09/29/2011 - Upper Dog River

Launch: Home
Destination: Upper Dog River
Distance: 8 miles (round trip).
Time Pedaling: 2 hours
Weather: Sunny, temperature 71 degrees, winds out of the north at 5 mph. Tide dropping. Current less than 0.5 mph. No waves. Water temp 83 degrees.

Header Image is a photo of the head of a great blue heron.

View of the sunrise this morning.

Another view of the sunrise.

Morning Glory flowers (Ipomoea) over at Dog River Park.

This is boat called "The Rats Ass" that someone anchored off Dog River Park and abandoned just before Tropical Storm Lee. When the winds come from the south the rear side of the boat bangs against the concrete wall. I reported it to the Coast Guard and they are trying to track down the owner. The last time it was registered was three years ago. This reminds me of the sunken Chris Craft boat that I reported leaking fuel in Alligator Bayou a few years ago. The Coast Guard said it wasn't the first time his boat had sunk. What better way to get rid of it than towing it, anchoring it and claiming it isn't yours anymore. No one can touch it, not even after it sinks. Some people really do not give a Rat's Ass. That is why there are a dozen or two sunken boats slowly shedding their toxic chemicals into the Dog River watershed that flows into Mobile Bay. Truly, our waters are becoming garbage dumps and that is unacceptable.

Meantime, at Dog River Park, trash from the Coastal Cleanup is being picked through by either dogs or aluminum can bandits. I suspect the latter. Notice the loose trash ready to float away into the water... Wouldn't it be nice if there was an incentive like a 5 cent refund for each plastic bottles the bandits pick up and recycle? We need a Deposit-Refund bottle bill passed for plastic bottles and styrofoam cups.

This area was cleaned during the Coastal Cleanup. All it took was one rain yesterday and this is what I have to look at for another 50 weeks until the next Coastal Cleanup. I'm embarrassed to lead paddles in upper Dog River Scenic Blueway.

Sunrise through the moss draped trees.

A great egret utilizes man made bridge bracing for its fishing platform.

A great blue heron backlit from the sun.

Someone had a morning swim before directing its attention to hunting breakfast.