The Season of Midday Starts

I set out for a short trip around the islands in the big river on the far side of town. I slept rough last night and didn't have the ambition to put this fine day to full use, but being so fine, I also didn't have the gall to not take some advantage of it.

These last few days are the first days of summer when getting an early start wasn't necessary. Finally, the high temperatures are ending up in the low 70's, and there is nothing particularly gruesome about a noon start. 

The tide has just peaked and there is no current in the river. I cut across the river downstream of the drawbridge and head up into the Quad islands. My plan is to circle around and do various figure 8's until I've had enough. I head up the west channel, cut across the tip of Carting, the tip of Long, and round the top of Pope's, follow that island down, rounding the lower tip and crossing over to the middle of Long, upstream and round the tip, cross over to Carting, which I follow down, round that tip and head up the channel between Peacock and Carting, and then finish down the west channel. I pick up a bow's worth of plastic debris to top off my recycle bin at home. Then, back across the river to my put-in. 

I flushed about 30 Mallards while paddling, plus 6 or 8 Great Egrets, a couple Great Blue Herons, and a pair of Black Ducks. Spotted a couple Osprey and one Mute Swan.