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My name is Dominic Cucé. My original goal was to kayak the whole length of the Susquehanna river, take photos and get as much info as possible that could be used as a guide by others who may want to kayak (or canoe, or raft) parts, or the whole length. I think the Susquehanna river is a much neglected (although there's been a lot of improvements in the last 20 years) national treasure that could be made into a kind of Appalachian trail for paddlers. It would really be wonderful if we could start a movement towards that goal.
I started the project during the summer of 2010. I thought I could finish it by the end of the summer of 2011. But, it is now the end of October of 2017 and all I have done is about 150 miles (the length of Susquehanna is 444 miles). I know of people who have paddled the river all at once, camping and staying in hotels along the way. I also know of two ladies, both teachers, who have paddled the river during two summers, doing the lower portion one summer and the upper portion the following summer. And I felt a little bit embarrassed for my lack of progress. But, I've recently come to realize that time has allowed me to better understand the river in a more spiritual way than I would have known it had I paddled it all at once, or over two summers; as was my original goal.
I've read somewhere that there is a proverb "You cannot put your feet in the same river twice" . It's easy to understand what this means. The water that flows today is not the water that I touched 7 years ago, and each molecule of water that courses to the Chesapeake bay changes the river in some small way that can only be perceived with the passage of time. I think the proverb can be applied to a person too. The hands that felt the water of the Susquehanna 7 years ago are not those of the same man.
During the summer of 2010 I lost my sister Rina, who was more of a mother to me as she was 11 years older. In the summer of 2011 I lost my wife of 35 years, May Ann, my best friend. This was a huge loss for me and my family. two years later in 2013 almost to the day, I lost my sister-in-law Inez, another huge loss for our small family as she was the last woman of my generation and the keeper of many traditions. That same year I also lost my 97 year old father who I envy for his great adventure; surviving the battle of Stalingrad during World War II (I have pages and pages of notes of this adventure and I hope to someday write about it). But, I am happy that he died the death I wished for him. He was healthy and almost 100% self sufficient. One day he would not get out of bed. Against his wishes we took him to the hospital where he was admitted and evaluated and, a doctor told us that his heart was failing and "we cannot fix him".
But these last seven years have not been just about losses. More Soon
I am not a professional and I value constructive criticism. If you see anything that may be incorrect, or could be better worded, or if you have information that you think may be useful please write to me at domcuce@aol.com
Thank you for looking at my web site,
Dominic