Lovin' the fall weather...

[Saint Jude]

Had another unbeatable day on the river today. It's been getting pretty cool at night, but once the sun's up it's hard to beat these beautiful fall days we're having.
It got up around 75* today with no wind, just clear & glassy water. Lots of Mallards, Great Blue Herons, King Fishers, Cormerants,Merganzers,Otters, River Seals,Seagulls,...

I was just calling Prest For Time, when a little river otter decided to play "tag" with Bungee & me today ... pretty funny.
probably all kinds of critters I didn't see because I was enjoying the music I was paddling to! My doggie alerts me to a lot of stuff! I just love paddling to good music... but I do leave one headphone off...usually. Unless it's a irresistable song... Not like it's a highway.
I didn't see another boat on the river the whole day today, from noon to 3:PM.
Not complaining though. I love this time of year! Especially when the weather cooperates.
Hopefully tomorrow, will be nice again...

[amethyst]

Judie- I am always so envious of your days. So... what were you listening to? I LOVE river otters. I love otters in any form. They are so playful-they make me happy. I walk/shuffle/run with one headphone off too, but I bet it's not the same And KingFishers-well they are just too big headed cool! Hope it's nice for you tomorrow too

[Saint Jude]

Ohhh! Today was amazing! I went a few miles upstream from our place & was going to put in @ Orchard bar (a gravel bar.. not a drinking bar LOL) But it was windy, so I decided it was too cold.

I came back home went out on the gravel bar near our house, where I put my kayak in all the time... it was flat & glassy... unbelievable! You wouldn't believe it was the same river... let alone only a few miles difference!

Had a real treat today. Besides all of the water fowl & sun.. there were 2 huge beavers just upstream. There's a place where the river gets really dark & deep, I've seen river otters there a lot over the years, but never beavers. These 2 were huge! I got within about 15 feet of one of them that was on the bank. The other one was swimming in the deep water & swatting the surface with it's tail. Really loud warning thumps!
Bungee was going nuts on the kayak... wanting to jump in & go after them! I had to keep his leash on, and wrap it around my foot, really short. I can't imagine what a beaver would do to a little dog! They were bigger than him... he just doesn't know his size...
Pretty exciting!

Oh... As far as music... I have an MP 3 player with a lot of Blues, Bonnie Raitt,Stevie RayVon, Joe Cocker, Brian Adams,George Strait, Bob Marley, New Grass Revival, Allman Bros, Alan Jackson,Jimmy Buffet,Keb Moe, Lynard Skynard, Richard Thompson, Sarah Mclaughlin, just quite a mix...

Yeh, when the music really grabs me the kayak and my feet work as percussion instruments... probably really freaks out the fish & other critters... but oh well! No more than a motor boat...

[xtexan]

St. Jude:

I am reminded of a great day when I was out on my Folbot Greenland kayak on a local lake. In the early AM, the water was perfectly still, and like a mirror. It was messing with my head, as the trees surrounding the lake were reflected exactly upside down.

I was fly-fishing, and having no luck. Then I saw a great blue heron swoop down, and scoop a fish out of the water, and take off. As the heron was gaining altitude, the fish wriggled out of the herons beak, and escaped. The fish fell maybe 12 feet down to the water, and lived to swim away.

I thought, "AHA! Thats where the fish are!". So I paddled over there, and began casting. Sure enough, I caught one within a minute or two, and I let that fish go. Catch and release that day.

Some days are just perfect.


Neil

[jane jane]

Saint Jude, how wonderful to live on the water! We have a sea kayak as well, but we have to load it on top of the SUV and drive places to put in. I'd love to just be able to walk out and GO! Ours is a 2-seater, though.

The weather, the weather. Perfect here as well. On Sunday I went mountain-biking on some lovely wooded singletrack trails, and had the place all to myself---except for a young brown fox that I spotted scampering away. I LOVE autumn!

[hippie37]

I can almost picture the serenity from your descriptions Jude. It sounds truly amazing. I'm hoping to go Rafting next year with a friend who lives in Northern Ireland. Definitely not as peaceful as your watery rambles but It should be a good laugh!!

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[lorisunshine]

Hey Jude, I know what you mean about these fall days. The air is a lot crisper around my neck of the woods (2 cels. this morning) but the sky is of such a brilliant cerulean that I wish I could paint it in all its translucency. I just go for walks along the lake. Discovered a couple of willow trees yesterday, that have been slated for total destruction by some itinerant beavers. The little bastards love especially the young ones. Beavers think that we plant the trees just for them.
Another beautiful day today.
Hugs Lori

[Saint Jude]

Neil, That's a great story about the great blue heron. I love seeing those guys. They have that prehistoric look about them... We have a lot of them around here. I paddled past one on the bank of the river yesterday really close, I thought he's take off when I got close, but he didn't seem to mind us paddling by.

Jane Jane, we have a few little silver foxes around here. They're so cute. I've never seen them in the day though. Just @ night when I'm coming home from work they're out sometimes carousing the neighborhood.

Lorisun, Yep. A bit nipply out! I've been wearing a fleece vest over my bikini top, but I usually unzip it after paddling a while in the sun. It warms up pretty nicely, as long as you're in the sun & not much wind.
Today is looking REAL GOOD!

Hippie, Rafting in Northern Ireland sounds excellent! Haven't been there yet... Let me know when!

Gonna go "beaver huntin' again! I'm sure i'll get some feed back on that one!
Last night while I was posting... Hubby was wondering what I was chuckling about... I mentioned something about my choice of words...
I swear it's just a coinsidence... but... something to do with "river talk"
"put in"
"Take out"
"beavers"
"wet"
"slippery"
"deep"
"huge"
"paddle"

Ya I know! Another thread heading down hill fast.... It all starts out SOOO innocent.

[sammys]

Oh Judie, you have been having a dream fall, you sound really good and like you are having a blast wish I could join you. When ever I see a beaver swimming past my pier it is always sunset and I wonder if sometimes I am swimming with them although I have never seen one in the water with me it just makes me think...

Sammys

[Sante]

Saint Jude,

I have tons of deer in my backyard: do they count for wildlife (ha, ha! I live in a reservation and they run wide wherever they want).

Still, I love wildlife on the water. Osprey, especially. But even simple stuff like blue heron, and fish we see all the time: blue fish, bass, and flounder, especially.

I think we'll learn more when we retire and spend all of our time on our sailboat -- maybe even make friends with dolphins that also swim near us!

Sante