April 19th

This April 19th was sunny at times... also hailing, raining and, snowing!

I busied myself indoors, sewing paddle bags and phoning my brothers in California. It was a Sunday after all.

At dusk, things seemed to calm down.

So, I hopped in the Jeep, kayak ready on the roof, and nipped over to the Arboretum to "chill" out on the water.

I saw an eagle, a woodpecker... harlequin ducks and mergansers as well as many ducks and great blue herons. Best of all, 3 beavers!

I think they live here.

snow paddle

I really have been getting a lot done in the studio...

however, Saturday Kristin, Nigel and Joel met Monica and Jay at Marblemount Wa. to be swept down the mighty Skagit River amongst snow flurries and lurching eagles.




The river is our state's second largest, I've been told by local knowledge", Joel Rogers, and flows at approximately 8 miles per hour.

Known as a bald eagle hangout when the salmon are running, we did not anticipate seeing many this day as the run was finished. In fact, we saw approximately 40 of the great birds sitting vulture like in barren trees, staring at the river, now devoid of fish!

Paddling an open canoe, Nigel probably got the chilliest of us all, gleefully sliding back and forth across the current. I plucked up my courage and paddled the Rumour with my storm paddle. Well, it was a small storm... and was pleasantly delighted by the control it provided me with, not unlike a canoe paddle, really!

Monica was in a state of bliss, being in her kayak again and on a river once again!



I think that made Jay happy, because he was smiling a lot too!
It didn't take long to wisk along the 19 miles to the take out. And once off the water, we hurried to get out of the wet and be on our ways again.