Housatonic / Naugatuck River update

20.35

West Haven

The last two days provided two very different trips on the waterways surrounding O'Sullivan's Island.

20.43

Backtracking to Saturday: After a new beginning (working a quick 5 hour shift at 'the job') I made it out on the river by 15.30 and decided that this trip was to be considered more of a tour as opposed to river clean-up. So, I headed down towards Two Mile Brook and was astonished to see right before my eyes a huge (confirmed) Golden Eagle. I watched it with great interest and suddenly realized that the Hero camera was still in the studio. I then made it downstream some more before placing a call to David at CT Outdoors. Heading back towards Derby, the mighty eagle swooped down low several times trying to locate a nice fish dinner - but with no luck.

What is interesting is that in the late afternoon, it is pretty common to see eagles here. This is also the same location as me and wolF were stationed at for the eagle survey (where we saw the air strike evidence) a couple of weeks back.

I could not believe the amount of trash in the river once you got near the Orange townline, and it just got worse the further south one went. The HVA folks know about this too (more about them later)...

Sundays trip (today) was more recon than anything else since I got out at about 15.00 and the weather was less than perfect. But the light rain provided a silence in the air which I have not experienced in quite some time. With no people in sight, all the river birds were out, along with the usual turkey buzzards / vultures..

This trip went up to the Derby Shelton Dam. As I drifted along by the waterfall's, I could not help but think about Mary Grant, the only other soul I know to care about the ecology the way I do. Although I have not seen her in years, I think about her all the time.

Some disturbing news: I noticed how more trees are still being cut down along the Housatonic River side of O'Sullivan's Island - where that new evil park was installed. Can't they leave just some trees alone ?? What bastards these people are - cutting down everything in site so the area can be more like Coney Island... Wait till the summer, it will be a zoo there!!

Both trips ended at around 17.15 or so - just as darkness was setting in.
Both trips also yielded some river clean-up work too...

Both trips re-inforced why I do what it is Ido for the air, trees, water, and animals...

20.57

I mentioned the HVA earlier.

Well, they are up to having one of their so called town hall meeting's and I thought it might be good to provide an enlightened point of view about how they operate 'from some one who knows'...

I did not bash them in anyway - I just described how they operate and how I felt that raising funds was their main objective. This was done on a Yahoo Group site which I am a fringe member of after reading a post regarding something the HVA folks are planning...

Glad I'm done with them - I bet they miss my $$$'s very much.

Interesting how they never gave a damn about all the work I still put in All The Way Alone...

So it will be interesting as to if I remain active with the NVOC folks after they read my post - and that's fine: if they kick me out, they kick me out - it's not like they like me or anything...

21.08

On the boat's front: Tomorrow I will be calling Sheena at AIRE to enquire about purchasing a Super Lynx which has been hanging around for some time. I am also at a crossroads regarding purchasing a tandem sea expedition kayak - still trying to decide between the Swift Double made by Paddleyak in South Africa or if I should go with the X-2 Starship Micco has for me over in West L.A. Right now - it's the X-2 that I desire. I will be contacting Micco soon to discuss purchasing arrangements. While Johan Loot's makes some fine boats in South Africa - the shipping costs make it prohibitive.

I expect to be out again next weekend, but probably only on Sunday for more river monitoring...

For the Air, Trees, Water, and Animals...
- Earth xoxo