Yesterday I took a day off work to go paddling down the St. Croix River. I had such a good time that today feels like Monday again. I got home last night close to 9 p.m., exhausted and satisfied. Like we have done every year for nearly 20 years, we took a day to paddle from Interstate State Park downstream. This year we did the six hour/19 mile trip to William O'Brien State Park. We stopped for lunch and for a break at the Osceola landing and we still finished in about 5 hours. The weather was perfect. We had a high of about 80 and low humidity. The wind was light, intermittent and always at our backs, helping us down river. We were the only customers to take the six hour trip today. Our group totalled 8 people. We used two canoes and two kayaks. I split my boating between a canoe and a kayak. The kayak has better support for my back and I find it easier to steer. I didn't want the trip to end so I went super slowly for the last mile. Four osprey were on the nest on the railroad bridge between Osceola and Copas. We got a close up view of them. Eagles flew overhead and vultures circled above us. Cedar waxwings flew above the water catching bugs and bringing them back to shore. My nephew took the photo above which is at my favorite part and where we usually have lunch. I love the steep cliff walls here. Tiny cedar trees cling to the rock face and try to survive. And if you do the Tarzan yell or ululate at this spot you can hear an echo. This annual canoe trip is part of what makes my summer complete.
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