Sunday November 23, 2014 Monte Rio CA.
One of my brothers said he’d be over with another brother to do some work on the bridge that goes into our family property, so I went over to see what he was doing. We talked and made plans to do some work on the bridge as soon as he got some new boards for it. We need to install runners on it too.
I left them at it and went on down to Monte Rio to kayak for the day. I’d planned to go up the river, but when I put my boat in the water, I changed my mind and decided to paddle down river to Casini’s and back.
This was my view as I started down the river just below Monte Rio.
I passed this great blue heron fishing along the way as well as several other great blues fishing at different spots.
I spied this seagull sitting on the water which can indicate a seal has a big fish, but no, it was just taking it easy.
Just above Moscow hole, I went by this cormorant getting some sun.
I made it down to Casini’s Ranch and sat in my usual place just above the riffle and spent an hour or so there just taking it easy.
When I got tired of taking it easy, I started back up the river and was going along in this area at Moscow hole, when a bunch of white stuff rained down from the sky about ten feet in front of me. Yuck.
I almost got hit by what I believe to be the most dangerous thing on the river. Cormorants dump just before they get ready to fly. Just before flying off, they get nervous and let loose. Paddling under them when they are in a big tree is enough to make them nervous.
I looked up thankful it’d missed me and steered around it, just in case.
Now, when these birds dump, white stuff really rains down. If I was to get hit by it, I’d likely have to stop and get into some water, which wouldn’t be very pleasant in the winter time. So far, I’ve only gotten hit by one of these things, just a tiny bit and that was enough for me to be very weary of them.
I’m paddling up just below Monte Rio in this picture, late in the day and the sun was on the other side of the mountain.
As I approached the Monte Rio area, I was able to get close to two king fishers making a lot of noise in the trees along the shoreline.
It’s rare to get a picture this close to a king fisher. And this close to two of them would be unheard of, they like to fly off just as you pick your camera up. Big teases.
The reflections in the stilled water were really vibrant today as I approached Monte Rio.
There was a guy fishing by the bridge that all of a sudden I could see had caught a fish, about sixteen inches long. Maybe a sucker? 
With the mouth of the river closed, the river is like a lake all the way up past Monte Rio, up to the summer Vacation beach dam.
Windy days like the one I experienced the other day, make these non wind days seem even richer.
Had a nice day paddling on the Russian River.
