A Beautiful September Day

It was one of those spectacular September days that make one disregard the knowledge that the changing colors are a harbinger of colder days to come.  After the sun chased the rising vapors off the water and partially warmed the crisp morning air, it was time for paddling.

I think this gent found me rude,
since my launch disturbed his peace.

The trees in the swamps always change first.

Lots of reds.  Not many yellows yet.

Rock with bigger rock in the background.

The dragonflies also enjoyed the fine day,
and were out in force.
If you look closely, you can see a light-colored blob of pixels above the heron
that you can pretend is a dragonfly.

The heron flew away, but I caught up with him later.

Others in funny boats were also about.

As I paddled, I noticed a fluttering atop the water.  Closer inspection revealed a large dragonfly, upside-down and desperately trying to get airborne.  How he got into the predicament is beyond me.

I scooped him up on my paddle and deposited him on the bow of my kayak, but the wind was too strong, and he was back in the water again.

Not doing so well.

I scooped him with the paddle a second time, but deposited him into my hand.  Maybe I scared him into leaping into the air.  He soared up into the neighboring treetops.  I wonder if I now have a place in dragonfly mythology.

Heron rediscovery in the not-too-distant shallows.

"You talkin' to me?"

I'm thinking that a heron never has both eyes on anything.

It's not all wild going upstream.
This guy used sound waves to protect his turf when I got too close for his liking.

And he had a wookie for backup.

Then a pair of loons provided entertainment.
This one has quite a bit of white showing on the head.
Old age?

Is that a green foot?

And is that a feather in his beak?

Much less white on this one's head, and the beak appears shorter.
Perhaps younger?
Or maybe it's the male, with less gray or white due to less childrearing responsibility.

The zebra-striped "necklace" is quite pronounced.  I wonder if each loon's necklace, like human fingerprints, are unique.  I will believe so until proven otherwise (see the other loon above).

The loon show was over, I headed back to begin the less exiting portion of the day.  High overhead, an eagle flew by in the "pointless to attempt photography" zone.  But his appearance finished off the adventure nicely.

I'll allow myself the delusion that this glorious weather will last forever.  Until it doesn't.