"When I looked at the Neuse River and saw all those trees limbs and the muddy water, I did not want to go," she recalled.

"But I went because my whole family was going," Ellis said. "I said, 'If something happens to you all, it is going to happen to me too.'"

Last year, the Ellis family paddled down the river with Neuse Adventure Kayak & Canoe Rentals, which Johnny House runs out of his Clayton home.

The trip was a Father's Day gift to Ellis' husband, Johnny, from one of their daughters. In all, 14 people rented three kayaks and two canoes for the two-hour trip, starting behind House's home on Covered Bridge Road and ending at N.C. 42 in Flowers Plantation.

Ellis sat in one of the kayaks with her husband, but did not start to enjoy the ride until 30 minutes after taking off. "My husband sat behind me and I rode in the front and I held on for dear life," she said. "Every time he moved, I thought we would turn over, but then, you get used to that feeling."

For the most part, Ellis had a relaxing ride but got excited when the kayak came across a more active part of the river, which she referred to as white-water rapids. "By then, I was really enjoying it and it didn't scare me," she said. "It was fun. It was a nice day."

House started his kayaking and canoeing business three years ago but has been into the sport for years. His wife, Sherry, and their children, Ryan, a junior at Clayton High School, and Olivia, 21, help run the business too. House, who works for a public utility company, runs Neuse Adventure mostly on the weekends.

House has nine kayaks and one canoe, which he rents to folks from Raleigh, Clayton, Benson and Kenly, just to name a few. He requires all paddlers to wear a life vest, and all paddlers receive a crash course in boating before hitting the river.

"If you paddle on the left side, the boat is going to go right," House said. "If you paddle on the right side, the boat is going to go left. If you are coming up on something, paddle back to get your boat away."

House remembers Ellis well, mostly because she kept hollering to her husband not to turn the boat over. "She was scared to death, but when I picked them up, she was the first one to say, 'I am ready to do it again,' " he said. "She got out there, she got relaxed, and she really enjoyed the trip."

A kayak is a small boat with a covered deck and a cockpit. Kayakers use a double-bladed paddle. Canoes are open boats and are propelled by single-bladed paddlers.

House said kayaks are easier to maneuver than canoes, mostly because they sit lower in the water. "With a canoe, you are sitting on top of the water, where as in a kayak, your body is about halfway in the water, so actually it's more stable," he said.

The typical canoe can hold two to three people, while kayaks are available in one- and two-seaters. House said he has never had anyone fall out of a boat, but if that did occur, the water is only a few feet deep, so people could stand up easily. The Neuse has only a few spots where the water is as deep as eight or nine feet.

At the end of a two- or five-hour ride, House picks up his clients at N.C. 42. The ride is a straight shot, so there is no way the boaters can get lost. The only thing for the boaters to do is to enjoy the peaceful bond with nature.

"This is just your casual Sunday stroll down the river," House said. "It is a good break to get away from everything."

For more information about Neuse Adventure Canoe & Kayak Rentals, call 553-3295 or go to www.neuseadventures.com.

Herald Staff Reporter Sarah McNeil can be reached at 934-2176, Ext. 133, or by e-mail at smcneil@nando.com.