Presumpscpt, Westbrook

Here is the link to the first post about this beautiful River, complete with directions.  

Loyal blog readers know this is one of my favorite places.  Today I was in need of an early morning paddle, where the sounds I would hear would be those made by my paddle, the birds, and any other wildlife that was around.  It has been that kind of month!  (Work is crazy and I am working on a project that has felt all consuming, so I needed a break!)  What better way to shake it all off than paddling? 

The river has changed since I was last here.  There is a nice bench at the launch site...the white house is gone, that was the landmark to look for to get out of the water before the dam, the water levels were low, and there were lots of wooden stakes with bright pink ribbon on them along the shore... making me wonder/worry about the properties and especially worried the farmland may be developed (Please say it ain't so!)... Also, the big ball floaty thing that marked the irrigation pipe for the golf course is gone.  I have heard through the grapevine that the golf course has been sold and will be developed.  Westbrook is building A LOT of houses right now.  I think the high costs in Portland are driving people this way.  I just hope that people preserve the land along the river.  

As I was paddling, not far from where I put in I was looking around and welcoming my self back to this river... something caught my eye along the opposite shore and it took me several seconds to believe what I was seeing.  I have never seen raccoons along this river and tried to think of a time when I have paddled where I have seen them.  Maybe once up near Katahdin.  But there she was!  A mask faced raccoon!

 And not far behind was this guy, trying to follow in mom's footprints and climb around easily.

He or she was not as grafecul.  

But eventually the two disappeared.  I was so excited! 

The reflections were beautiful! 

Another first on this river, for me, was seeing yellow irises.  I am not sure if they are native species or not... there is a house further up the river that had a gorgeous growth of them, and I wonder if somehow they seeded down the river somehow...(no idea how irises grow, whether bulbs or seeds..no idea!)  they were very pretty.  

The plants right now are so green!  And the morning dew created beautiful droplets on some. 

There she is... the split apart tree... still standing, still alive!  

When I got on the river and knew the water levels were low I looked forard to this part of the river.  It reminds me of a quarry, with the rock exposed and the reflection, I was mesmerized! 

There were several purple irises too, so pretty! 

My beloved tunnel! 

I got to explore further than usual behind the tunnel today...after playing kayak limbo to get under a branch that likely had spiders on it! eek!

When my alarm went off this morning after having a late work commitment last night, I was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep.  True confession: I hit snooze a few times... 

But, I am so glad I got out on the water today on one of my favorite places.  

I will be heading to new places soon.  This month has just been crazy, but stay tuned!  

(I have recently heard from a few of my blog readers, and I have loved it!  Reach out and say hello!)