Willamette River Paddle
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After our city day, we hit the river with the kayaks. We launched from Riverview Park in Independence and paddled down to Halls Ferry on the Willamette River. The water was calm and easy to read. Only one motorboat passed us. A few tubers floated by. Otherwise it felt like we had the river to ourselves.
Riverview Park in Independence
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An osprey perched high in a tree watching for fish. Great blue herons worked the shallows with that slow, patient stalk. A belted kingfisher flew past in a flash of blue gray, rattling its sharp call like it owned the place. At one point a group of geese crossed directly in front of Danny. No hesitation. No concern. Full confidence.
Turkey vultures lined parts of the shoreline. One had a whitish head that made me stop paddling and stare. I had never seen that before, so later I looked it up. It was a partially leucistic turkey vulture. A rare genetic condition that causes some feathers or skin to lose pigment. Basically a one of a kind bird.
It was not a dramatic paddle. No rapids. No chaos. Just steady movement, birds, and that rhythm of dipping the paddle into glassy water.
Turkey vultures lined parts of the shoreline. One had a whitish head that made me stop paddling and stare. I had never seen that before, so later I looked it up. It was a partially leucistic turkey vulture. A rare genetic condition that causes some feathers or skin to lose pigment. Basically a one of a kind bird.
It was not a dramatic paddle. No rapids. No chaos. Just steady movement, birds, and that rhythm of dipping the paddle into glassy water.