In a River

S joined me today. It was warm and mostly cloudy. We put in at the top of the lake and paddled over to the mouth of the Sammamish River. The current is light as it has not rained much lately. The river's current depends on rain runoff in Lake Sammamish, 13 miles upstream. The water is high and we can paddle easily where it is usually only a few inches deep. S comments that there is less bird life here than in Union Bay. The river banks up here have not been eco-restored, unlike the "natural" edges of the bay. While there is a lot of open space, massive blackberry patches have pushed out the native plants that would support diverse bird life. Still, it is pleasant to paddle in the river. The banks can also be good for finding animal tracks, but not today because the water is so high.