Karen in the Kayak -Short Paddles 2018

Seven of us from our church drove a couple hours - to Shelburne, NS - for a beautiful, leisurely paddle on Bloody Creek. Nature's beauty: dense vegetation with huge overhanging trees, turtles, jumping trout, baby owl with Mama watching not far away, bullfrogs. Peaceful and a few spots to watch for boulders and logs under the water. Spectacular weather. Photo credits: Steven Hiltz

Here's a "finding Waldo" exercise - about a third way down on the center pine tree there's a very vague light patch. That is a baby owl. Didn't want to get any closer for this shot (using my phone camera) as Mama had flown to another tree in the area; didn't trust her in the event of her offspring getting agitated.

Perfect paddle for reflection photos - Saturday's trip to Bloody Creek. Local lore for how this 'arm' of the Clyde River is so-named has to do with someone's challenging paddling experience on that 'bloody creek'!! You probably won't find this name on the map :)

Eight of us paddlers launched from the end of Crescent Beach - pulled up on the backside of Bay Beach, where we scrambled over the sand dune to see a beach that rivals in beauty with the Caribbean (without the palm trees!). Purpose of the trip was to collect garbage along the beach left from last year’s campers on the Cape LaHave Island and (garbage) flotsam drifted ashore from the Atlantic. A local fisherman in his motorboat generously ferried the heavy 9 huge garbage bags full and two vehicle tires back to the mainland . Return trip about 10K.

White sand, June 1st, hottest day of the season - where's my tent and overnight gear?!! Protected area for nesting piping plovers - didn't see any, but tread carefully on the dunes.