Working On The River
I just got back from a "Thank You" party for people who volunteer with the Damariscotta River Association and it occurred to me that it was I who should be thanking them. They provided me with an inexpensive way to spend a lot of time on the water and Jim can't get mad at me for not being in the office because I was volunteering for a good cause!
The Damariscotta River Association River Stewards program is similar to programs on other rivers such as the Hudson River Stewards program. The basic mission of the stewards is to monitor what happens on the river as well as write an article for the local paper to keep the public informed.
I volunteered for the DRA's River Steward program not because I am a very altruistic person but because my boat is sitting with a "For Sale" sign on it in a boatyard in Boothbay and 8' Avon inflatables aren't a lot of fun with 4 people in them. So I signed up to take the DRA's 20' Aquasport and other volunteers up and down the Damariscotta River.
It turned out to be a terrific experience. There is something almost spiritual about getting up early, heading down to the dock, bailing out the dinghy, rowing out to the boat and bringing it across a quiet harbor. As one of the other volunteers said, "if this doesn't lower your blood pressure by 20 points I don't know what will.
So "Thank You" Damariscotta River Association. You do good work.
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