So, Nina got back from her week-long research cruise last night, and she organized a picnic for today. We set sail at around 9:30 am, and once we reached deeper waters we stopped for some homemade muffins and coffee. It was already warm out, and Conan threw himself into the water almost immediately, probably paddling after some fish that he noticed beneath the surface. An Irish setter he may be, but his love of water implies an even more aquatic origin.
Nina, ever the passionate biologist, pointed out various creatures as we drifted. She noticed an otter from very far off, and when I couldn’t see it she whipped out a pair of binoculars. Nine is very familiar with the wildlife here- she sometimes runs the bird watching tours when they need a fill-in. The Lake Champlain region is home to more than 300 species of birds! My favorites are the ospreys, which are not at all uncommon- I often see them from our porch. Nina likes the golden eagles, which are, of course, listed as endangered.
I spent the remainder of the time sketching the shoreline, and did some watercolors as well, and Nina joined Conan for a swim.
