I always enter the Wekiva River through the Wekiwa State Park’s main entrance at 1800 Wekiwa Circle in Apopka. This is the only option for anyone arriving by car. As I don’t own a kayak or boat, I cannot use any of the river’s launch sites and this will always be the entrance I use to enter the river. I typically arrive between 11 am on Fridays.
After my group of friends park our cars, we walk about 30 feet ahead of us to the rental area, where we pay for our equipment rental fees. Then, we go to the rear of that building, turn left and walk 50 feet over to the paddling launch site where an attendant will issue the kayaks and canoes. We choose this path because the other path is much longer by about an additional 50 feet.While we are waiting to pick up and launch our equipment in the river, we outline a plan for our route and vote on just how fast the group will be paddling that day.
After the attendant push our boats into area deep enough where we can start paddling we enter a large bay towards the start of the river. Everyone in the group is typically quiet, the environment changes from a noisy wait area to a green eco-system. Here the smell of the air is clean as clear water flows down the spring-fed. Its a typical reaction of just being on the river where everyone is just observing. This is a day of the week the group agreed to set aside for relaxation, exercise and getting away from city life.
We paddle slowly, observing nature or taking a few pictures. At first, the conversations will center on pointing out any wildlife we see or just identifying rare fauna that is being re-introduced to the Eco-system by the park’s habitat restoration program. Our level of kayaking and rowing has improved after a few years of practice so mishaps are no longer a typical part of the trip and everyone stays safely on the path away from the wildlife.
After the first mile into the paddle, the group comes to the area where the river narrows and traffic builds up. All the other paddlers on the trail either wave or say hello as they pass by, we courteously say greet them and move to the side so they can pass by, but also so we can stay close together. After another mile there is almost no one on the river, so at that point we decide on a faster pace for a two mile paddle. We do this to compare against the previous weeks’ time to see if we are faster this week. After this, everyone takes a break with a snack or drink to rehydrate from their cooler pack.
This is a part of the river where bird’s screeches are sometimes the only sound that breaks the silence. There will often be moments of hushed silence as we paddle through tall and majestic cypress trees that line the water pathways. We just barely move our paddle and let the current move us along slowly trying not to disturb the silence. As we continue further down the river, we look around at all the untouched nature and wonder in hushed tones at how long this area managed to stay untouched by urbanization and at the many people before us who used the river. The general consensus is usually how relieved we are that that the river is not a tourist trap with hotels all along its bank. At this point we decide to turn around for the return trip.
Paddling up river is done at a slower pace because it’s tougher to paddle against the current. Sometimes we will join together to sing a song and very often, Pocahontas “Just around the River Bend is a popular choice with us. If there is any garbage in the river (candy wrappers or stray trash), one of us will use our paddle to drag it to the boat to keep in a bag for disposing it properly when we dock. After we exit the river, we return our equipment, say good bye and drive off in our cars until the next Friday when we return for another session of to recharge and relax and get in touch with nature.
Rhetorical strategy: This narrative, illustrates elements that contributes to the production of a space as rhetoric spatial practice of perceived space. Through this method of writing I use a spatial pattern of organization in my composition with cues or propositions such as straight ahead, next to, across, above, to the left, to the right to. The purpose of this strategy is this first part of the steps taken to provide information to later examine or analyze the reason we use the spaces the way we do. This second part of spatial practice will be written on we representational spaces.
References:
https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rshields/f/prodspac.htm
Vimmi Web 