CHEROKEE LAKE - BEAUTIFUL? I guess so

It was cold, cold early this morning.  I'm beginning to come around to the fact that Cherokee Lake is pretty.  Maybe it's because I've been on the mud hole, Douglas Lake, for the past year.  That could have a bearing on it.  All I know is that there is no question that Cherokee is surrounded by an environment that is more eye appealing than that of Douglas Lake.  Cherokee is enormous too.  I like that.   Douglas Lake, however, wins hands down when it comes to viewing wildlife.

I had the whole lake to myself this morning.  I found only three fishing boats during my run.  As I said - it was cold!

I turned to the left there where that little point of rocks extends into the water in the picture above and noticed a movement on the shoreline to the right side of the picture.  A doe was walking along the tree line.

What a pretty early morning sight!  The distance was very far and I could barely see her.  The shots are taken with the 500 mm lens.  Even at this great distance, she noticed the boat and snapped her head around to stare out my way.

Another little deer stepped out of the woods and together they nervously walked through the grass, keeping their eyes on me the whole time.

Ah, what a way to start a day!  They were jumpy and slowly walked into cover.  I believe the pair are mother and young although the mother is a small specimen.  They were gone in the blink of an eye.

The cove held no fishermen so I turned about and headed across the lake.  

It didn't take long for me to run into perilous territory.   I marked as many dangerous spots as possible with my GPS lake map last year.  

We'll be alright as long as we keep the boat on the wide, dark line.  That's the river channel at the bottom of the reservoir.  The rest of the water both left and right is certain death!  Absolutely certain death.  

I have to admit that the lake was really pretty.  I guess my opinion could change when the pleasure boaters hit the water in late March.  
I headed back to the boat ramp and noticed a white duck of the domestic type mixing with wild geese.  Sometimes these ducks cross breed and produce offspring known as a mutt duck.   It doesn't do to turn the Easter pet duck loose into the wilds when you tire of it.

I'm heading west tomorrow to either get on Chilhowee or Calderwood Lake.  It depends how early I can get started.   I hooked the boat to the truck tonight so I don't have to mess with it early in the morning.  Shade will accompany me.  I sure would like to make it to Calderwood but, its a long, long ride.  We'll see what happens.  Later.