Kip’s Comments - January 20, 2023 — LadagePhotography.com

Ihaventpaddleditis - An Affliction

Nearly three weeks have passed since I last paddle a canoe or kayak. My withdrawal symptoms are increasing each day. Today it was go paddling or suffer at a worse pace than already is happening. So, go paddling I did on the Shell Rock River in Shell Rock.

Water levels and velocity on the river were higher than we experienced on our New Year’s Day paddle. Going upstream was quite challenging, but got easier the further away from the dam I floated.

I put together a video of the outing at this link:

Canoeing the Shell Rock River in Winter - Medical Treatment VIdeo

Canoeing the Shell Rock River in Winter - Image 788630

After paddling, as I was leaving the Shell Rock River area, I noticed this small whitetail buck that survived the hunting season. He was very skittish and did not stick around long when I stopped for photos.

Whitetail Deer (Buck) in Winter Timber - image 788643

Perhaps the most interesting observation I experienced today was watching and recording river foam being made. This was below the dam on the Wapsipinicon River. I have to be honest - I could sit and watch this process for a long time. Watching the foam is like watching a campfire - hypnotizing. Before sharing pictures I will provide a link to a video I made of the foam-making process.

Foam On Wapsipinicon River in Winter Video