Winter has become my season for planning. It’s the time I research, test, acquire, and maintain gear for the adventures that await later in the year. Over the past week, I’ve made some adjustments to my kayak in the garage. On longer trips, I’ve struggled with numbness in my legs and feet, so I decided to tackle the issue by installing a back support in my kayak. When the weekend arrived, I couldn’t resist taking it out for a test ride.

After a wet and rainy day, I noticed the skies clearing up in the evening. So once I wrapped up work for the day, I loaded my kayak onto the roof of the car and drove out toward Björnö. And what an evening it turned out to be! The air was refreshingly crisp, and the water felt surprisingly warm. But it wasn’t long before I had an unexpected visitor on the water... or rather, on land.