, where weston was home watching cartoons. Shaynie exclaimed that she was glad to be on an adventure, instead of being lazy at home (sorry Wes)! She was in a great mood. She even suggested we build a cabin on the island and live there.
To our surprise we soon spotted a number of rabbits scampering across the grass to their hidden burrows. Shaynie was wearing her Mom's oversized rain boots and stood no chance of catching them; but she gave it her best shot.
We explored a few of the other old buildings on the island, watched the flock of disturbed sea birds circle over head, and made up stories about past inhabitants of the island. All too soon, I cut our trip short, noticing ominous weather on the horizon. We stomped across the island via a different set of trails, and were soon rewarded. Huddled behind an outcropping of rocks we found the goats. Satisfied with finding the 'Dalkey Big Three' we marched down the hill to our boat.
As I turned to look at Shaynie, I was filled with a father's pride. It had been a good morning, and a memorable adventure. One that we had talked about for months. Unfortunately, that was only half of the story...
By the time we reached the boat, the wind had really picked up, and there were large waves in the channel. White caps. I tried to stay calm as be pushed off the jetty. It was immedialy obvious things were going to be tough. My kayak was not made for the ocean, it has no keel. It was also only made for one person. With it's flat bottom, we were tossed in all directions It was difficult to make any headway, and the waves twirled us around, heaving us up and down as they rolled by. I tired to remain calm, but was visibly struggling. At one point, Shaynie turned to me and said "Dad I am supporting you. You know - like supporting a team in the Olympics". She remained calm as I tired to keep us upright, and fight the current pulling us out to sea. I asked her to sing a song to help us. She choose "Silent night.. all is calm, all is bright.." Before we got to the second verse, a big wave hit us from the side and threw us off, into the freezing rough Irish sea (there is still snow in the hills around us). We were about 100 yards from shore. I righted the overturned kayak, and pushed a shaken little girl into the boat. I made my way to the back and tried to steady it with my weight, while swimming to shore. It soon became clear that I was not going to get us anywhere. The wind and tide were too strong. I continued to talk to Shaynie, who had calmed down was trying to remain positive and happy. She was a real trooper - which helped calm my own nerves. I continued to swim towards shore and tried to 'surf' the waves in the right direction. After about 10 to 15 mintes we made it to some rocks on the coast. They provided a barrier from the waves and wind, and allowed me to paddle the kayak (while on my stomach) to a place were we could crawl out. I was tense, cold, exhausted and stressed.
Shaynie ran on ahead of me and met Rebekah at the front door. This picture captured her expression. She was as happy and cheerful as when the adventure began. I was so impressed with her attitude and determination Aside from the initial shock of the cold Irish sea, she was upbeat, positive and calm. I could not have asked for a better companion (okay, maybe someone with a real boat would have been nice). I staggered up to the house a few minutes later like a drowned rat - with a new respect for Dalkey channel and a deeper appreciation and love for my little girl.
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