Paddling the Little Otter

I put in at the South Slang and decided to paddle up into Little Otter Creek.  The South Slang is now full of white water lilies.

The blue heron are everywhere.

The osprey were high overhead, looking for fish.

As I paddled up the Little Otter, there were more blue heron.

There they are.  I had seen white egret earlier in the week.  They are common, but more shy than the blue heron.

As soon as I would get close enough to get a reasonable photo, the egrets would fly away!

There were several beaver lodges in the Little Otter.  This one was a large 'bank beaver' lodge, built into the bank of the river.

Cormorants were about . . .

Though not as common as the white water lilies, there were a few places of yellow water lilies.

Autumn is not far off.  Some of the swamp maples are already changing.

After a few miles, the Little Otter narrows and becomes a small rocky stream.

There were several groups of mallards about . . .

. . . and more egrets!

By the late afternoon, the afternoon clouds had formed.  

Autumn is not far off.  Many of the birds I saw in the spring have already departed.  Soon, the heron and egrets will leave.

Leisurely Paddles

I put in on the Otter and headed upstream on Sunday morning.  It was a soft morning.  It threatened rain.  The top of Buck Mountain was covered in mist.

I saw several green herons about.  It had rained in the early morning and the birds were subdued.

Great herons were also about.  They are so much less wary than green herons!

The kingfishers were about.  Though they are numerous, it is hard to get a god photo of them as they are very skittish.

Cattle were grazing by the river.  I loved the reflections in the water.

As I was snapping the photo of the cattle, I glanced up and there was a kingfisher silhouetted in a tree.

I really liked the tree roots by the water.  The juxtaposition of the intertwined roots and soft greenery was almost mystical.

At this time of year, the Otter is calm.  There were great reflections in the water.

More great blue herons . . .

. . . and green herons!

I saw a small critter scampering by the river.  He climbed into a bush.  Do you see him?

He was a chipmunk.  What kind of berries is he eating?

Yesterday the wife and I went for a paddle in the early evening.

I like the roots of these three trees.

The wife had a good time paddling in the afternoon sunlight!

The wife spotted this painted turtle.

We came across a willow with 'beards' hanging from it.  They were roots that had grown back when the river was much higher!

We saw more kingfishers.

We returned as the sun was setting. The falls were still running strong, though the river has dropped a lot since the floods of the spring.  Enjoy!

Rock Art

We went to Texas Falls last weekend for a picnic.  It is a great park.  The falls are beautiful, and the river is quiet and peaceful.  The area is not heavily used (we had the entire picnic area to ourselves).

It was obvious we weren't the only ones who had been there.  We came across a variety of rock formations in a number of places up and down the river!

I wonder if the people who left these rocks knew that others might find them?

Quebec

Hello!  Bonjour!

We went on a vacation to one of my favorite cities – Quebec!  It was fantastic.    Nous sommes allés en vacances à l'une de mes villes préférées -Québec! Il a été fantastique.

We had a historic hotel in the old city.  Nous avions un hôtel historique dans la vieille ville.

I did a lot of walking around.  Nous avons fait beaucoup de marche à pied.

We also did a lot of people watching.  Nous avons également fait beaucoup de «gens qui regardent».

The city is beautiful.  La ville est belle.

We stayed an extra day.  I can’t wait to visit again (maybe we’ll try the winter festival!).  Nous sommes restés une journée supplémentaire. Je ne peux pas attendre pour visiter de nouveau (peut-être nous allons essayer de la fête de l'hiver!).

Thanks for stopping by!  Merci pour votre visite!

Beautiful Day

Yesterday it was very muggy.  I cut the knotweed by the creek.  I was soaked in no time.

The threatening clouds were about.  In time, the rain and thunderstorms came in.  The front pushed through overnight.

Today is magnificent.  Cool winds from the north.  I went for a ride in the morning.  I really enjoy the wildflowers by the side of the road.  This time of year the tiger-lilies and chicory are in full glory.  As I rode along, the shoulders were beautiful.

I opted to do some climbs.  I went up and down a few hills.  Near the top of one road I came across this farmer's pond at the base of Buck Mountain.  What a nice view.

Thanks for stopping by.

Independence Day 2011

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.  

~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler