I Am Not Alone

Dave recently dropped me and my kayak off at the lower LaChute Falls so that I could meander my way down current, making it a one way trip. Meanwhile he went out on the SeaDoo from the Ticonderoga/Lake Champlain launch ramp down to Whitehall and back. We were then supposed to meet up at the ramp. It was a nice quiet day with the usual turtles and birds, and the current was negligible because of the lack of rain. The water was actually so low that I couldn't take my entrance into the backwater marshes and had to do the limbo at one point, to even get up the side creek.

Then I picked up a passenger! Remember Wilson from the movie 'Castaway'? Well, I found and saved Franklin!

He was the perfect companion for the rest of my trip. I have no clue what we will do with him now that he is home in the garden. I guess he could become a scarecrow.

 

I found two new beaver lodges too. One was next to the railroad tracks, and the other one was right near the shortcut through the reeds into the main lake by the fort. Both looked to be active with fresh branches and mud on them.

It was a fairly hot day when we did our duo water adventure and I knew it would take Dave longer than me to get back to the launch ramp. I eyed a nice little beach with shade that would work perfectly for me to wait for Dave to come around the last corner. As I paddled up to the sand, this strange looking animal came waddling over to the fallen log that I had intended to sit on, and then headed down to the water, oblivious to my presence. As he got closer I realized that it was a porcupine! I couldn't help but laugh out loud, which got his attention and his quills up! I sure was glad I was still in my kayak and slowly backed away.

You never know what you are going to see out on the water, and I certainly wasn't alone this time! Now that I think of it, I should have sent Franklin out to chase the porcupine away. ;-)