Friends and family waited for us at Possum Kingdom Lake. They asked if we were happy to be home and have it all behind us. The truth is, had someone handed us six gallons of fresh water and rations, we could have kept paddling on towards the Gulf of Mexico. A 32-day wilderness trip will change any individual's outlook on life. You can't help but return home with a better appreciation of what civilization has to offer, the conveniences such as running (clean) water from a faucet, a soft (dry) bed, and (for old men with bad backs) your favorite reclining chair. There is also an almost indescribable feeling of being insignificant. Not a sense of less importance in our day-to-day lives, but a better understanding, or perhaps acceptance, of the power of nature. A thought process occurs that entails a comparison of how small we really are as compared to the forces of nature, such things as wind, rain, and erosion which have and will go on forever. Rising water, even in small flood stages, has a way of making you pay attention. Bob and I experienced this feeling on three separate occasions during our trek. Each time we were made aware that we had to be prepared for the worst, and yet each time it was as if providence had guided our way and the resulting high waters made our excursion easier. It was enough to make a man think about spending more time in church with his creator.

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