Carnivorous Forest

Day 254: I have been fretting over the well-being of "my" colony of Drosera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Sundew) on Lake St. Clair after their island went adrift in a storm last fall and lodged itself in a much shadier niche. I kept telling myself that just because I found the island in position at the north end of the northwest arm, it didn't necessarily follow that it had always been there. It is a raft after all, and may have drifted all over the lake over the years. Still, I couldn't help but worry. The Sundews didn't seem to be as lush as I remembered them, and I kept reminding myself, "It's early yet. They'll come on." Today it hit me: I didn't buy my kayak until August last year. And when I first spotted the Sundews, there were only a few. They didn't really take off until September. Now that we have that settled, I can say I am quite pleased with the way they're behaving.

In order to get a good picture of them, I had to wrassle an alligator, i.e., a floating log which was caught in branches, blocking my ingress into the bay on the sunny side of Sundew Island. I poked it with the paddle, and it bounced right back into place. I pulled on it and it snapped back like it was spring-loaded. Finally, with repeated thrusts of the paddle and some skillful timing, I managed to get the bow of the 'yak in between log and island, and then simply bulled my way through. All things considered, when the "door" went shut behind me, I knew I wouldn't be able to back out through it. There was just enough room to pivot the 'yak so I'd be facing the log for my exit. However, that meant the Sundews were behind me, and there were several more floating logs and poky branches to maneuver around. I am pleased to say that I am a lot better at backing up in the kayak than I am in my car because this adventure put my skill to the test, and getting out of the bay was far easier than getting in.