Mason Neck, VA (USA)

Different day, different river... When I arrived on the peninsula and took a walk from the NWR to the shore of Belmont Bay, it seemed like I’d be fighting the waves if I took the kayak out again. Over on the Pohick Bay side, though, it wasn’t as windy as last week. Fortunately, there was still a pleasant breeze (it blew out from the beach) that helped me on the outbound leg and slowed me down on the way back to the landing. The swells weren’t bad at all and there were a few places on my route where the trees blocked wind and I enjoyed the respite. The tide was way out so I had to get offshore a good distance - when I cut a corner across the bay, I ended up in in the path of several motor boats. It was sunny and clear and I was surrounded by soaring ospreys and eagles throughout the day. Worked hard to reach the little creek behind Gunston Hall (probably two miles up river) but it ended up being too shallow to follow, even for my kayak. I paused briefly, resting in the convergence of waters between the creek flowing out and the tide flowing in. In the stillness, I noticed many pretty butterflies and dragonflies hovering over radiantly colored flowers on the creek bank. Retraced my route and finished after just over an hour - a 50% reduction in the time it took me to do the same route last month. The regular visits to the Potomac are definitely good for my health and for my soul!