“Do you know if there are lily pads, it means the water isn’t deep?” Leo, the 6 year old expert asked his sister Stella.
“Well, I can paddle through these lily pads,” Stella replied as she put her short metal paddle into the water.
Thirty minutes earlier, Stella, age 4, was unsure about getting into a canoe, but she quickly became a brave expert.
“Look, Stella! I’m making a tunnel with my paddle!” Leo discovered how water passing over a paddle makes a wave.
“I see two, no four birds!” exclaimed Stella.
Papère asked, “Do you see those bubbles? That means there’s something under there.”
“Maybe it’s an alligator?” Leo responded with no fear in his voice.
As we paddled, we came across a real alligator. Here’s a video of our encounter.
Our canoeing morning was just the right end to a weekend with our grandchildren.
Reflections on the Teche 