It is in the 60's and sunny with a light and pleasant wind coming down the river. The water is not particularly high and the current is perfectly do-able. In fact, during high water the current in this section can be scary fast.
I head upstream. This section of the river is three or four BIG meanders surrounded by flood plain farm land, which it has been for a few thousand years according to the archaeological record that has come out of those fields.
This stretch probably isn't big on most canoeists list, but it reminds me of the upper midwest rivers that I grew up near - the lower St. Croix and the Mississippi. It can be a very peaceful place.
When I wrote, "BIG meanders", I meant turning slowly to the left for 50 minutes, then turning to the right for about the long, then back to the left.
I spot a Wild Turkey not long after starting. I chat with some fishermen - smart alec jokes back and forth. Midwest humor translates completely here, one of the reasons I like this area.
I spot a pair of Bald Eagles as I near Glastonbury. One is mature and the other is a first year and they are in a minor territorial spat. When I cross the river over to the mouth of a big lagoon, I spot an Eagle nest at the far end of the lagoon, with a mature Eagle standing watch.
There is a 1/4 mile stretch of willow saplings on the river-right bank just below Glastonbury. I find a set of small beaver tracks as I approach. The hind feet tracks and tail drag are fairly clear, but they come with the unmistakable scent of castoreum. The willows are a popular feed zone and anything larger than a 1-inch diameter is rare with hundreds of beaver cut stumps and a lot of peeled sticks.
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