MUD can be a nuicance in at least 5 different ways. For example, you put one foot into the canoe and the other one won't follow, as it has got stuck into mud. Then the situation becomes gymnastical, as the canoe starts moving and your legs get wider and wider apart and you'll fall into the river either backwards or stomach-wards. (You wouldn't have fallen, if you had put both hands on the sides of the canoe - then it would have stopped after moving as far as the length of the part of your leg out of the mud would have enabled.)

Then your friend the mud will accompany you on the bottom of the canoe, absorb into your towel or T-shirt or cardigan … so that you can fully enjoy it till getting home.

You may not understand why people do that. Get into mud, that is.Nobody knows. You walk on dry and solid land, and then it's mud, and that's it. You COULD have watched out a bit for where you're stepping and what you're stepping on, but … who cares!

If you are the tidy type, though, you could bring along a big sponge. You can keep the canoe really dry and clean with it.

As for the CAR KEYS - it's really simple. Take the keys with you and be ready to get wet. You needn't even get swamped, a good splash by your co-canoers paddle will also do the trick, if the pocket with the keys (and the alarm control!) gets wet. Of course, there always are the exceptions and some people really have got back to their cars with the electronics dry and operating, but these are exceptions, as I said, not a rule. So, to be on the safe side, it is wise to leave the car keys into the special bag in the guide's car.