Back to Being a Boat Blog for a Minute

Yesterday morning, my friend Jesse N. and I decided to explore some small creeks running into the James River above Springfield Lake. We saw lots of signs of beavers in the area, several blue herons, a large hawk, lots of songbirds and turkey vultures, as well as nesting Canada geese (which weren't very happy to see us). Overall, we paddled about 5.5 miles out and back. Some of it walking and dragging the boats through shallows. Being one of the nicest days of the year so far, it was absolutely perfect to be out.

And here are some highlights from the Cherry Blossom Kite Festival on Saturday. Also a very nice day to be outside. At one time, I counted nearly 40 kites aloft, some simple, others quite intricate and up to 30+ feet long.