Harmony

No one else is at the put in, and the first-one rule comes into play -  First one down the river sees the most wildlife.

It is mostly overcast with an occasional peek at blue sky. There is a little wind, but nothing that matters much as the forest and hillsides act as a buffer.  The Hartford gauge is at 10-1/2 feet - the river is in its banks, just barely. It is impressive to look around and know that there was another 8 feet of water when I was last here.

I head downstream. The overhanging canopy and overcast sky puts the day into twilight.  This amplifies the green tones and it reminds me of the Pacific Northwest forests, where it is always twilight, even on the sunniest of days. I flush a couple Great Blue Herons, see a couple more, flush 2 mother Wood Ducks, who perform their fake broken wing decoy maneuver, ditching the ducklings and flopping off for a totally unreasonable distance.  I always try to steer wide of the ducklings and get out of the area as quick as possible so that the hen can feel safe about returning.

Harmony.  I've been wrestling with finding the appropriate word, and then I bumped into it while reading a Sigurd Olson book.  Harmony is what happens when I paddle frequently.  I recognize it when I realize that I have stopped counting and making lists of my observations. It is a semi-dreamlike state - I am in the moment and while I am keenly aware and noting what I see, I am agreeable to let the birds and animals be of no more importance than myself. I am no longer a visitor, but just a piece of the landscape.

I paddle down to the confluence with the Connecticut, which is moving past at a fairly stiff pace - definitely not a fun place to be paddling against the current.  I head back, passing my put-in and continuing up. I want to see the tree that fell behind me during my last trip. It was a tall oak that now spans the river.  However, it isn't blocking as there is room to get by near the right bank. I continue up to the next bend and then turn back.

I spot a whitetail doe feeding on the right bank.  I snap a quick photo, finding my camera set at a zoom.  Wildlife surprises - snap off a shot and then fiddle with the camera, The deer did not flee, but it did move behind the brush before I could set the camera.

I've been out 3 hours and I am pleasantly surprised that I have not seen one other person the entire time.