Kayak Break

This past Saturday, Natalie and I decided to join the Houston Area Seakayakers  in a ten-mile paddle from Smith Point  to Double Bayou at Oak Island last Saturday. She arrived at my trailer in time to unload her dog and put her in a crate in the trailer, and eat a pancake breakfast. 

Putting in - this place charges $5.00 a kayak but we could have put in free nearby

We loaded up my paddles, life jacket, water, hat, and camera - she had a loaner kayak for me already on my car - and set off to the put-in.  After not finding the put-in where we thought it was, we had to make a few phone calls and locate our leader. Soon we were unloading the boats, while the rest of the small group - all guys  -helped us and hassled us about being late. I asked Natalie, "Do the other women know something we don't and have been smart enough to not try this paddle on a day with heat warnings?"  But the weather wasn't very bad and there was a small breeze which should pick up later. 

Paul and terns

Soon all the kayaks were in the water and we were moving northward with a gentle wind pushing us. We were moving lightly across the little waves and enjoying terns, pelicans, and gulls. We even got to see a juvenile magnificent frigatebird.

Birds loafing on a shell island

In only a little over an hour,  and four miles of paddling, we spotted a shell island and headed there to stop and eat lunch and cool off. The island was also being used as a resting place for brown pelicans, royal terns, laughing gulls and other birds. I went to get some pictures.  When I came back to our side, another paddler had found what he though was a baby bird. It was a least tern and the tamest I've seen.  I just stayed where I was and  took pictures as it approached me. 

Royal terns and laughing gull - not sure of one tern

Least sandpiper

Cooling off - we all stayed cool by wetting down and drinking lots of liquids

 After lunch, we paddled much slower but all too soon were seeing the buildings of Oak Island and watching motor boats come out of Double Bayou or go back in. Shortly, we were in the bayou, heading to the park where there is a boat launch.  We waited our turns to a ramp and quickly took out our boats and unloaded our gear. We gathered the group we could grab to get one last picture.  Then the drivers went to get their cars while I stayed with the boats. By the time everyone was back and the boats were loaded, three of us decided to eat supper at a little restaurant in Oak Island. Two of us had fried scallop baskets ant the other had a fish basket. All were delicious. Natalie finally left here around 7:30 P.M and I came home too. 

A few miles from the entrance to Double Bayou

Barges in the bayou

Four of the six of us