Goldilocks and the Two Kayakers

                                                  Mist, not smoke, while paddling on the Moira River 

 I never had golden locks and now I have few locks at all, other than on my chin. Ruth did have long blonde hair but it is inclined to silver now.

Nonetheless we had something of a Goldilocks moment yesterday after a disturbing weather week. There was sweltering heat and humidity for a few days followed by an eerie sky and air quality warnings for a couple more due to wildfire smoke. On Thursday morning I checked the AQI and was puzzled that the scale of ten offered no clue about the current conditions. It turned out that the poor air quality was off the chart, although it came down to a still dangerous level during the day. I did a minimal amount of outdoor work with a mask on.

Friday was our Goldilocks opportunity -- not too hot nor too smokey -- before today's rain. After two days of delaying our outing we headed out early to paddle on the Moira River north of Belleville, a readily accessible spot. We were essentially alone for more than an hour, enjoying a reasonable summer temperature and clear skies. 

We have paddled this stretch many times and yesterday we travelled northeast a few kilometres to the rapids where there is an eagles' nest we have been watching for months. During a couple of recent visits we've made out the head of at least one eaglet on the nest with a parental bird close by, distinguished by a white head and black body. Yesterday there were two young ones by the nest and both flew to a bare branch nearby where they just hung out being eagles. 

This was a quiet thrill and we sat for at least ten minutes watching. The bonus was that we were in a little eddy just below the rapids, surrounded by the trees of a small island in the  midst of the rapids. As we sat there were swallows and waxwings chirping and flying close at hand, perhaps annoyed that humans had invaded their territory. And there was the music of the water flowing across the rocks. This short time was blissful. 

                                                      Tariff-free Wildfire Smoke in New York City

We don't want this to be the new reality, seeking out an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors amidst extreme circumstances we never experienced when we were young. We are resigned to checking apps to determine whether we can venture out and be safe. We have grandchildren who attend a wonderful day camp each summer, slathered in sunblock, but this past week they had days indoors because of the wildfire smoke. 

On the same day the President of the United States fatuously threatened Canada with tariffs if we didn't manage our forests better. Other Republican legislators chimed in with their bluster. No matter that there are plenty of wildfires in America, including one that leveled a portion of Los Angeles, and that Trump has claimed that the climate emergency is a "hoax." Who will awaken us from this ungodly nightmare?  

On our paddle back downstream we saw some of the "usual suspects" of our outings, blue herons and kingfishers and a green heron. I looked over at one point and saw that Ruth had her arms upraised in prayerful gratitude to the Creator. We do this often when we are outdoors, a brief intentional act of thanksgiving for Creation. I hope we have plenty more opportunities to do so.