While anchored on the Sassafras River we decided to have a ‘fun’ day. Sometimes we get so caught up in ‘life aboard a boat’...allowing projects, weather, navigation planning, travel...etc. to drive our time, we forget to slow down and enjoy the reason we chose this lifestyle. When I look at the weekend boaters and feel jealous of their carefree time to enjoy their boat, I know it is time for us to step back and enjoy a fun day.
With lunch packed and kayaks launched, we are off.
The Sassafras River is a fresh water river in the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay. Lotus fields abound here, and as you can see the leaves have an amazing water repellent that if we could bottle this substance we could make the most incredible rain coats!
Another interesting fact about lotus plants is that the stems are so strong the leaves remain high in the air when the tide recedes. It is easy to quickly lose sight of you kayak companion!
This is the view while paddling through the lotus field. The leaves are over my head, and you can clearly see all of the large brown seed pods. You can actually see the seed pod over my head has dried enough to start dropping its seeds. Imagine each of those seed pods hidden inside huge yellow cream flowers...that was the image a few weeks ago.
Paddling back into a tidal pond exposed large sandbars and mud flats. Our arrival startled a Great Blue Heron who had been fishing here for a very long time. There were thousands of heron foot prints.
Blue crabs were plentiful in this area, and Keith was able to pin this one down with his paddle and pick him up.
He wasn’t in much of a hurry to leave when we released him.
Rejuvenated after our fun-day, it is time to head to our ‘home’ anchorage off the Magothy River. As we leave the Sassafras we see this new CG patrol boat anchored at the mouth. We heard some radio chatter that they were preparing to transit the C&D canal.
The northern part of the Bay is littered with debris. Heavy rain over central and eastern Pennsylvania means the Susquehanna River carries a lot of sediment and debris to the Chesapeake, and once flood gates are opened on the Conowingo Dam all of the detritus that has collected behind the dam is swept into the northern branch of the Bay. Large logs are NOT our friends!
I am sooo tired of seeing Mylar balloons in the water. I have seen no less than 20 in the past month of travel, which is extremely concerning considering the tiny slice of water we actually see from the boat.
I never tire of seeing eagles!!
Our first job, when we return to land, is to replace our dead starting battery. We haul the 130 lb. battery out of the engine room (I probably should have videoed that process...for your entertainment) and into the Whaler. I sit in the boat at the community boat ramp while Keith walks a few blocks to bring our truck around. When he returns...he points out something that had been 2 ft from me the whole time I waited...YIKES!
This snake is trying to wrangle a catfish. The snake was using the boards on the bulkhead as leverage to hold onto the fish until it stopped moving.
Once the snake was confident he/she wasn’t going to lose lunch it swam away for a more private place to dine. I would have loved to see the bulge created by that fish inside the snake...do you think he/she actually swallowed it? I believe this is a Common Watersnake, but it is the largest one I have ever seen. Common watersnakes are nonvenomous and harmless to humans, but online resources describe the appearance to ‘superficially’ resemble the venomous cottonmouth. If you are a snake ID expert (or novice), and disagree with my identification, please let me know.
We are staying here for a few more days to attend the Annapolis Power Boat Show. We will continue our southern migration next week.
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