365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Out And About In A Boat
Lest my word-play pass over the heads of readers outside the PNW, I must explain that when pronounced by a we't-coast Canadian, the phrase "out and about in a boat" makes no distinction in the round vowel sounds; "ooout and abooout in a booout" serves as a yardstick by which to measure Vancouverian origins as surely as a fondness for poutine. In addition to pronouncing "lichen" to rhyme with "kitchen," I am often found to be going ooout and abooout in a booout whenever the weather invites me, or rather, in a kayak.
For the most part, the shoreline of my favourite lake is either developed or too steep to "put into port" for a stretch break. I've managed to find short-term moorage in all but one arm of the X, although at high water, exiting the boat can be a little tricky. This location gives the easiest access to dry land, but on my most recent trip, I noticed that the big cedar tree on the right had had the lower three feet of its bark clawed off by some kind of varmint. There were no tooth-marks to indicate a beaver at work, and the size of the scratches eliminated even the smallest of bear cubs. Discussion of the anomaly with Kevin brought the culprit to light: porcupine! From this point forward, I will be more cautious when I steer my little craft into this secret pirate's lair.
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