Paddling through the bald cypress

Joe Dupre'

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I got out in the kayak today after a week of no power (no A/C!!) due to Hurricane Ida. I didn't see a lot of damage. Cypress trees are pretty resilient and hold up well. The first pic is a pretty fair representation of an average several hundred year old tree that was possibly left due to a hollow when most everything was clear-cut here 100 years ago. The second pic is with the kayak up against the trunk. The tree is in about 3 feet of water so I guess the base is about 9 feet + at the soil line. The pink things off to the left are apple snail eggs. It's an invasive species that has just come into these parts in the last year or so. The snails get HUGE and eat native aquatic plants.



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Joe Dupre'

Omono
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Location
Belle Rose, La.
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9a
Watch out for the gators Joe! Glad you guys are ok.
Gators!! I saw more gators-per-mile than any other kayak trip I've been on. I'd look up ahead and see 4 or 5 of the 6-8 foot long guys. They would slowly submerge until I would get almost right over them and they would make a huge swirl and get out of Dodge. I've never had any trouble with them, but it makes a guy think. I'm in a 10' long boat and a 12 foot gator is not uncommon. When paddling, your arms dip within inches of the water and it wouldn't be a big undertaking for a big gator to snatch you right out of the boat. A man gets a different feeling when he is not the biggest, baddest thing around.
 
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