After many months of inactivity because of my arm, and finding this blog is getting me terribly depressed (even though, my dear readers you continue to return) I decided today was the day to get my kayak wet.
The weather pattern has returned from its 15 year hiatus - and it has been raining every day for weeks it seems, but only from the afternoon on.
I got out on the water around 10 this morning, a little tentative because my arm isn't "right" yet.
I'm not sure I broke it when I fell and despite x-rays, the walk-in clinic doctor wasn't sure either.
He thought I broke my ulna when I went sliding across the tiled dining room floor on a dog toy.
With one eye on the building clouds, and one great gray one directly overhead, I wheeled my little yellow boat across the street and put in. I had decided I would only paddle the small canal that dead ends to the left - it makes an L at the corner and in that spot, it is paved with waterlilies, a beautiful sight. But then, it was so pleasant with the Eastern amberwings and other dragonflies and damsels in flight all around me, I came to the mouth of canal and creek and took the right turn, upstream on Econfina.
Because I thought it was going to rain today and didn't expect to be gone long, I left my camera home. I have a small Sony T1 that I carry in a waterproof housing when I kayak. I didn't take it. I preach to everyone - "Take your camera - you never know what you'll see."
I failed to listen to my own advice, and that's why, TODAY I AM AN IDIOT!
There are houses along the east side of the creek. The clouds usually build from the west and the creek is very wild on that side.
Just before the wasp tree (the photo above), an old, hollow cypress that is usually alive with wasps on the west side of the creek at the edge of the cattails and the bulrushes (which are blooming now), I saw a flash of orange in the fringe and I know - oh, I knew - what it was. I paddled quietly and slowly and standing on a waterlily leaf, engrossed in picking apart its brunch partially concealed in wispy grasses, was a Purple Gallinule. These birds are incredibly beautiful and walk easily on waterlily leaves and aquatic plants with a splayed foot that is perfect for its purpose.
It was so preoccupied that it didn't walk into the reeds and grasses to hide. It just continued to do the task at hand. I turned around, came closer and still I didn't startle it. Finally it looked at me and I thought I should leave, and I did, but I could have gotten a video or some beautiful shots of a bird that is rarely seen here now. They were more common 20 years ago.
So now I have a great excuse to get out on the water and look for that bird again. I saw a common gallinule one fall, running along the lilypads with a large snail in its beak one time - again, without a camera. They are also swimmers.
And now I see the clouds gathering - it's going to rain, so it's time to catch up on this blog.
Hope you enjoyed being out on the creek with me. Next time, remind me to bring my camera.
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