Call of the Wild

My plan was to go to the gym and swim laps after work. But when I saw the temperature was 75 degrees I heard the call of the wild.  I know I have to put my kayak away for the season but why not take advantage of a lovely fall day and take one last spin around Round Lake instead? The lily pads were all tattered and torn.

Sprinkles?  Schminkles!  I am made up of mostly water anyway.  I scared up a pair of trumpeter swans.  They flew up and away.  When they landed they had a gray cygnet with them.  I saw 4 mallards, three gulls, at least 150 coots, two muskrats and hundreds of red winged blackbirds.  I think the  blackbirds are using Round Lake for a staging area before migration because there weren't this many when I was here in July.

I also saw a fishing spider way out from shore.  Was it drowning?  I didn't know.

It's either a striped fishing spider or six spotted fishing spider.  They look very much alike.  I picked it up with my paddle to get a photo.  Then I put it on my kayak.  Immediately the spider climbed to the side of the kayak and went over the side.  Did it cling to the side of the kayak or go back into the lake?  I don't know.  I tried not to think about it.

I completed my trip around the lake but stayed out on the water until the sun set.  What better way to end a glorious day than watching the sun set from a boat?

So today was the last time I tie my red scarf to the boat.  The 2015 kayaking season is officially over.