Third annual 4th of July float trip

The official beer of this
trip was "Dig", made by
New Belgium Brewing Co.,
from Fort Collins, CO.
It was a good summer drink.

This is at least the third year in a row that I've taken the canoe out on July 4th for a float down the Rivanna River.  It was 10:30 a.m. before I got in the water and it was already getting hot, but being on the river the heat really wasn't too bad. 

Two green herons sharing a branch

I saw what I think was a muskrat but no otters, green herons but no Great Blues, a deer but I wasn't close enough or fast enough to get a picture.  I saw a family of geese that I think I had seen earlier in the spring.  The three young birds had adult plumage now but were still slightly smaller than their parental unit.

The three young geese

Mostly I floated, paddled, soaked in the scenery and the sun, and a few beers. The water level is getting low.  I had to push myself through some very swallow spots and even got out and walked at one point.  This will probably be the last trip on the Rivanna for the summer except after a heavy rain.  Maybe I'll try the James River sometime, but it's not as convenient.