Kayaking is one of the ways that I escape the trucking industry. It doesn't always work. Sometimes it teaches me about the trucking industry in ways that I never thought of.
Take the birds for example. Gulls are definitely the most plentiful birds along the river. We have Pelicans, Herons, Kingfishers, Eagles, and Hawks to name a few. They each have their specialties. Gulls are adept at diving from the air and catching small fish or fingerlings. There was one on the railroad bridge. It had about a 6” Bullhead hanging from its beak. The fish was too big. While I admired the Gull's ambition and search for diversification, this fish was clearly an over reach. It reminds me that small companies often veer out of their specialties and waste time, money and effort. For the Eagle, or maybe even the Pelican (or larger carrier) that Bull Head would have been no problem.
Herons lack the grace of the Gulls. Watching a Gull dive down, hit the water and come up with a small fish is a sight to be hold. Herons by comparison are clumsy and ungraceful. Their spindly legs mimic the reeds along the shoreline. They do quite well being patient and letting the market come to them. Once the market (fish) ventures into the Heron's comfort zone-the Heron takes complete advantage.
As you paddle along in the kayak, a fish will sometimes dive or jump next to it. This can startle the
paddler. If you pay attention you can anticipate the fish action. Over the years, I have learned to anticipate. Sometimes, you will actually see the fish slowly swimming ahead of you. You may notice ripples or bubbles on the surface. It reminds me of how an observant
professional driver anticipates the actions of a car driver on a highway.
The quiet river leads towards a busy harbor. The experienced paddler learns the rules of the harbor and stays away from the bigger boats. When you see a larger charter fishing boat, you know that there is a professional seaman at the helm. They are easy to anticipate because they are pros and follow the rules. The smaller 14-18 foot boats are the sports sedans of the harbor. You learn to watch out for them.
This day I went through the harbor and stayed along the wall of the channel. Boats have to maneuver through the channel to get to the big lake. I went around a break wall into a semi enclosed area. The pilings of an old wharf are still there. Most of them are stand well above the water. Some are hidden just beneath the surface. With my kayak, I could steer between the pilings and paddle over the top of the hidden ones, like a small business trucking company can handle many obstacles that the mega carriers can not.