Victoria / Cedar Creek (Michigan) Kayaking

I was in Michigan (plus lots of driving to and from) for the week to visit my granddaughter and daughter-in-law.  One fine afternoon, we decided to take kayaks on an out and back up Victoria / Cedar Creek, which is one of the inlets for beautiful Lake Leelanau.  It would be about 3 to 4 miles each way to reach the lake.  If it had just been Sarah and I we might have gone that far, but with a little kid, you have to be pretty aware of what they will tolerate.  We went about 1.2 miles each way, which was maybe about .4 miles more than my granddaughter's tolerance for outdoors fun.  But that's okay, because it was a beautiful creek on a gorgeous day.  We saw painted turtles, a northern water snake that swam so close to my kayak that I was able to easily reach over and pick him up, many ducks, kingfishers, and lots of scenery.  Here are some pictures.

Our route, out and back, starting and ending at the upper left and following the stream maybe 40% to the lake:

Near the start of the trip.

Mother and daughter kayak along, one paddling, one ready with her net. 

I think this was a mother with two young ducks, not quite ducklings anymore but not old enough to be alone either.  Since ducks usually have about 8-12 young, I imagine the others are in the bellies of foxes and minks.

It is delightful to see a young child excited about the natural world, like this painted turtle.  She wanted to keep it but was persuaded that the best place for it was his watery home.

The entire stream that we kayaked on wild like this - no homes, cottages, or docks.  Just pretty scenery.  Just the way I like it!

This vivid water lily flower was too tempting to pass up.

You can click on the panorama for a full view.

My granddaughter caught this little green frog at the end.  She put it on the grass so that she and her mom could look at it.  As they knelt down to look at the frog, I was busy getting gear organized, but I happened to glance up.  At that exact instant, a large (30 inches at least) water snake was moving just behind them, less than a meter from their feet.  But their backs were turned.  I shouted several times for them to turn but by the time they did, the snake had squeezed between two boards on the dock and was gone.  My granddaughter was sure that I was kidding her, because I sometimes do joke around, but not this time.  I am sorry they missed it, as my granddaughter is fascinated with snakes.

Hiking with Aja

The other day, I went for a hike with my grand-daughter, Aja. It was our first hike together, and I hope there will be many more between us in the years - dare I say decades? - ahead. She just turned two, and is full of wonder and interest in the world.

The hike was of course short - 0.8 kilometers out and back along a nature trail through a cedar swamp. She wanted to be carried at times, which was fine. She listened to chickadees calling, and tried to imitate them. She shook little trees, calling out "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" as she did so. She tripped over a few roots, and looked at moss. She felt the needles of the northern white cedar, and looked into a small stream, fruitlessly, for animals. She looked at large holes drilled in dead trees by pileated woodpeckers.

Aja on the trail!

I wish we could all look at the natural world through the eyes of a child. If we did, I think that we would take a lot better care of the earth, our only home, and the only home of all of our fellow species.

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." Rachel Carson