string, I’m no fan of spiders either! I still bear a scar on the back of my hand some 15+ years later as a result of a spider bite that took months to heal. I would have been freaking out or having my stomach do flip flops (probably both). I took great pains to be far, far away from it when we came back so it couldn’t jump onto me or my boat. I’d have capsized if that happened.
Took me a minute to find him!
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Lillyflowers, I considered abandoning ship since I was wearing Tevas and she was inches away . A couple of other guys were with us and really ragging me until they saw the spider. The comments became more like H… Shi…! I wouldn’t be in that canoe!
Later, I found out their bite isn’t poisonous but painful.
We do tend to ramble.
Ok, how do you get ducks to do that?
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They just did it one day. They might have thought I was going to feed them. Really don’t know why they did it.
I usually see cool stuff with current and a paddle in my hand so there are few pictures. I take them with my mind. On one trip we were surrounded by bald eagles and osprey every day, bighorn sheep, herds of elk swimming the river and beaver, otter and mink. There were deer fawns wandering into camp and does nursing by the river bank. We saw no bears but found some tracks. I am reluctant to name such a river, but already have plans to visit again.
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The ducks have accepted you, and consider you part of the waterway
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They look like American Black Duck. Those boyz are friendly
Yes, this is wildlife: a human-brain-sized colony of bryozoans (“moss animals”) that we spotted afloat in Lake Arthur in western Pennsylvania in the Fall of 2006. They are actually pretty cool organisms who form filter-feeding colonies, sort of like gooey corals. A biologist I know said that seeing them is a sign that the water environment is in pretty good shape with low pollution.
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Nice!
I love seeing bryozoan colonies. Usually I see them in or near submerged springs - and on the Manitowish river. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one floating, though. Usually they’re attached to a submerged stick or something. The gullible can be convinced they’re alien egg clusters. 
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Queens Sound Humpback Fly-by.
~51 55"49"N 128 23’50"W
“Tower. This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by.”
“Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.”
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Even the Mute can make a splash,
some say they’ll wing-it dash panache,
while ditching doe in dine on lawn,
free into drink will wade in Fawn,
and those just up to such a task,
after their gorge seek rocky bask,
a’ glance o’er shoulder one game may tell,
if Snap’s appeased with shuffling shell.
It is worth a trip to the Northwoods just to hear the loons at night.
Bald eagles and osprey are a good sign of environmental quality.
Beaver and especially otters and mink are good signs of water quality.
I love to see the antlers and horns, especially in big herds and in the water. Lots of mule deer, elk, bighorns and antelope in West. Moose take some looking. Bears are always around the water.
I am now more interested in seeing the wildlife and great camping spots on rivers and big lakes than I am in paddling fast water.
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