Making Snakes…Nope, Just Spooning
For a little more than an hour I paddled my canoe on the Wapsipinicon River tonight. I had no fishing tackle with me, just my camera and a desire to enjoy the river.
Canoeing on the Wapsipinicon River – Image 455039 (© Kip Ladage)
I paddled upstream to a quiet backwater cove that often hosts a great blue heron or two. Both herons were present tonight, but the two birds took flight when my aluminum canoe came around the corner. That was acceptable since my goal was just to paddle and relax.
As I moved around the edge of the cove I spotted two northern water snakes wrapped around each other. On first glance they appeared to be mating right on the log. But, after careful study, I determined the plumbing areas were not in the proper areas to be making snakes…the two snakes were just spooning on a warm summer night!
Northern Water Snakes – Image 455447 (© Kip Ladage)
Eventually one snake slithered into the water and the other one crawled toward me. I shot a few more pictures before leaving this one for the night.
Northern Water Snake – Image 455532 (© Kip Ladage)
Northern Water Snake – Image 455510 (© Kip Ladage)
Northern Water Snake – Image 455492 (© Kip Ladage)
During my paddle back to the dock I found a nice looking curled leaf floating quietly down the Wapsie, even more quiet than I was moving.
Leaf on Water – Image 455554 (© Kip Ladage)
