Unwelcome Kayakers

Went down to the river about 4:30 this afternoon and noticed some people on the other bank. Three kayakers were talking to a boat full of hunters. The kayakers were on land and the hunters were offshore a little. When the hunters left, the kayakers assembled their gear and got into their boats and departed, paddling upstream. Apparently the hunters told them that they were camping on a private lease, and they had to move – after setting up a camp with tents and other gear. I couldn’t hear what the kayakers were saying but they looked pretty disgusted. It was only an hour before dark. I don’t know where they would have found a good place to get out of the river and camp. If they had come near our side I would have invited them to stay in our yard, but if they were looking for a wilderness experience that may not have been appealing. It would appear that we could use a good pullout for paddlers to camp around Butte La Rose. Yep, a ball that needs running with.

There is a strange thing happening (or not) with the frogs. Normally, by this time, we should have large, loud choruses of spring peepers and chorus frogs. They would be calling from rain-filled ditches and other temporarily wet places. And there should be a lot of them calling as soon as we have enough rain, and we have had enough by now. We had an inch and a half Christmas weekend and the ditches are full. Last year these two species of frogs started calling in November. Something strange and different is occurring. Maybe our Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program will notice something in the surveys we do this year. Anyone wanting to contribute to this survey can let me know. Science by the citizenry!

The guys from Simmesport were running their nets today. They sure aren’t catching much. Hard to make a living that way.

The river is at 2.6 BLR today, and set to fall to 1.7 in the next few days. Low water indeed! No current, but good for kayakers going upstream.

Rise and shine, Jim