Tue 7 Jul 2009
The First Float
Posted by Annabella under Info, Observing Nature, Rock River Times, Don Miller
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From the Rock River Times
By Don Miller, Education Director, Severson Dells Nature Center
Ely Keilback was born on February 6, 2009, this is a fact. However the legend of Ely starts here; after floating around in embryonic fluids for over nine-months, Ely was ready to run the current of his mom’s birth canal. The legend continues that he ran the canal like all good river runners who were being dumped, feet first. This is standard procedure just incase there should be obstacles in the way; the legs can provide a cushion for the body. There were no obstacles, but the story is told that Ely came out paddling. He used a perfect forward stroke with an occasional j-corrective stroke to continue himself on his straight and narrow path. (Mom Keilback says that Ely also used the sweep and pry strokes on his way out. Mom should know.) When he burst from the chute he took a deep inhale breath that was full of cosmic dust gathered through the eons, with it was water vapor from all the rivers and lakes of the world as well as the spirit of all those adventurers that that are living now and have lived before.
So at the age of three-months it was no surprise to me that Ely was canoeing on the Kishwaukee River. Now don’t be calling the DCFS on us, he was in good, if not great hands. He was with his mom, dad and me! We found ourselves on a warm May day running two canoes from Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve to Atwood Park in New Milford. I couldn’t help but think of the “circle of life” as I pushed off my canoe from the bank. Here I was floating with Ely on his first float on the same stretch of river that less than a year ago I had canoed with my friend Fran Lowman. Fran had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and that trip was to be her last float. It was a privilege to float with both Fran as it is now with Ely; such is the circle of life.
I was ecstatic when the Keilbacks called and had included me in their plans. They would be in one canoe with Ely and I would be in the other, with camera ready. A writer’s first obligation to his readers is to tell the truth. Well for the first 15 minutes little Ely wailed big time. Holy cow he wailed!!! It was a complete exercise in lung capacity building. But after mom readjusted his straight jacket of a life preserver, we all relaxed without adding any more water to the already high flow of the Kish.
Hope is not an action word. Nothing ever happens just because you hope it will. I know that there are people who are “half full” as well as there are people who are “half empty.” One can spend an insurmountable time hoping that their glass would become full or one can go out and fill it. Keilbacks are the type of parents who are going to fill Ely’s cup to the top. They will expose him to nature, make it fun, as well as give him room to grow. And yes, and then hope for the best. Life is full of choices. As parents we choose what is important to us to introduce to our children. It could be a variety of things: soccer, bowling, basketball,…nose to the grindstone homework values, dress codes, music, and we all know at some point in their young lives, peers and others will have their influence as well. We have know idea what our kids interest or focus may end up being. We can only lead them down the trail so far.
I wish on Ely’s first exposure to running rivers I could tell you about how an eagle soared over our heads, or about an osprey robbing the river of one of its small mouth bass, or that a pair of great blue herons performed their ancient dance on the shores…but none of that happened. Such is life, were we disappointed? Hell no! We saw a kingfisher that lead us down the river and chatted the whole way. Who knows maybe it’s a language not forgotten by three month old babies? We heard a barred owl asking,”who cooks for you, who cooks for you?” The banks were lustfully green and the sun was placing dancing diamonds on the waters surface. There was a young mom and dad with their baby boy at one within a family and at one within nature, filling their cups to the brim.
Ely will remember this day through pictures that will be shown and stories that will be told and retold. He may not actually remember the event at all, and that is okay because we did it as much for ourselves and we did it for him. This trip I am sure was the first of many adventures Ely will have in his life. As we floated Ely’s first float we went by a dad on the bank skipping stones with his young daughter. Further downstream the current took us by a grandma fishing from shore with her grandson. They were not at home “hoping” to go fishing or to skip rocks, they were making it happen.
The journey ends and we pull our canoes out of the water. Dad Keilback sprinkles a small amount of Kishwaukee River water on his son’s head. If you are shaking your head at that… don’t. There was no sac-religiousness in this act. Isn’t the love between a father, mother and child and them sharing the beauty of this world we live in with each other, a sacred thing to celebrate? To consecrate?
So welcome aboard little Ely, ride that current of life and always keep your cup full. I promise you that it will be a most amazing float. Love, “Uncle” Don
