Full Moon paddle is not just a clever name. It’s also a regular activity at the Fort Worth Nature Center. I called and reserved a spot a month in advance. After having booked it, I had at least 30 days to imagine the luminous, opaque, full moon from the vantage point of a canoe. This was an all inclusive activity. The nature center provided the paddle, the canoe and the guide. This was going to be a night tour of the Trinity River which only allowed twelve participants. I was hoping to see a beaver, an alligator, and no snakes. When the day finally arrived I was bubbling over with anticipation. I set out on this short expedition with a friend from work, my BFF and her boyfriend. After the initial introductions, we all rode to the nature center together. The bonding process started. I had not seen my friend for a while so I tried to catch up with her.
She asked, “Do I look any different?”
I did not detect any obvious change in her appearance so I guessed. “Are you engaged?”
Her bright smile flashed as she nodded her head, “Yes!” She raised her arm so that her hand and ring could be easily admired.
“Wow!” I said, “Congratulations, that is wonderful news!”
Her ring was a simple band. When we arrived at the nature center, no one was at the gate. I did not know where we should go. Luckily, at that moment, two women in a white Toyota drove past us.
I pointed and said, “Follow that car.”
Luckily, that car lead us directly to the place we needed to be. After checking in with our guide, we parked. Everyone formed a circle and one of the leaders went over the rules, then instructed us on how to use our paddles. We put on life jackets and made sure they fit. Grasping in one hand my paddle, I gazed at the canoes. They were full size.
Once we got situated inside the canoe, my partner said, “Wow, you are so far away.”
I sat at the front of the canoe which allowed me the greatest view. My friend sat at the back. The temperature was steadily growing cooler. I debated whether or not to take my jacket but ended up leaving it in the car. I was wearing a short sleeve shirt and hiking pants.
Our group of 8 canoes started out heading East. Our guide had spotted an Osprey and an owl earlier and he wanted to see if they were still there. As we rounded the corner, I saw the Osprey perched high in an old tree. His wing span was magnificent. He lifted off from the dying tree that he had been perched on. As we turned our canoe around I finally saw the moon. It was huge. It beamed and reflected on the smooth surface of the water. With each passing moment, it was growing darker. Looking around I felt like the tiny moth attracted to the flame, I was perfectly spellbound by the natural beauty before me. At the front of our canoes, there was a pole with one tiny light attached to the end. We looked like floating candles from a distance. The reeds along the river were at least six feet high. One of the ladies in our party had expressed an interest in seeing an Alligator. We stopped at a male beaver’s bachelor pad. Our guide, Chad, told us the brief history of the 4 year old male beaver that made the den. Then we paddled down to the family lodge where we learned more about the mated pair of beavers. They had been together for ten years. Wow. As Chad explained the beaver’s life cycle, my eye’s scanned the shore for any sign of movement. Once we moved downriver, we saw a couple of baby alligators, heard two beavers slap their tail, and we kept upsetting a Great Blue Heron who was trying to fish.
The water was very shallow at a couple of points and we had to follow our guide in a single file line. Three times I heard the Great Blue Heron give us a warning. It sounded ominous and scary. We paddled vigorously for two hours. My partner in the canoe kept trying to keep up with our guide. It took me a while to figure out how to direct the canoe. All the movements were foreign to me. Several times we bumped into other canoes because I could not figure out how to steer us to the right or left. When one of the beavers slapped his tail against the surface of the water, I couldn’t help feeling like an awestruck teenager. It was so dark. Looking up, I could see stars. The light from the moon seemed to grow brighter. It allowed us to see the stumps that were dotted throughout the river.
We eventually made it back to the dock. By this time, I was shivering. It took 30 minutes to unload the canoes. Soon my engaged friend, her fiance and my friend were back in the car headed home. I recommend the Full Moon Paddle at the Fort Worth Nature Center to anyone and everyone.
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