Happy new memories never take the place of old ones, just add to a treasured collection of good times.  I have a particular trove of kayak memories, dating back 20+ years, every one still precious.  We explored many lakes over those years in numerous states.  And I’ve had the pleasure of taking numerous 4-legged passengers along, some having fun, some not so much.

With life changes, some things must be relinquished but the memories survive.  And, of course, new ones are created.  With a new vehicle I had to part with my faithful kayak, Joe (named after my grandfather, whose fishing boat he named Little Cindy some 60 years ago, a memory unto itself).   Joe took me to intriguing places.  We explored quiet bays, beaver dams and peaceful shorelines.  He bumped over many dirt roads with me and my buddy to a new or favorite launch site.  He hauled camping supplies or souvenirs I’d pull out of a lake or shoreline debris.  Sometimes he just held a thermos of coffee for me.  Joe was a faithful servant, as was the truck that hauled him on all those adventures, both forever in my memory files of love.  

Now Coco and I are making new memories with a new kayak and a new van (neither has a name yet).  We’ve already racking up memories that we’ll cherish for years to come.  It’s fun anticipating memories yet to be made.

It’s interesting how memories work, sometimes appearing for no reason, sometimes triggered by a current event or repetition of something in the past.  There’s always room for new ones.  Let’s keep track of how many fun ones we collect this week!