This is where I love to paddle my kayak in the summer- Essex Bay, MA

 

 

 

This is the event in the spring which gets me excited about getting my boat into the water- the Essex River Race.  A few years ago, I entered the race and finished.  (Dead last! haha!)
Now I just go and watch everyone else in their human-powered boats.

 

.....like Jimmy Tarantino, of Gloucester, rowing his new dory.

 

 

 

Here are a few boaters getting ready to start, in the Essex River near the town landing.

 

 

 

A Seine boat team coming up to Conomo Point, at the halfway mark (about 2.5 miles)

 

 

 

 

 

Paddlers and rowers going out around Cross Island into the most exposed water of the race course.  See Crane's Beach in the distance?

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=crane's+beach+ipswich+ma&ie=UTF-8&ei=WLCPUdD0HtKo4AOEkoDgCg&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAg

 

 

 

 

I kept thinking- We are so lucky to live here!