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It’s May, and time to celebrate with sanity machines. If you are asking, “What’s a sanity machine?” then you missed last week’s column.

We explored the joys of riding a bicycle and how that simple activity can keep people healthier – both physically and mentally. It provides exercise and fresh air (assuming you are not on an exercise bike) and has a marvelous way of focusing the mind on the moment and immediate surroundings, leaving cares and concerns behind for a while.

Other sanity machines can accomplish the same thing, including some that are motorized. However, it’s my belief that the more actively the machine engages us physically, the more efficient it will be in nurturing our mental health.

Another machine high on my list is the kayak, which is inexpensive to own, maintain and operate. (Canoes and inflatables also qualify, but my knowledge of them is more limited.)

Perhaps calling a kayak a “machine” is a bit of a stretch. But, as with bicycles, people provide the power and kayaks also can focus the mind on the moment and immediate surroundings.

My first paddle of the season was with my brother and two friends on an unnamed, 70- to 80-acre lake on State Game Lands 269 in northwest Crawford County. Now my brother, Tim, is an avid flatwater kayaker who visits dozens of water bodies of all sizes annually.

This little lake is among his favorites and draws him at least once every season. With its mixture of tiny islands, shallows, and swampy areas, it holds an abundance of wildlife. On various visits here Tim has seen a nesting pair of bald eagles, large carp, impressively sized snapping turtles and more than a dozen different species of birds.

Our paddle there wasn’t quite as exciting, but Tim identified 10 different species of birds, including great blue herons, a green heron, Canada geese, a turkey vulture, a couple of varieties of swallows, red-winged blackbirds, and a yellow warbler.

With fascination we watched a brood of chicks – Tim thought they were grebes, due to the diving prowess of the mother – cluster and move across the open water almost as one; swimming mostly but occasionally scampering in short spurts across the surface.

Pulling up to a small finger of land surrounded by water, our friend Jay discovered a grayish snake sunning itself amid the still-sparse spring growth. Rendered rather sluggish by the upper-50s temperature, the snake didn’t move despite Jay’s proximity just a few feet away.

The day itself was delightful. Instead of the predicted cloudy conditions with a possibility of rain, it was sunny with long sweeps of cirrus accenting the blue sky. A band of heavier clouds remained to the south of us and didn’t threaten.

Continuous breezes gusted at times, pushing my kayak at a paddle pace. We went with the breeze to the far end of the lake then paddled into the teeth of it while returning to the take-out.

By then breezy conditions had grown to windy, churning the small lake’s surface with swells that reached about a foot in height, some with white caps. We had to paddle directly into them; the wavelets broke over our bows and sprayed us a bit.

Dressed with a wicking base layer and waterproof outer layer for the cooler temperatures and predicted possibility of rain, I found the final leg invigorating rather than uncomfortable. The entire outing was delightful, a true escape from the pressures and worries of daily life.

In comparison, kayaks are cheaper than quality bicycles and almost maintenance-free. But prospective paddlers will need a rack for their vehicle, a good personal flotation device (“life jacket”) and specialized clothing – especially for more-marginal conditions.

In other words, whether your interest trends toward a kayak or a bicycle, expect to make some investment. Either is a cheap way to maintain your sanity.

To respond to this column – or read other columns by Dave Hurst – visit www.hurstmediaworks.com.

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Sun and clouds mixed. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 76F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Mainly clear skies. Low 52F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

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