2/6/2016 Paddle - Sebago to just outside Dead Horse Bay and back

With another fine-looking forecast for winter paddling today, TQ and I called for a paddle and once again got takers. YAY! I think we at the club have gotten a little out of the winter paddling habit what with the last 2 winters having been fierce enough to discourage us from paddling, but I'm delighted to have taken advantage of this present mild winter and had good paddles 2 weeks in a row.

Today's was about 10 miles and we had a nice surprise on the way back when we saw another paddler heading our way who turned out to be John D., the head ranger at Floyd Bennett Field. He was just out to have some fun on this lovely day, same as us, always good to run into him!

Good birds today - the usual bufflehead and brants (oddly quiet, we had a couple of flocks fly by without their usual hrnk-hrnk-hrnking), and then once we were out from under the bridge, there were longtailed ducks (formerly known as oldsquaws), mergansers, and a loon. Lovely day out on the water, with a rainbow around the sun near the end.

I didn't go quite as photo-crazy as I did last week, so I can just post 'em here. Click on any photo for a slideshow view - this is it for the trip report.

Monday note - The next day, hike leader Frank F. led us on another excellent hike around the point at Jones Beach. Unfortunately I failed to put the card in my camera, so no photos. Well, partially unfortunate, because it was beautiful out there, with the snow still on the beach, but also fortunate, because sometimes it's good to just enjoy being outside watching the seals swimming by (there were a bunch heading out towards the mouth of the inlet, where there's a tide rip that we guessed might be a favorite fishing ground for the phocine folk) and the winter waterfowl (ducks and geese and loons), instead of obsessing over trying to take their pictures with my not-quite-zoomy-enough zoom lens.

Lovely day, lovely Sebago Canoe Club double-header weekend, gave my little black box all kinds of fun data to chew on, and then even got some cleaning and bill paying done last night. It seems there was some sporting event over which it was my duty as an American citizen to get lathered up, but I couldn't quite squeeze that in too. Maybe another time. With what I did do, I now feel pretty ready for what's likely to be a seriously chained-to-my-desk kind of week. Originally I was planning to stay home and do serious cleaning on Sunday, as I have a houseguest arriving on Thursday, but then I thought about the big deadlines I have this week and the long hours I'm likely to be working and decided to cut myself some slack and go have some outdoor fun on both days. My houseguest is family, he won't mind!

Now, on to Saturday's photos. Enjoy!

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