you.”
Suddenly there was a loud clunk directly behind her. She screamed an ear-splitting screech, leapt off her seat and gripped the front of the canoe, tipping them dangerously to the side.
“Oh shit! What was that?” She cowered at the front of the boat, her breathing rapid.
Adam picked up one of his sandals and waved it. Its match lay on the bottom of the canoe behind Marti’s seat. He burst into laughter.
“You are such a jerk! Oh my god! I so want to hurt you!” She climbed back to her seat, wobbling the boat.
“You’re such an easy mark.” He continued to laugh.
“Don’t ever try something like that again. I swear I’ll take you out!” She wished she could erase her embarrassing behavior. Now Adam would lord it over her.
“Oh relax, it’s good to get your feathers ruffled once in a while. All that control makes you uptight.”
Marti turned in her seat and gave him the evil eye.
“Speaking of which, any chance we had of finding the loons was ruined by your girlie screams.”
“That’s your own fault.” She grabbed the paddle she’d dropped into the water when she launched herself away from his sandal. Cool drops fell on her legs as she resumed paddling. She stopped to swat a mosquito biting her ankle.
They canoed another few minutes until the brush finally opened into an inlet of water. A secluded mini lake.
“This is amazing.” Marti took in the private sanctuary, glad to be out of the narrows. Water bugs skated across the water, barely touching the surface. The chirps from unseen birds sang in the distance. Around the edge of the small inlet, brush arched over the water in lazy slumber. Disgusting, thick algae floated near the overgrowth donning an oily film from who knew what. Fish poo?
“Look. Over there.” Adam pointed toward the far side of the water. A mound of sticks and plants created a low nest with a loon nestled inside.
“Quick, grab the cameras,” Marti whispered.
“I can’t reach them. They’re closer to you.”
Marti glanced back to see the dry bag she’d clipped to a crossbar about three feet behind her. She quietly set her paddle in the boat and turned in her seat until she faced Adam. She reached forward, but the bag was too far. She tried to crouch and take a step, but the boat wobbled, and she let out a little squeal.
“Shh.” Adam quieted her.
“Sorry,” she whispered, then knelt on the square lifesaving pad and crawled just far enough to reach the bag. She unhooked it, retrieved her camera and slung the strap around her neck. She looked at the bag as Adam raised an eyebrow.
“Push it this way,” he said.
“Hang on.” Marti reached for her paddle and pushed the dry bag across the bottom of the boat until Adam could reach it.
“Nice one.” He grabbed the bag and his camera, and glanced to see if they’d spooked the loons.
The next half hour, they drifted, capturing various snapshots of the loon. Marti remained facing Adam and they could talk quietly. Funny how they could get along when their focus was on something other than each other. Occasionally, Adam would slide his paddle in the water to adjust the position of the boat.
After a while, the bird seemed agitated by their presence and raised it’s long neck. As it watched them, they noticed two babies peek out.
“Do you see that?” Marti whispered. She raised her camera, feeling like a photographer for the Discovery Channel.
“That is so cool!” Adam adjusted his focus as he looked through the lens and clicked away.
The curious chicks kept poking their heads out. The canoe drifted closer, allowing them better angles of the babies. Marti aimed and captured as many images as she could.
Threatened, the mother let out a loud wail, stood up tall, stretched her long neck in the air and flapped her wings.
“Uh oh, mama loon is pissed.” Adam lowered his camera and let it hang from his neck strap. He grabbed the paddle and maneuvered the boat further away.
“That’s
Suddenly there was a loud clunk directly behind her. She screamed an ear-splitting screech, leapt off her seat and gripped the front of the canoe, tipping them dangerously to the side.
“Oh shit! What was that?” She cowered at the front of the boat, her breathing rapid.
Adam picked up one of his sandals and waved it. Its match lay on the bottom of the canoe behind Marti’s seat. He burst into laughter.
“You are such a jerk! Oh my god! I so want to hurt you!” She climbed back to her seat, wobbling the boat.
“You’re such an easy mark.” He continued to laugh.
“Don’t ever try something like that again. I swear I’ll take you out!” She wished she could erase her embarrassing behavior. Now Adam would lord it over her.
“Oh relax, it’s good to get your feathers ruffled once in a while. All that control makes you uptight.”
Marti turned in her seat and gave him the evil eye.
“Speaking of which, any chance we had of finding the loons was ruined by your girlie screams.”
“That’s your own fault.” She grabbed the paddle she’d dropped into the water when she launched herself away from his sandal. Cool drops fell on her legs as she resumed paddling. She stopped to swat a mosquito biting her ankle.
They canoed another few minutes until the brush finally opened into an inlet of water. A secluded mini lake.
“This is amazing.” Marti took in the private sanctuary, glad to be out of the narrows. Water bugs skated across the water, barely touching the surface. The chirps from unseen birds sang in the distance. Around the edge of the small inlet, brush arched over the water in lazy slumber. Disgusting, thick algae floated near the overgrowth donning an oily film from who knew what. Fish poo?
“Look. Over there.” Adam pointed toward the far side of the water. A mound of sticks and plants created a low nest with a loon nestled inside.
“Quick, grab the cameras,” Marti whispered.
“I can’t reach them. They’re closer to you.”
Marti glanced back to see the dry bag she’d clipped to a crossbar about three feet behind her. She quietly set her paddle in the boat and turned in her seat until she faced Adam. She reached forward, but the bag was too far. She tried to crouch and take a step, but the boat wobbled, and she let out a little squeal.
“Shh.” Adam quieted her.
“Sorry,” she whispered, then knelt on the square lifesaving pad and crawled just far enough to reach the bag. She unhooked it, retrieved her camera and slung the strap around her neck. She looked at the bag as Adam raised an eyebrow.
“Push it this way,” he said.
“Hang on.” Marti reached for her paddle and pushed the dry bag across the bottom of the boat until Adam could reach it.
“Nice one.” He grabbed the bag and his camera, and glanced to see if they’d spooked the loons.
The next half hour, they drifted, capturing various snapshots of the loon. Marti remained facing Adam and they could talk quietly. Funny how they could get along when their focus was on something other than each other. Occasionally, Adam would slide his paddle in the water to adjust the position of the boat.
After a while, the bird seemed agitated by their presence and raised it’s long neck. As it watched them, they noticed two babies peek out.
“Do you see that?” Marti whispered. She raised her camera, feeling like a photographer for the Discovery Channel.
“That is so cool!” Adam adjusted his focus as he looked through the lens and clicked away.
The curious chicks kept poking their heads out. The canoe drifted closer, allowing them better angles of the babies. Marti aimed and captured as many images as she could.
Threatened, the mother let out a loud wail, stood up tall, stretched her long neck in the air and flapped her wings.
“Uh oh, mama loon is pissed.” Adam lowered his camera and let it hang from his neck strap. He grabbed the paddle and maneuvered the boat further away.
“That’s
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