This will be a wonderful week for getting on local lakes – 70 degree temps, blue sky nary a cloud, and leaves on the trees are colored with deep reds and yellows. Alone in a single kayak you get float along and see turtles just under the water. The floating plants are turned brown on their tips; there’s still an occasional water lily bloom. Geese fly in formation overhead.
Get away from the road and listen to the cattails rustle in the light wind. On the edges of the land form are mats of root mass that float on the water. Some start to form little island. I get close with my kayak and push the mat down, just a bit.
I like the sound the water lily pads make as my kayak glides over them. Even a gentle glide through the water makes a soothing sound.
A kingfisher hits the water with a big splash. Did not get a fish and now heads off across the lake.
Back at the launch and dock I see the 5 mallard drakes are now off the dock and in the water. They are headed toward my kayak. I rest my paddle and let the kayak drift. The duck keep coming, not deterred by the strange blue creature. I see them very close as they are next to me now; they are very large ducks, their heads shimmer green iridescence in the sunlight. They seem curious. They swim alongside, quacking softly. Then I drift to the side and the group swims around into the lake. I pull out my kayak but on land stop to watch the ducks. They are involved in a type of game – active quacking then suddenly one goes into a low flight skimming the water and the others immediately follow. Then lots of quacking, preening, straightening feathers as they swim back to the dock. Then they do it again. And again swim back preening, quacking, always in a close group. Then do it again. They truly seemed to be enjoying themselves. When they had enough it was back up on the dock for serious feather grooming and probably a nice sleep in the sun, which is how I first found them.
Oh what will I do once the weather turns and the kayak is put away for the season?
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