Kayaking Kettle Cove on a Blue Moon Eve

This is how the moon looked last night, Aug 30th, midnight. It looks pretty darn full and the clouds are textured and beautiful. 

Tonight Aug 31 2012 was the official Blue Moon (2nd full moon in the same month), which won't happen again until July 2015.  To do something special my sister and I dropped the kayaks in the Atlantic, in Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth. As you can see in the pictures, the water was calm, and there were gentle rolling waves. 

Sue - Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth

Sue at sunset

C at sunset

C- Kettle Cove

Ultra-lite soars overhead

Gull- Richmond Island in the background (or should I say in the backwater?)

As night emerged, so did thickening clouds

After paddling out quite a ways, we were surprised to turn around and see an acceleration of clouding, rather than a clearing, which we'd hoped for. No chance, it seemed, to view the rising moon. 
"We better head back."  A minute later I saw the first flash of lightening. We paddled actively, grateful that the water stayed un-choppy and the wind didn't pick up.  The lightening could still be seen toward the horizon, a distance away from us. 

The night was peaceful despite the distant unsettled weather. 

We plan to try again tomorrow night. The forecast is favorable for clear skies.  

Went back to Sue's and played SCRABBLE. She wrote TAR. I used all my 7 letters to turn TAR into STAR (which should be worth extra points for the beautiful transformation, I might add...)  to make LISTENS. A 50+ pointer!! 59 to be exact. Ha! Beat that biatch. I'm unstoppable!

Fast forward to end of game.  The biatch still ended up whomping me by 43 points! 

Say wha...?

 I've never beat her.

Yet. 
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NEXT NIGHT UPDATE   Sept 1 The moon is still full (it's not a one night only thing) and we watched the sunset, turned, and watched the moonrise from its horizonal hiding place, then extend the white light carpet across the waterway.

Later, snapped this sacred shot of its luminous essence, framed by cloud.  

The Days Grow Shorter

Tuesday Aug 28

Back on the Presumpscot, the young Cormorant was hanging out at his usual perched place.

Cormorant River Silhouette

Just up-river, the sun is setting over a gorgeous, peaceful waterway.

 My camera battery is dying. The last blurry shot is of a doe.  I saw three deer tonight. She was the second one.  She kept stamping her hoof on the ground repeatedly.  She walked behind a bush, but continued to watch me and doing the same hoof behavior.  After I went a short distance downstream I come to a fawn grazing by the side of the river.  This was probably why the mother didn't recede back into the wooded area and instead had watched me intently and kept my attention...she was diverting it away from her offspring.  What a cutie that little deer was.

A really big beaver that was on the side of the rive darted into the water when I approached.  Bats are flying overhead, crickets are cricking, and the waxing moon rose and shone gently.   It's late now, all trace of sunlight dissolved, and only the moon to illuminate the river. 

Perfect.

Let It Rayne

Monday Aug 27

The ever-charming Rayne Grace Hoke met me at Pleasant Point to kayak the Saco River late afternoon. She swims in the Saco daily, to refresh after working at the farm all day.  She said to float on instead of in it was a great experience!

She spotted this lovely bird spotting us from a perch on a branch. 

We went up to the right at the fork in the river, under the Salmon Falls Bridge, where several youth were rope swinging and jumping off the stone platform near the bridge, and up almost to the dam at 4A. Almost, because the current approaching it is very strong, and try as we might, we couldn't venture past a certain point. The current won.

Returning later to our starting point, we were awed by the lovely sun setting. 

Here is a view from Pleasant Point Park, where picnic tables and a stellar sunset view are yours for the sitting. 

Here is the actual rock-lined, staired, portage site.  Take a float or a noodle and go in the river here.  It's sandy and gradual. The water is very clean.  Pleasant Point is a gem in Buxton.  Remember Sonny Wiggin? He was the storytelling caretaker of the park for many years, before he died and the road leading to the park was named after him.

This was a great time on the river.  Am blessed to have good friends and a beautiful river to spend time with them on. Life isn't just good. It's friggin' great.

Cormorant

Sunday on the Presumpscot.  I couldn't wait to get on the river after a long day in a hot, humid workplace.
Earlier in the spring this tree toppled into the river. The beavers were delighted.  I'd often see a clump of branches floating across or upstream, carried off to become part of the beavers lunch or dwelling.

Someone eventually sawed all the leaved branches and only the trunk remains. A perfect perch site for this handsome winged creature.

Closer and closer I glided, taking pictures all the while. Then got this shot-the pattern on its wings clearly defined. His hooked beak and alert eyes vivid.  (my brother in law informed me this is a cormorant)

A short while later I am reading from Paul Gallagher's book on Tai Chi, in which I read this poem written by Purple Gold. 

 And this lovely illustration is in it.  How appropriate!

The river traffic was heavy tonight. I saw:  1. a guy fishing in a motorized canoe  2. 2 guys in bright yellow kayaks (who said they'd put in behind the correction center in Windham) 3. a guy in a small motorized boat, fishing upstream   4. 4 young women kayaking together (I heard them before I seen them) and 2 are pictured here

After the young women left, I floated slowly back downstream, enjoying the peace. Crickets chirped. Birds sang. 

Imagine my thrill at seeing my cormorant again...this time on the tip of a leafless branch with the moon as a backdrop.

The sun soon set and a deeper peace descended upon the waterway.

Sebago Lake Trek

Kerry (nephew) recently moved into a cabin with access to Sebago Lake, so he, his brother Derek,  and I kayaked the Lake, after they swam and I photographed. 

KERRY & DEREK

THE FLOATING DOCK

SUN SETTING SOON

My camera battery depleted, so I wasn't able to get any of us on the water.  The conditions on a large lake can shift within minutes.  Water was smooth when we set out, then the wind soon whipped the water like batter; to white water peaks.
Just as soon, it can calm to semi-stillness again.

Love water.
Respect water.

Summer is waning. Where did it go? Derek starts school MONDAY.  Before Labor Day!

No worries.

There's still plenty of kayakable days in the fall.  Still, where DID summer go?  Time is weird. You think you have all kinds of it...then you realize there's no such thing.  

Dirty Water

I'm gonna tell you a story
I'm gonna tell you about my town
I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby
Aww, it's all about my town

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles (Presumpscot)
That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, muggers, and thieves (or Sue and Trish)
Well I love that dirty water   (not)
Oh, Boston (Westbrook), you're my home (temporarily)
                (Standell lyrics.  Dirty Water.)   (my notes)

August 22

I join Sue and Trish for a trek of new territory on the Presumpscot...not far from where Trish lives, and where there are nice, wooded walking trails alongside the river.

SUE AND TRISH IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE TWIN KAYAKS

YOURS TRULY IN BLUE-LY

It doesn't look like it in these photos, but the current was strong.  We paddled upstream in an area of the river downstream from SD Warren, and other industrial businesses. It was creepy.  In the pictures it looks all nice and tree-lined and peaceful enough.  But in reality, it was noisy (trucks, machinery, factories, traffic); smelly (at two points we were inhaling a sulfur smell and fresh tar); polluted (the water was neither clear or clean); and there was a great deal of debris from downed trees, as well as a significant amount of exposed roots. I've never traveled a stretch of river so ridden with downed trees.  There were unexplainable things (a downed tree with a pile of sandbags stacked underneath....(what?!)  and a large net hanging from a tree with  an unknown substance inside)

We decided this was our one and only time k'ing this stretch of river.

Industry sucks. 

Conditions Change

Tonight's trek on the river started out well enough.  Put in at a different portage than usual - this one across and down river, closer to the hydroelectric dam.

Came across this odd-looking nest of nasty looking inhabitants...didn't dare venture too closely, they were large, black and looked like they meant business. I don't want to find myself an unwelcome passerby to angry, winged stinging things, especially not in a kayak!

Then I came across this long log which had at least seven turtles sunning themselves on it. As I glided closer they all dropped into the water one by one...and at last these two; but not before their photo-op. 

 It was so peaceful and I had brought a book and paddled way upstream, letting the current slowly float me back while I read 'Well Out To Sea' by Eva Murray, recommended by a dear friend. About life on Matinicus Island off the coast of Maine. 

 It was so good I didn't notice the changing skies until I heard a low, distant, distinct growl of thunder.        Uh oh. 

I pack my stuff in the bow of the kayak and do some serious paddling, being twenty minutes from portage.

Like birthing contractions, the length of time between thunder rumblings is at first minutes, then they come closer. A storm is about to be born.

The inevitable raindrops begin to fall. Gently at first. Then harder, more persistent. Lightening flashes.
Again. and again.

It's terrifying.

and exhilarating. 


Drenched, thinking of how excellent a conductor water is for electricity, I decide to get off the waterway and strand myself along the edge. There's no place to take shelter except under the trees.  The wind picks up and a driving rain is pouring down. I'm cold, wet, exposed, and I have to pee. A feeling of being feral overcomes me.  I just let go, like the storm. I feel the warmness of urine run down my legs, washed away by a cool, driving rain.  The lightening is intense now, the sky above wild, intimidating, yet without bad intent or maliciousness.

It is what it is.

Like nearby creatures, I wait and watch the storm.

The people on the edge of the night

Got on the Saco River briefly tonight. Current was strong again, near the dam. Arms still sore from Monday, when I had to hustle back upstream and out.  It was the strongest water current I've dealt with. Then just sat on the river's edge listening, feeling, smelling, seeing and experiencing the energy of it all.

Footnote: last night was the third time I took a walk in the evening and was hit up for a dollar. Each time it's been a young guy.
I had my headset on. "Spare a dollar?" he asked.

"What's that?" I ask, taking off my headset.
"Got a dollar?" he repeats.
I shake my head. "Sorry," I say, walking on.


'Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
and love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure    (from Under Pressure - Freddie Mercury. David Bowie. )

I turn and glance back at him. Does he actually need help? greed or true need? Looking for a hand, or a hand-out? One can never be sure. I never want to say no to someone who might really, really need a yes.
"What do you need a dollar for?" I call out.
He's a bit surprised. "ummm...I was gonna buy a slushie.  then just walk around."
He looks fed. Clothed. Clean.


"I'd give you one if I had it," I say.  
"No problem."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yup."

I walk on. He says he's okay.

  

Mid-August on the Presumpscot

Okay, needed Some River Time. Encountered no one else. Read a little Tao. Nibbled a little cracker. Ate a local peach. Listened to crickets and birdsong. Sang to a turtle. Communed with beavers. Life is good.

Tao:  'Lose Desire'

Peace Easy

;67ylt5m,n

(Winkman walking on keyboard) 

Dat a beaver chompin' on a fallen tree

Beaver leavin' the scene of the pine

The beavers are a hoot. You occasionally see a leafed tree branch floating across the stream or against the current. You know there's a beaver attached, bringing home another addition to the home. 

Their motto: 

Dam Sweet Dam

 

 

August Saco River

wow. Saco River at West Buxton Dam is a force to be reckoned with this evening. The current is strong, fast and relentless.  One limitation of photographs is: they can't show movement.  The white water suggests it. Had a hard time returning to portage, the current was so strong.

Snapped a pic of this intensely red Cardinal Flower.  August.
 

Cardinal Flower

August - The River is calmer, warmer, and full of life

8/7/12  It's amazing. As soon as your gliding upstream, all your cares melt away. All you have to do is merge with where you are.

Turtles are becoming a more common sight

This lovely little lavender lady had a damaged wing

No words necessary

Look closely~there's a beaver at the end of the trunk

Beaver took off when he noticed me. So Cute!

Basically, practice yielding.  

 

The 3 Treasures are the essential energies that sustain human life.