Early January was our last time on the water rowing at Maritime Rowing Club upriver in Norwalk. Our club is north of the Yankee Doodle Bridge on the Norwalk River which had been ice bound mostly on and off during January and February. Reports were that warmer weather would come the week of Feb 22. Could that be, we wondered, while the snow was flying and the ice was forming in mid-February?
Our coaches said yes to Wednesday, Feb. 24, and sure enough the water was free of ice and the sun was bright at the 7 a.m. dock time. I was so excited. Seagulls screamed and swans flapped their wings as I walked down the ramp. The docks still had snow and ice, but the water looked super. High tide, no wind and flat water. We kicked the snow away on the dock, pulled the Alden boats to the water and had at it. Two rowers, two coaches. What a great feeling to be back on the water!