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Borrego Springs, CA

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Sunday afternoon on the bayou

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Today was the day!  After over five years, I figured out how to get the Sea Eagle inflated and headed for the bayou.  Even though it’s been in storage so long, the kayak had no leaks and was still supple.  I was a little worried when I took it out of the storage bag, and several half eaten acorns fell out with it.  I was afraid a squirrel or chipmunk had perhaps chewed a hole in it while it was in my daughter’s garage or shed.  You’ll remember that Denny and Fonda are fellow volunteers here (and when I was last at Anahuac).  Fonda doesn’t do water stuff, but Denny agreed to accompany me on my maiden voyage.  He was able to borrow a refuge regular kayak, and beat me into the water.

DSC02363I’ve never been accused of being graceful, and today was no exception as I awkwardly got myself ensconced in the kayak, and with Fonda’s help, launched out onto the bayou.  I voted for heading upstream first so I could become accustomed to maneuvering this craft.  I’m a very experienced canoeist, but have never really paddled a kayak before.  I think this may have been Denny’s first time in a kayak as well, so it was a good choice to take the meandering, slow moving route upstream until we got our ‘sea legs’. 

IMG_9701 There were a lot of twists and turns as the waterway became skinnier the further we traveled. 

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It was so quiet as we paddled along.  I wanted to see where this little tributary began.

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We were hoping to come upon some unsuspecting wildlife along the way, but we didn’t see much but one turtle head.  Sad smile  That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, though.

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As we wound around another bend, suddenly there were gunshots very close by!  Seems we had curled around to the shooting range for the refuge Law Enforcement Officers, and they were out practicing today.  Egad!  I could just envision a stray bullet piercing my inflatable.  I made the executive decision to immediately reverse course and head back downstream! 

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As we cruised back past our starting point, Fonda and her miniature poodle, Brandy, had taken up the post of watching for our return.  After Denny stopped to adjust his seat, we continued downstream toward Bayou Castille. 

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That’s my rig in the left picture.  I had no idea the bayou came this close to our sites.  We also found a wood duck nesting box along the way.  I heard a wood duck calling a couple of nights ago, but we didn’t see any birds except a cardinal and a brown thrasher on our paddle.

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When we reached the junction with Bayou Castille, the wind came whistling down the bayou, and I could make barely any headway no matter how hard I paddled.  I guess that’s one disadvantage to this inflatable.  It puts you higher in the water than a regular kayak, and the wind really has an effect on forward movement as compared to a canoe. 

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Denny suggested that we turn around and head back home, and reminded me that this wasn’t an endurance trial.  He was right, of course, and we took our time backtracking to our starting point.  Fonda and Brandy were there waiting for us, and she provided all the pictures today of me in my kayak.  Thanks, Fonda!

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After we got back, the guys got a fire going, and I made up a big pot of ‘stuff’ for everyone to have for dinner.  Others brought sides to go with the ‘stuff’, and we had another feast tonight.  There was no big rush since we had all remembered to turn our clocks ahead last night, and enjoyed the daylight until shortly after 7:00.  Another great day on the refuge!

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy

19 comments:

  1. great day of paddling!!..thanks for sharing..it looks very peaceful..no gators???

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  2. That looks so peaceful. What a great day to be on the water. Great photos too.

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  3. I just had to comment...your photo banner is amazing! Gorgeous!!!!

    I would have been more worried about a stray bullet hitting me :) Luckily all was fine...looks like a great day and be sure your next trip happens before another 5 years...LOL

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  4. Beautiful photos! Sounds like you had a fun and interesting day.

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  5. Glad your kayak was still in one piece both before you put it in the water and when you took it out. The gunshots would definitely have sent me paddling in the other direction. Beautiful pictures.

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  6. Your trip on the bayou looked peaceful, except for having to battle the wind and avoid the gunshots. I enjoyed the pictures of the bayou and seeing your inflatable kayak. Good way to end the day with a shared meal--having an extra hour of daylight is nice.

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  7. What a great way to spend Sunday! Terrific pics too! Thanks for your comment on my recent post "A Dream Inherited". It's nice to know my fledgling blog has some readers : )

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  8. You did Good, your maiden voyage went well and you had fun, looks like you have another way to see the refuge. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

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  9. We see lots of peeps in those kayaks in our travels...I'm not a lover of them..Give me a big regular fishing boat...A kayak looks like it would be too easy to end up "cattywampus", with me upside down in the water, unable to get my dereirre out of the seat...I'd kill myself...And since I won't be kayaking soon, thanks for the great tour!!

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  10. Good for you in getting yourself inflated upon the water. Have paddled around in an inflatable raft a few times but never a Kayak type vessel. Not comfortable on floating things. Next time out you will feel a little more comfortable & it won't be long before you will really be churning up the Bayou. Gators & Turtles will be scrambling to get out of your way:))

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  11. That could well be the definition of a perfect day (minus the gunshots!)

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  12. Glad you got to go out on the Bayou. The pictures were great, as always. Hope your next trip out will be filled with wildlife. Stay safe and thanks again for a great time.

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  13. Looks like a fun day to paddle. I am looking forward to getting to some places we can get or out. I wouldn't have cared for someone shooting near me either!

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  14. Suzy and I are toying (just toying, mind you)with the concept of getting into some kayaks, and the Sea Eagle two-seater would have to be our choice. We are both ungainly when it comes to this kind of adventure. We tried canoes one time, and one time only, and found ourselves unable to do anything but go around in a small tight circle. When you are over 70, is there a chance to learn how to go straight?

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  15. I admire and am envious of anyone that doesn't hesitate to get out in a snakey, alligatorey, black waterey, insect infested, swampy area such as this. In my next life, I will be more open to adventure. Until then, thanks for sharing your adventures.

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  16. ooo, I wanna kayak a bayou so badly! I had to laugh, Judy, getting in the kayak is bad enough, but getting out is the really funny part. I try to do that when no one is around to watch.

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  17. just another way in which you are to be amazed! and complimented for your bravery!

    however, I would have worried about the safety of my camera... second of course, to my own self!

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