We Are Up The Creek. Miss you.

Yep. My bride and I are  up the creek. Luckily, we had a paddle. Unlike some folks.
A great April day, it was. A day for a little trip up Southwest Creek, near Jacksonville (NC), outside the New River Marine Air Station.

The sky was clear enough to see all the way to outer space. Jet trails everywhere.

We tried fishing. Not really too hard. I didn't even take a cooler, save for the one with a couple soft drinks in it. If I don't take a cooler filled with ice, I'm not seriously looking for fish. Yep, I will have a fishing pole or two. Just in case.

We thought it might be chilly. And, it was. When we were speeding along. Robie was prepared.

We found this pretty ragged osprey, just sitting on a stump alongside the creek. He made no effort to fly away, as do most of these birds when people, armed with cameras, approach. We came to the conclusion that he had a hurt wing, as we were able to get within a dozen feet. No doubt, he was giving it time to heal, safely atop the stump, surrounded by water.



It was a great opportunity to see a bit of wildlife. Like this turtle, catching some early spring rays on top of a log.

Didn't take him long to sprout a couple up-front legs, though, and head for the safety of the creek water.

I'm not completely sure how safe those waters are. This is not a log. It's a gator. About six feet, maybe more, of alligator. I hope turtle soup is not on his menu. If you're quiet, you can get within moderate telephoto lens range for some decent pictures of these guys. You might not want to carry your small dog along, especially if he likes to jump overboard to chase logs.

          Back upriver,  some nice mallards made for a good snapshot. Love those green heads.



                            Need boat stuff? Up river, at Jacksonville? Stop by and say "howdy".

                             Be sure to tell Max "hi". He'll welcome you with a lot of barking.

I'm friendly. Real friendly. Trust me.