Out with a friend

My friend, Ann, joins me today. She is in for the full affair, and so we portage east to the big lake and set out on sunlit calm water, heading north into the lightest of cool breeze. I coach her briefly on paddling and she settles into it as if it is nothing new. Today's plan is to visit the five beaver lodges in the bay. There are more motorboats out and soon there will be a lot of rental canoes with the spring weather so unusually pleasant. The ducks are calm and settled and we only spot one bald eagle, which is perched on the ugly public sculpture (that we both agree is out of place). Ann is in no hurry and I appreciate that she has set the time aside to go with my flow. The treat comes when we are up in the north end of the bay near #1 island. There are many more herons than usual. We count 16 at one time on a 70 yard stretch of cattail shore. We keep our distance, but still, they all get up a fly off together. There are herons everywhere up here today and I'll bet that we have seen three dozen individual birds. Then we head back to the south lagoons, explore the depths of the cattails, circle the burial island, avoid a dozen rental canoes all coming our way, weaving drunkenly and in most marginal of control. We portage back up the hill, talking about art, our especially shared passion.