A day on the river

Leaving the dock on Thornapple Lake

 The trees seemed to be changing earlier this year, probably as a result of the drought that has stressed many trees this summer.  With the weather turning cold and the leaves falling, it was time to get out on a river and enjoy the fleeting beauty of the fall season.  The day threatened rain, clouding over then opening up with sun which made the trees all the more glorious.  We saw a flock of wood ducks, flying just over our heads, along with a variety of other ducks and Canadian geese, all which made a splash when they took off in front of us.  Then they were the a few Great Blue Herons.  Unlike the ducks and geese, they take flight in a stealthy silent manner, flying a bend or two down river and reliving the experience again and again, until they finally fly behind us. 

when the sun came out, everything was brilliant

reflections in the water

 I took with me Daya, a colleague from Taiwan who is working with me for five weeks.  He’d never been in a canoe but was a quick learner.   We made good time, actually excellent time considering that we had a stiff headwind.  Daya isn’t Han (Chinese), but a member of the Tayan tribe, one of the indigenous groups on Taiwan.  Although he now lives in Taipei, he grew up in the mountains and is comfortable outdoors.  He has hunted with darts and speared fish.  I was amazed at his eyes at spotting fish darting along in the murky water.   We saw a few turtles sunning themselves, an abandon hornet’s nest, a downy woodpecker, a number of kingfishers and a nighthawk.  And then there were plenty of turkey buzzards, dozens of them.  I’m not sure all they were after but we did see one dead deer, a young buck with two spikes, probably a victim of Blue Tongue disease which has taken its toll of deer recently.

A turtle enjoying the sun

Hornet's nest