Paddling on the Canal (Encore)

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“Hi, I'm Katherine Nikolai, and if you're looking for something gentle to listen to, that”

isn't news or true crime or self-improvement, I made this for you. What's from the village of nothing much is like easy listening, but for fiction, cozy, warm, calm stories about ordinary moments that feel a little magical. They're grounding, soothing, and quietly uplifting, without being cheesy. Relaxing, without putting you to sleep, and just dreamy enough to remind you that they're

still sweetness in everyday life. Click for your commute while you're tidying up, or when you want a little escape, that feels simple and good.

“Search for stories from the village of nothing much, wherever you listen.”

To bedtime stories for everyone, in which nothing much happens, you feel good, and then you fall asleep. I'm Katherine Nikolai, I write and read all the stories you hear on nothing much happens. Audio engineering is by Bob Wittersheim. Three years now, we've met each other in the village through stories, and now for the

first time, the village is becoming a real place.

The nothing much happens, community app, is opening soon, with new ways to listen. Wine down practices, community projects, live events, and a cozy gathering place for villagers from around the world.

“Pre-registration is open now, founding members will receive exclusive launch pricing, and”

the first 50 people to pre-register will receive a limited edition weighted pillow. You can join the wait list at village.nothingmuch.com, or find the link in today's show notes. We can't wait to welcome you into the village of nothing much. Now, here's how this works.

I'll read you a bedtime story. It's soft and soothing, and not much happens in it. Just by listening, we'll shift your wandering mind onto a study track, where it will be rocked to sleep.

I'll tell the story twice, and I'll go a little slower the second time through.

If you wait again in the night, don't hesitate to turn an episode right back on. And if you are new to this, have some patience. Habit building takes time. Our story tonight is called paddling on the canal, and it's a story about a quiet morning on the lake.

Also about dragonflies and water lilies, weeping willows along the shore, a bell ringing from the back porch of the inn, and a connection point, filled with people around the world. Now, get yourself all tucked in. In if you are a grown-up, you still deserve to feel safe, and snug, and cared for as you settle in for bed.

So take a second, get as comfortable as you can, let your jaw soften, your shoulders, and

make relax, all as well now, the day is done. Nothing more is needed from you. Truly, let the day slip from your fingers, let them rest better to grasp tomorrow. Take a deep breath in through your nose, let it out your mouth, nice, one more, breathe in,

the edge, and looked out at the water.

“It was still today, flat and reflective as a mirror.”

On the far side of the lake, in the top branches of a tall pine, I could make out the profile of a bird, an eagle, in fact. The sparrows that flitted around the shrubs at my front door were somewhat anonymous to me.

Unless one had a particular unique feature, I'd never be able to tell one from another.

“Once I'd learned to spot this eagle, defined his shape, among the brown and green.”

I knew him, I guessed that to him, I was like the sparrows, just another human, up to human business, indistinguishable from the others, but that didn't bother me. Sometimes it is quite relaxing to be anonymous, seen but not wondered about. I watched the eagle, turn his head into the wind, just a breeze down here, but undoubtedly stronger, up high in the branches, then spread his wings and push off.

“How good that must feel, to soar and be wrapped in air.”

My appreciated the breeze, however slight. It was a warm day. The Katie did some crickets, were noisy in the grass, and I was glad to be close to the water. Usually I'd have been dipping my toes in here at the end of the dog.

But between my soles and the lake was the firm surface of my paddle board. After a few funny, but very wet attempts at getting on it, I'd learned this useful approach. I eased it around with my paddle, until it floated directly beneath the dog, the front half of it sticking out toward the lake. And then I'd shift my weight onto my feet and slowly stand.

Knowing I could always sit right back down on the warm wooden boards, if needed.

Today, balance was with me, and I pulled along my ore. As I gained my feet, slowly paddled away from the shore. On the weekends, on holidays, the lake can be busy, boats everywhere. Kids on floaties and music pouring from the speakers on each deck. With this, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock was perfect.

I had the lake practically to myself besides a yellow lab whose owner was patiently throwing

And some geese and swans far out in the center, my was alone.

“I liked to look down as I paddled, and watch the shelf of sand shift under me.”

Till I got far enough out, but the deeper water lost its clarity. When I switched hands and crossed the paddle over the board, drips of the fresh lake water landed on the tops of my feet.

They felt cool, but not cold.

Sunny days and warm nights were bringing the water temperature up slowly, but surely.

“I paddled around a cove where the water was shallow, and a patch of lily pads grew.”

I was careful not to disturb them, but slowed enough to really look at the three or four blooming flowers.

They were pink and white, with rose and rose, of overlapping petals, and a bright yellow

center full of pollen. Water lilies felt like they belonged in the same category as rainbows, and the Aurora borealis.

“They seemed straight out of a fairy tale, and as I paddled past, I noticed a frog resting”

on one of the pads. His throat puffed up like bubble gum about to pop. I thought I'd better not lean down, and ask for a kiss. I wasn't sure my board could hold two. I paddled across the lake, taking a minute or two in the center to just stand, to stop

propelling myself forward and draw deep breaths of air, down into the bottoms of my lungs. Those spring was over. There was still a sweetness in the air, fresh paddles, and that clean rain scent that came from the lake. The mirror-like surface of the water was just beginning to ripple, as the breeze picked

up, and I turned the board back toward the shore. It wasn't quite ready to be done yet, but I had an idea. A little adventure, I hadn't taken in a while, that appealed to me. There is a long, winding canal that connects our lake to a smaller one, just south of ours.

The canal cuts through backyards, and in places passes through shady wooded lots, and circles around a tiny island, the size of a school bus.

I hadn't done it yet this summer, so off I paddled, to find the small ingress to it.

“Just past the dock where the yellow lab had been diving and fetching, and was now stretched”

out in the sun, letting his thick fur dry. I turned into the canal, and crossed the lake. At the end, I spotted a couple of rowboats casting off.

These are minded vacationers, often took the boats out, for a slow row.

And I chuckled, remembering how I'd bumped into one, literally, a few days before.

“He'd gotten dozy in the sunshine, and tucked his ores into the boat.”

That his straw hat over his eyes, and stretched out on the bench. I'd been trying to steer around him, when the wind shifted, and my board bumped against his prow.

He'd lifted the corner of his hat, and squinted at me.

I'd chuckled a bit, as he yand and blinked, looking around to see how far he drifted.

“He asked me if I'd heard the bell ring at the end yet.”

It was wrong on the porch, reliably, every day at 5 p.m., announcing cocktail hour, and could be heard echoing across the lake. When I told him it hadn't told for him yet, he thanked me, laid back down, and replaced his hat. I chuckled again, as I paddled down the canal, wondering how long he'd slept, and if he'd

made it to the end, before all the sandwiches and spritzes were gone. The canal was shady, it seemed almost dark after being on the open water. Tall willows, their leafy trellises drooping into the water, lined either side, making a canopy of thick leaves. I noticed more birdsong, as I went deeper in.

On a few backporkes, I spotted folks sitting out, enjoying the day, and between strokes of the ore, I raised a hand to wave. The canal curved, and I followed it. I imagined myself an explorer, finding a path through an unknown land. There were dragonflies skimming over the surface of the canal, and when they passed through

a patch of sunlight, their iridescent blue bodies shimmered. I wondered if anyone else in the world was seeing or feeling what I was in this moment. A club of canal paddlers, on waters up and down the continents, watching pretty winged

soon, and a nap as the day got warmer.

“I like that idea of a club of humans scattered over the globe.”

Their membership being a few minutes of similar experience, my switched my ore to the other

side, I'm kept paddling, paddling on the canal, I sat at the end of the dock.

My legs dangling off the edge, when looked out at the water.

“It was still today, flat, and reflective as a mirror.”

On the far side of the lake, in the top branches of a tall pine, I could make out the profile

of a bird, an eagle, in fact, the sparrows that flitted around the shrubs at my front door, were somewhat anonymous to me, unless one had a particular unique feature.

“I'd never be able to tell one from another, but once I'd learned to spot this eagle,”

to find his shape, among the brown and green, I knew him. I guessed that, to him, I was like the sparrows, just another human, up to human business, indistinguishable from the others, but that didn't bother me. Sometimes it is quite relaxing to be anonymous, seen but not wondered about. I watched the eagle turn his head into the wind, a breeze down here, but undoubtedly stronger

up high in the branches, then spread his wings and push off into the air, how good that must feel, to soar and be wrapped in air. I appreciate the breeze, however slight. It was a warm day. The Katie did's, and crickets were noisy in the grass, and I was glad to be close to the water. Usually I'd have been dipping my toes in here at the end of the dock, but between my souls and the lake was the firm surface of my paddleboard.

After a few funny, but very wet attempts, I'd getting on to it. I'd learned this useful approach. I eased the board, around with my paddle, until it floated

I'd shift my weight onto my feet and slowly stand. Knowing I could always sit right back

“down on the warm wooden boards if needed. Today, balance was with me, and I pulled along”

my ore as I gained my feet, and slowly paddled away from shore. On the weekends, on holidays,

the lake can be busy. Boats everywhere, kids on floaties, and music pouring from speakers

on each deck, but this Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock was perfect. I had the lake practically

“to myself. Besides a yellow lab whose owner was patiently throwing his toy out into the”

water, so that the dog could take leap after leap to fetch it, and some geese and swans

far out in the center. I was alone. I liked to look down as I paddled, and watch the shelf of sand, shift under me, till I got far enough out, that the deeper water lost its

“clarity. When I switched hands and crossed the paddle over the board, drips a fresh lake”

water, landed on the tops of my feet. It felt cool, but not cold, sunny days, and warm nights. We're bringing the water temperature up, slowly, but surely. I paddled around a cove, where the water was shallow, and the patch of Lily Pad's grew. I was careful not to disturb them, but slowed enough to really look at the three or four blooming flowers. They were pink and white, with rose and rose, of overlapping petals, and a bright yellow

center full of pollen. Water lilies felt like they belonged in the same category as rainbows, and the Aurora borealis. Natural, yes. Of this world, certainly, but just a bit too special, to seem real. They seemed straight out of a fairy tale, and as I paddled past, and noticed a frog resting on one of the pads, his throat puffed up, like bubble gum, about

hold two. My paddled across the lake, taking a minute or two in the center, to just stand,

“to stop, propelling myself forward, and draw deep breaths of air, down into the”

bottoms of my lungs. Those spring was over. There was still a sweetness in the air.

Marsh petals, and that clean rain scent that came from the lake. The mere like surface of

the water was just beginning to ripple as the breeze picked up, and I turned my board back

“toward the shore. I wasn't quite ready to be done yet, but I had an idea. A little adventure,”

I hadn't taken in a while that appealed to me. There is a long winding canal that connects

our lake to a smaller one, just south of ours. The canal cuts through backyards, and then places passes through shady, wooded lots, and circles around a tiny island, the size of a

“school bus. I liked to take a trip through it, at least once a year, and hadn't done it”

yet this summer. So off I paddled to find the small ingress to it. Just past the dock, where the yellow lab had been diving and fetching, and was now stretched out in the sun, letting his thick fur dry. I turned into the canal across the lake, at the end. I spotted a couple of rowboats casting off. Leisure-minded vacationers often took the boats out for a slow row, and I chuckled, remembering how I bumped into one literally a few days before. He'd

gotten dozy in the sunshine, and tucked his ears into the boat, set his straw hat over his eyes, and stretched out on the bench. I'd been trying to steer around him when the wind shifted, and my board bumped against his prow. He'd lifted the corner of his hat, and squinted at me. I'd chuckled a bit as he honed and blinked, looking around to see how far he'd drifted. He asked me if I'd heard the bell ring at the end yet. It was wrong on the porch, reliably, every

told him, it hadn't, yet, told for him. He thanked me, laid back down, and replaced his hat.

“I chuckled again, as I paddled down the canal, wondering how long he'd slept, and if he'd”

made it to the end, before the sandwiches and spritzes were all gone. The canal was shady, but

seemed almost dark after being on the open water. Tall willows, their leafy trellis' drooping

“into the water, lined either side, making a canopy of thick leaves. And I noticed more birds”

song as I went deeper in. On a few backporkes, I spotted folks sitting out, enjoying

the day. And between strokes of the ore, I raised a hand to wave. The canal curved, and

“I followed it. I imagined myself, an explorer, finding a path through an unknown land.”

There were dragonflies, skimming over the surface of the canal, and when they passed through a patch of sunlight, their iridescent blue bodies shimmered. I wondered if anyone else in the world was seeing or feeling what I was at the moment. A club of canal paddlers, unwaters up and down the continents, watching pretty winged insects, and listening to a breeze ruffling through leaves, looking forward to a swimsune, and a nap as the day got warmer.

I liked that idea of a club of humans scattered over the globe. Their membership being a few minutes of similar experience. I switched my ore to the other side. I'm kept paddling. Sweet dreams.