We just got back from the first trip out with our new kayaks. After a bit of wrangling with the roof stackers (and a slightly nervous drive, which went off without any trouble), we went out to an area called Beaver Dam lake, an section of the larger Falls Lake that is closed to gas-powered boats. I'd read that it's a very tranquil spot, and that wildlife was abundant. That was very true--the lake was shallow and warm, with lots of old trees poking out in clusters, forming protected areas where great blue herons, great egrets, and snowy egrets were plentiful. The old, bare tree trunks hold nests for numerous ospreys, and I also spotted what I think was a juvenile bald eagle. Killdeers and plovers ran about on the sandbars, a kingfisher watched us from up in a tree, and I heard an owl in the distance. We noticed deer tracks on the shore, and fish jumped up out of the water (the ospreys circled overhead, watching for them). There were pockets of water lilies (budding but not quite in bloom) and tons of dragonflies of all colors.

I took some holga pictures, and hope to get this roll and the others developed sometime this week. Very eager to see how they came out!