We had a wonderful paddling experience last night. Instead of last-minute, Bill mentioned earlier that maybe we could go kayaking.
So, I fixed an early dinner and brought the horses up so we could get an earlier start than usual.
First, we stopped at Trestle Creek where the Army Corps of Engineers manages a recreation area.
Twas packed, and we could see lots of bigger boats around the area, indicating that waters could be rough.
So, we moved on to Denton Slough, just past Hope and found the situation much quieter with only a couple of cars in the parking lot.
As we were putting our kayaks in the water, a little boy sat on a paddle board with his mother eating an apple and asking questions.
He wanted to know if we were going to go kayaking and he proudly told us he had seen the petroglyphs at a point across the slough from where we launched.
Waters were calm but soon got really noisy as we paddled toward the point.
What sounded like birds and looked like birds could be seen and heard from all directions.
Sometimes the sounds seemed like they were right near our boats; other times, off in the distance.
We paddled on around the point. Bill fished while I took pictures.
As we came back, I could see the loquacious birds fairly clearly. They were merganser ducks, and their numbers were abundant, just like the boats on Lake Pend Oreille yesterday.
Must be the Mergansers were enjoying their Labor Day weekend with a get-together because it seemed as if they were everywhere.
With this in mind, I thought surely I could get a good photo with my digital camera and telephoto lens.
Well, I needed a much more powerful lens because every time I'd quietly paddle to what looked like a good opportunity to snap a picture, that duck would duck right under the water and disappear from sight.
I went through this routine several times with no luck.
One time, while paddling, I was distracted by other scenery when I looked up and there was a merganser right in front of my kayak.
Forget that. The minute I reached for my camera, the duck disappeared.
Even though my duck photography turned disappointing, the rest of the outing was both wonderful and relaxing.
Oh, and have I ever mentioned the beauty of Lake Pend Oreille???
I'm figuring our two kayaks may have added to a record number of boats on the lake yesterday.
This Labor Day marks a major end to the summer season and soon the lake drawdown begins, so last night was a perfect time to go have some paddling fun.
It's been a great summer.
Happy Monday, and, on this holiday honoring America's workers, thanks to all who labor to make our lives easier. You are appreciated.
💜💛💙💓💜💙💖
You can see what's happened today in Spain along the Camino by clicking Annie's link below.
Fun reflection on the water.
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