click on pictures to enlarge
The news on the radio this morning carried no new information. A newscaster, expert in all matters, compared Afganistan to Vietnam, a bus bomb killed 14 civilians and maybe 30. Close numbers there. The Obama health plan seems to be in a stall out and he's going to appear on the Graucho Marx show, accept Graucho died a century ago, it seems. The crotch rockets are passing me on the corners of Route 129 even at this early hour. Do they never slow down for anything?
It's amazing what one thinks about while paddling a canoe. The silence allows the mind to go off to distant places and memories surface. "Gary; I need you to feed the cows tonight. Your mother and I will be at the supper down at the church." "No you can't have the car because your dad needs you to help with the hay." And how about this one; Your friends and neighbors have elected you to serve in the armed forces to defend this great country. You will report to Fort Benning Georgia on such and such a date. I felt like writing (NOT INTERESTED) on the envelope and returning the invitation. But I didn't.
It's chilly up here on Calderwood. I think it must be about 45 degrees at least. The wind is very light but is to pick up to twenty miles per hour by afternoon. I'm not worried about it. That's hours away and I'll deal with it when it comes. The canoe is a light weight but there is sufficient ballast in it now. That should help stabilize it in windy conditions.
Everything has to be tied down in a canoe. Canoes are an adventuresome craft to paddle. Add one terrier dog and the stability is challenged.
All my photography equipment is in a water proof box that will float if needed. It is tied to the center seat directly in front of me. And so it was when we gently and quietly paddled fifteen feet off the west side of the lake. Suddenly a commotion erupted from the shoreline. Such squeeking and chattering------and growls. Otters! Two otters were scrambling down the steep bank toward the water. I evidently interrupted their morning play. They were voicing their displeasure with loud growls. They ran to the water's edge and lingered long enough to voice another opinion about my intrusion. One otter in front of another, the rear otter with his head over the shoulder of the one in front; both facing the canoe. What a shot! The camera is shut tightly in the water proof box and I can't get it out fast enough. Happy is standing on the front seat and the canoe is rocking. In the water the otters go only to pop up together for a last look at that apparition that is my canoe. I never reached for the camera. Too risky, especially with Happy trying to decide weather to jump in the water and give chase or stay in the boat.
I would have been able to extricate the camera had Happy not been on board rocking the boat. I never saw an otter on this lake until today or maybe I would have been better prepared for the sighting.
Flying directly toward the canoe were two bald eagles. And a third following closely behind. They flew directly over me. I turned the canoe to watch all three plunge into the trees and a loud squabble could be heard. Very audible chirps and Karee Karees broke the silence of the mountains. Two eagles burst from the tree tops and leveled out at about two hundred feet and flew up the edge of the lake. They appeared to fly in a formation; the higher eagle setting the pace with the lower eagle twenty feet lower and behind. The third eagle was not to be seen again. And the camera remains in the box. Oh Happy; the things I sacrifice for you.
I paddled on up the shoreline in search of a clear area on the bank where I could set up my camera on a tripod. There was no such area. I know the eagles would pass this way eventually. I opted, instead to turn into my secret cove for a rest and to let Happy play dog. The various water sounds from the creek are unending. I beached the canoe at a familiar spot and I introduced Happy to the garden of eden and showed him Douglas's pool
It was here that Douglas swam in the most perfect, clear pool of water. I guess it could be said it was a marriage between perfect innocence and absolute beauty. The two combined created a beautiful memory I will never forget. In the distant years I will remember Douglas swimming in this pristine pool of cold beautiful water. Never will I forget that priceless experience. And I was missing him now as I stood beside his special pool.
I may have stayed here in this cove too long. The wind is actually blowing the water down the cove toward the stream that is emptying into it. Might be interesting out on the lake. Not bad as long as the wind pushes us toward Cheoa Dam, the direction we came from. Whoa! Just as we were breaking out of the cove and into the main lake, a very large shadow on the water appeared and moved passed us going on down the cove whence we just came. I snapped my head around (carefully) to see an enormous bald eagle soaring directly toward the spot where the canoe previously was tied off. I threw caution to the wind, literally, and broke out the big camera and let the current wash us back into the cove. The eagle was perched on a limb of a tall tree. I had to trust auto focus on the new 400 mm lens as I had no time for manual adjustments. I had to hold the canoe stationary and make predictions as to which way Happy would be moving. I snapped photos as fast as the lens could focus.
The canoe turned completely around facing me away from the big bird. Thats when he flew. I snapped a couple quick parting shots as he passed between trees and disappeared.
My heart was in my throat. I can't wait to get him downloaded on the computer. I enlarged the shots here in the camera and they appear crisp and clear. Time will tell. The big lens appears to be working magic. I only wish I could have a solid platform from which to shoot from. The best equipment in the world can't compensate for camera shake. But I chose the canoe as my mode of travel and have to live with the difficulties. I put the camera back into its waterproof box. I was satisfied with the pictures and I doubted I would find anything worthy of my attention after that spectacular eagle sighting. I got it all put away and started paddling. Thats when the otter popped his head up through the surface and looked at me. He was up for about ten seconds. That would have been ample time to photograph him had the camera been out and ready to go. I was still happy to get the eagle in my sights. I feel disappointed I didn't get the otter too. Greed!!!!
I had planned to spend the night at Slip Rock Creek. Our stop there on the way down the lake this morning found the cove dark and damp.
Those two qualities provide the ambiance for that place. On the way there I noticed a new camp site installed by the state forest service (speculate) and I decided to put the tent up there.
I was far down the lake by now and had about a forty minute paddle to reach that camp area.
The temperature was dropping quickly and I'm glad I brought the down sleeping bag and not the synthetic one.
The entire load of the canoe would have to be removed and carried up the hill to the camp area. "Happy; help out here."
A little food would go well. I had twelve granola bars but ate all but two of them. Well; Happy had to have some too. The tent had to be erected and the canoe pulled from the water and turned upside down over -------something. This is a great camp site. Very well constructed.
While paddling down the lake this evening I asked myself why I do this. Why would I rather be "out here", totally alone with a dog in a canoe, when I could be enjoying a good meal in a restaurant somewhere in town. I'm not sure I can answer that question.
I love the scenery and I always have been curious about animals. They never, ever get a fair shake. It delights me to see them thrive in this beautiful wilderness. I know I have a rather low tolerance for noise and racket, busy highways and the tiny little cars that go toot, toot, toot. I think a large part of it is the escape to silence. The tranquil sound of quiet is loud.
I love to read about the explorers and adventurers of a forgotten time that pieced this country together with their blood. Their hardships are impossible to comprehend. Much of their difficulty lay in traveling across wilderness lakes and mountains. They were simple beings molded into frontiersmen by necessity. When I'm in the canoe I dwell on stories that depict the great deeds of these men. On the water in the canoe, alone, I can be traveling in any time I choose. And Calderwood is about as wilderness as can be had in this day and age. But I can't put my finger on the answer to the question. I'll dwell on it some.
The sun is going down fast and its getting cold. I think it wise to search out some wood for a small fire.
Happy is shaking. I never thought about her getting cold. I should shall get her a sweater when I get back.
Happy is the dearest little dog. She will not leave my side for more than seconds. As sweet as she is I miss Douglas. He loves these outings and he's better equipped for the elements. He's my golden boy. But a canoe will never work for him.
Soon cold will replace the warm summer days and nights and Happy will have to stay home. This will probably be her last outing of the year.
The canoe will rest upside down on the saw horses at home until an exceptionally beautiful day appears during winter. Then I will be tempted out onto the lake in the canoe. I still have to photograph the otters on Indian Boundary Lake. So much to do and so little time. It is cold indeed tonight. A final look down the lake sees darkness starting to cloak the embankments.
Happy lays tightly to me staying warm. Soon she dives through the opening of my sleeping bag and goes clear to the bottom. I don't care. I'm in the wilderness and don't have any protocol as pertains to dogs.
I was in no hurry next morning. I lingered here and there avoiding departure. But eventually I got everything loaded back into the canoe and we were off. I will not forget the previous night, ever. I reveled in it.
So we started our long trek down the lake toward the truck and home.
Calderwood has a plentiful supply of water grass. It is good to see. It grows prolifically in huge segregated areas and can be scooped up on the canoe paddle.
My God! I'm on another planet!
Nothing short of spectacular!
We slipped silently down the water. The beauty of the scenes around me enveloped my senses in a feeling of awe. I carefully placed the paddle into the water taking care not to make a sound. I kept it well away from the gunnel of the boat to avoid the wood on wood contact that would make a foreign sound; an out of place sound. I dare not add unnatural noises to break the sanctity of the place. It would be sacrilegious. I am immersed in tranquility. I am where I belong.
I skirted past some trees hanging out over the water and paddled toward the little creek where we saw the otters yesterday.
And what luck! There they were again. The otters were playing on the bank beside the stream. This time I quickly grabbed the box that held the camera and grabbed it. They saw us coming and ran to the water and quickly slid beneath the surface. I slowly paddled the canoe into some brush and snags laying in the water and it held there unmoving. I waited. One otter became curious and stuck his head out of his den to investigate. It wasn't much to work with but, it was enough. I present to you ----------Mr Otter.
Otters are curious creatures. They just have to keep their eye on everything. And the canoe did not belong here.
What a super mustache!
He has a great den.
So long little friend. I'll leave you in peace. But I've marked the location of your den and will be back to play with you.
What a morning! What a way to end a perfect wilderness trip. Otters are my favorite lake character. I shall find a way to put a camera on tripod for this little band of otters. Below is a photo with a tree displaying old beaver damage. It is the only beaver sign I have seen on this lake. I wonder what happened to them, or where they went, or, more exciting; where they are.
We are nearing the launch site and soon will be back in civilization. In an hour or two I'll be watching my rear view mirror for crotch rockets preparing to pass me as I negotiate the curves on Route 129. I'll hear their screaming engines as they pass my window mere feet away at blinding speeds in an attempt to beat me to the next corner in the road. Oh me! People tell me I better be careful going out "there" alone. I guess...........................................
click on pictures to enlarge
The news on the radio this morning carried no new information. A newscaster, expert in all matters, compared Afganistan to Vietnam, a bus bomb killed 14 civilians and maybe 30. Close numbers there. The Obama health plan seems to be in a stall out and he's going to appear on the Graucho Marx show, accept Graucho died a century ago, it seems. The crotch rockets are passing me on the corners of Route 129 even at this early hour. Do they never slow down for anything?
It's amazing what one thinks about while paddling a canoe. The silence allows the mind to go off to distant places and memories surface. "Gary; I need you to feed the cows tonight. Your mother and I will be at the supper down at the church." "No you can't have the car because your dad needs you to help with the hay." And how about this one; Your friends and neighbors have elected you to serve in the armed forces to defend this great country. You will report to Fort Benning Georgia on such and such a date. I felt like writing (NOT INTERESTED) on the envelope and returning the invitation. But I didn't.
It's chilly up here on Calderwood. I think it must be about 45 degrees at least. The wind is very light but is to pick up to twenty miles per hour by afternoon. I'm not worried about it. That's hours away and I'll deal with it when it comes. The canoe is a light weight but there is sufficient ballast in it now. That should help stabilize it in windy conditions.
Everything has to be tied down in a canoe. Canoes are an adventuresome craft to paddle. Add one terrier dog and the stability is challenged.
All my photography equipment is in a water proof box that will float if needed. It is tied to the center seat directly in front of me. And so it was when we gently and quietly paddled fifteen feet off the west side of the lake. Suddenly a commotion erupted from the shoreline. Such squeeking and chattering------and growls. Otters! Two otters were scrambling down the steep bank toward the water. I evidently interrupted their morning play. They were voicing their displeasure with loud growls. They ran to the water's edge and lingered long enough to voice another opinion about my intrusion. One otter in front of another, the rear otter with his head over the shoulder of the one in front; both facing the canoe. What a shot! The camera is shut tightly in the water proof box and I can't get it out fast enough. Happy is standing on the front seat and the canoe is rocking. In the water the otters go only to pop up together for a last look at that apparition that is my canoe. I never reached for the camera. Too risky, especially with Happy trying to decide weather to jump in the water and give chase or stay in the boat.
I would have been able to extricate the camera had Happy not been on board rocking the boat. I never saw an otter on this lake until today or maybe I would have been better prepared for the sighting.
Flying directly toward the canoe were two bald eagles. And a third following closely behind. They flew directly over me. I turned the canoe to watch all three plunge into the trees and a loud squabble could be heard. Very audible chirps and Karee Karees broke the silence of the mountains. Two eagles burst from the tree tops and leveled out at about two hundred feet and flew up the edge of the lake. They appeared to fly in a formation; the higher eagle setting the pace with the lower eagle twenty feet lower and behind. The third eagle was not to be seen again. And the camera remains in the box. Oh Happy; the things I sacrifice for you.
I paddled on up the shoreline in search of a clear area on the bank where I could set up my camera on a tripod. There was no such area. I know the eagles would pass this way eventually. I opted, instead to turn into my secret cove for a rest and to let Happy play dog. The various water sounds from the creek are unending. I beached the canoe at a familiar spot and I introduced Happy to the garden of eden and showed him Douglas's pool
It was here that Douglas swam in the most perfect, clear pool of water. I guess it could be said it was a marriage between perfect innocence and absolute beauty. The two combined created a beautiful memory I will never forget. In the distant years I will remember Douglas swimming in this pristine pool of cold beautiful water. Never will I forget that priceless experience. And I was missing him now as I stood beside his special pool.
I may have stayed here in this cove too long. The wind is actually blowing the water down the cove toward the stream that is emptying into it. Might be interesting out on the lake. Not bad as long as the wind pushes us toward Cheoa Dam, the direction we came from. Whoa! Just as we were breaking out of the cove and into the main lake, a very large shadow on the water appeared and moved passed us going on down the cove whence we just came. I snapped my head around (carefully) to see an enormous bald eagle soaring directly toward the spot where the canoe previously was tied off. I threw caution to the wind, literally, and broke out the big camera and let the current wash us back into the cove. The eagle was perched on a limb of a tall tree. I had to trust auto focus on the new 400 mm lens as I had no time for manual adjustments. I had to hold the canoe stationary and make predictions as to which way Happy would be moving. I snapped photos as fast as the lens could focus.
The canoe turned completely around facing me away from the big bird. Thats when he flew. I snapped a couple quick parting shots as he passed between trees and disappeared.
My heart was in my throat. I can't wait to get him downloaded on the computer. I enlarged the shots here in the camera and they appear crisp and clear. Time will tell. The big lens appears to be working magic. I only wish I could have a solid platform from which to shoot from. The best equipment in the world can't compensate for camera shake. But I chose the canoe as my mode of travel and have to live with the difficulties. I put the camera back into its waterproof box. I was satisfied with the pictures and I doubted I would find anything worthy of my attention after that spectacular eagle sighting. I got it all put away and started paddling. Thats when the otter popped his head up through the surface and looked at me. He was up for about ten seconds. That would have been ample time to photograph him had the camera been out and ready to go. I was still happy to get the eagle in my sights. I feel disappointed I didn't get the otter too. Greed!!!!
I had planned to spend the night at Slip Rock Creek. Our stop there on the way down the lake this morning found the cove dark and damp.
Those two qualities provide the ambiance for that place. On the way there I noticed a new camp site installed by the state forest service (speculate) and I decided to put the tent up there.
I was far down the lake by now and had about a forty minute paddle to reach that camp area.
The temperature was dropping quickly and I'm glad I brought the down sleeping bag and not the synthetic one.
The entire load of the canoe would have to be removed and carried up the hill to the camp area. "Happy; help out here."
A little food would go well. I had twelve granola bars but ate all but two of them. Well; Happy had to have some too. The tent had to be erected and the canoe pulled from the water and turned upside down over -------something. This is a great camp site. Very well constructed.
While paddling down the lake this evening I asked myself why I do this. Why would I rather be "out here", totally alone with a dog in a canoe, when I could be enjoying a good meal in a restaurant somewhere in town. I'm not sure I can answer that question.
I love the scenery and I always have been curious about animals. They never, ever get a fair shake. It delights me to see them thrive in this beautiful wilderness. I know I have a rather low tolerance for noise and racket, busy highways and the tiny little cars that go toot, toot, toot. I think a large part of it is the escape to silence. The tranquil sound of quiet is loud.
I love to read about the explorers and adventurers of a forgotten time that pieced this country together with their blood. Their hardships are impossible to comprehend. Much of their difficulty lay in traveling across wilderness lakes and mountains. They were simple beings molded into frontiersmen by necessity. When I'm in the canoe I dwell on stories that depict the great deeds of these men. On the water in the canoe, alone, I can be traveling in any time I choose. And Calderwood is about as wilderness as can be had in this day and age. But I can't put my finger on the answer to the question. I'll dwell on it some.
The sun is going down fast and its getting cold. I think it wise to search out some wood for a small fire.
Happy is shaking. I never thought about her getting cold. I should shall get her a sweater when I get back.
Happy is the dearest little dog. She will not leave my side for more than seconds. As sweet as she is I miss Douglas. He loves these outings and he's better equipped for the elements. He's my golden boy. But a canoe will never work for him.
Soon cold will replace the warm summer days and nights and Happy will have to stay home. This will probably be her last outing of the year.
The canoe will rest upside down on the saw horses at home until an exceptionally beautiful day appears during winter. Then I will be tempted out onto the lake in the canoe. I still have to photograph the otters on Indian Boundary Lake. So much to do and so little time. It is cold indeed tonight. A final look down the lake sees darkness starting to cloak the embankments.
Happy lays tightly to me staying warm. Soon she dives through the opening of my sleeping bag and goes clear to the bottom. I don't care. I'm in the wilderness and don't have any protocol as pertains to dogs.
I was in no hurry next morning. I lingered here and there avoiding departure. But eventually I got everything loaded back into the canoe and we were off. I will not forget the previous night, ever. I reveled in it.
So we started our long trek down the lake toward the truck and home.
Calderwood has a plentiful supply of water grass. It is good to see. It grows prolifically in huge segregated areas and can be scooped up on the canoe paddle.
My God! I'm on another planet!
Nothing short of spectacular!
We slipped silently down the water. The beauty of the scenes around me enveloped my senses in a feeling of awe. I carefully placed the paddle into the water taking care not to make a sound. I kept it well away from the gunnel of the boat to avoid the wood on wood contact that would make a foreign sound; an out of place sound. I dare not add unnatural noises to break the sanctity of the place. It would be sacrilegious. I am immersed in tranquility. I am where I belong.
I skirted past some trees hanging out over the water and paddled toward the little creek where we saw the otters yesterday.
And what luck! There they were again. The otters were playing on the bank beside the stream. This time I quickly grabbed the box that held the camera and grabbed it. They saw us coming and ran to the water and quickly slid beneath the surface. I slowly paddled the canoe into some brush and snags laying in the water and it held there unmoving. I waited. One otter became curious and stuck his head out of his den to investigate. It wasn't much to work with but, it was enough. I present to you ----------Mr Otter.
Otters are curious creatures. They just have to keep their eye on everything. And the canoe did not belong here.
What a super mustache!
He has a great den.
So long little friend. I'll leave you in peace. But I've marked the location of your den and will be back to play with you.
What a morning! What a way to end a perfect wilderness trip. Otters are my favorite lake character. I shall find a way to put a camera on tripod for this little band of otters. Below is a photo with a tree displaying old beaver damage. It is the only beaver sign I have seen on this lake. I wonder what happened to them, or where they went, or, more exciting; where they are.
We are nearing the launch site and soon will be back in civilization. In an hour or two I'll be watching my rear view mirror for crotch rockets preparing to pass me as I negotiate the curves on Route 129. I'll hear their screaming engines as they pass my window mere feet away at blinding speeds in an attempt to beat me to the next corner in the road. Oh me! People tell me I better be careful going out "there" alone. I guess...........................................
