December 30, 2007- Rising River 31 to 83 - 1150 CFS to 1600 CFS - 2 hours, 15 minutes - 14 Wilderness solo sit-on-top

The 2007 drought has made kayaking a rarity and you take it when you can get it. We've had 24 hours of thunderstorms and downpour, so I headed to the camp and wrapped myself in rain gear. I called a few folks, e-mailed a few, but had no takers on a run in the heavy rain with fairly chilly temperatures. One polite e-mail reply suggested I had a mental problem kayaking in thunderstorms. Topie put me in at 1:00 p.m. and the first hour of the run was in steady rain and it was quite beautiful. I saw at least 100 ducks and 2 blue herons. One lovestruck couple actually floated within 15 yards of me for about 10 minutes and I began hoping they would not mate because any ducklings of that pair would have zero survival instinct-- gator snacks. An hour and a half into the run, "Tony's Rapids" were underwater, but turbulent; The 2nd and 3rd set were stirred up enough to see slight rises of white water from 300 yards away. "Big Mama" was gone at this CFS level. I was at 84 by 3:15. Topie picked me up and we spent an hour in the pines, ending on the bluff of the river at a corner marker tree that has faded names that were carved into it several decades ago.

Acorns, Acorns - December 2, 2007 - CFS 125-105 - Landing to Iron Bridge - Big Paul and Max - 8 Miles - 3 Hours, 20 Minutes

Today I kayaked with Paul Sr. ("Big Paul") who is a forester with 30 years of experience. "Woodies" or Wood Ducks are abundant on the river. You see them 50 yards down river and they scatter into flight as you approach. I never would have connected it, but Paul explained that the ducks were congregating in areas where acorns were dropping from the oak trees. The acorns are so abundant they "ploosh" into the water from the trees. (Yesterday I kayaked with Billy M., and there were times during lulls in conversation when it sounded like mini-missiles were hitting the water all around us). Paul says he and other foresters believe that the bumper acorn cropsmay be a consequence of the drought. (Pecan trees are also producing very well). The lack of rain may put the trees into a state of alarm that causes them to drop more seed than ever to the ground. He also mentioned that acorns are so plentiful in the woods that the deer are not coming to the green patches because there is no pressure to find food. It reminded me how many times this year I've heard people talking about acorns. Two friends of mine with metal roofs have said they had a hard time sleeping at night. My dog was barking non-stop recently at night and I walked out and finally decided that it was the acrons hitting the roof of the tin shed behind our house, it was such a racket. The roads are tanin-staned in our neighborhood. It sounds like pop guns if you drive down a dirt road slowly with windows down. Enough of acorns. We also saw an Otter that was fishing like a porpoise coming up and down, and the Otter had no care for us paddling by; a Kingfisher we pushed down the river for several miles. Overcast and 70 degrees in December, warm enough that we drove back to the camphouse with the windows down. Another day in paradise.