Sunday, August 9, 2009

Mud Cove - Sunday

 My orange kayak sports a yellow stern. On bright days it provides a shock of color against the blue water, on foggy days it emerges stealthily, an alien craft, from the gray. Or so I imagine. This afternoon, the tide high, I paddled around Mud Cove, going into the 'Iron Mine' and out again, cruising to the Muffin Rock, then back across the cove. On the charts this little indentation in the shore off The Eastern Bay is labeled just 'mud.' A few rocks to the southwest there is a genuine 'Mud Hole', so designated on the charts. A couple of granite outcroppings to the northeast you can find Pig Gut and Pig Island. As I become a stronger kayaker I'll venture into Pig Gut, until then I'll paddle around Mud Cove. 

 An adult eagle heading out toward Eastern Bay met a 2-year old winging its way toward Mud Cove. The birds slowed down as they approached each other and the older bird turned around and followed its young son or daughter. For the longest time the two birds swooped and turned, glided and plunged, sometimes coming close together, as if the parent was giving advice on technique. Then the parent glided down and perched on rocks at the water's edge. The youngster kept gliding in circles high above the trees, sometimes calling out. The elder watched for about fifteen minutes then joined the youth. They would fly toward each other then arc away in wide circles. The adult then flew off and lit in the top branch of a fir tree while the offspring kept circling and swooping. 

 My kayak rests in the tall grass near the shore, fog gathers out beyond the islands. There are only a few more days when high tide will be right for easy kayaking, then it will be too early in the morning and too late in the evening. But the wonderful thing about the tides is that they change every day and are right much of the time. 

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