ROUGH WATER

This weather is not cooperating much at all.  Every day is either rain, wind or both.  The wind was up on Cherokee Lake today and made for rough going.  I tolerated it as long as the fishermen did and when they headed for the barn - so did I.  The rollers increased to as high as two to three feet in height.  That's nuts.  Fishermen in small aluminum boats can't deal with that kind of water.  Rain started falling about mid afternoon.  I don't mind the rain, but the rough water is hard on the legs and back.

Shade was sitting beside the truck door as I carried my stuff across the yard.  She could go today as I was in an area that was open and offered plenty of places for her to get on the shoreline.  

I never expect to see wildlife on Cherokee, but about the time I don't take the camera I'll see a big foot running along some island shoreline and miss the shot.  I noticed a couple of mallards paddling along the shore.  The color of the water created by the sun's reflection really caught my eye.  They are below:

"Well, handsome drake.  Where might be your girlfriend?  A handsome fella like yourself surely has a mate.  Oh, I see now."

"You've done well Sir Drake.  She is lovely."

You rascal!

I'll leave you two alone.  Reminds me of a movie I saw once long ago.  I believe it was called "The Lady and the Tramp."  In this case it's "The Lady and the Scamp."

That wind is getting crazy out there.  I'm going to pull against the shore at the inland pond and eat lunch.

I've never seen this lake so full of water.  The barrier that separates the inland pond from the main lake was breached and the lake poured in covering the pond with dark stained water.  Shade has been the perfect friend, always near to me and never wandering  far.  She appears at my side when I say her name in a normal pitched voice.  

She turns her back to the water and slowly walks uphill into the foliage.  What could make her act in this unusual way?  Possibly she lost her mate in the wind.  Only she knows.  Only she feels the pain.  It will pass.  Nature takes care of such things.

The rain started falling and I figured it was time to make for the shoreline and the truck.    I had the better part of the afternoon in and I was getting tired of searching for anglers who weren't there.  
I'll be back up on the Holston River tomorrow and hopefully I'll get some shots of critters.  That piece of water always offers photo opportunities.
I've been thinking about putting a piece about trapping on the blog but have been putting it off for the past few months.  Trapping bothers me a lot.  If I do the piece it will be based upon emotion and ethics rather than scientific fact.  I do have a lot of scientific facts pertaining to the subject but I got to thinking.  Why does everything have to be reinforced by scientific fact?  The only reason is to prove cost effectiveness of the issue.  We'll see what I decide.  See ya.