salt marsh

This salt marsh excursion was a “customer appreciation paddle” that I offered for free to my most loyal customers, Justin and Michelle and Gabriel and Jonathan and Nanette and Frankie. I asked Dan Turner to come along, too, so that we could read from the field guide. The water today was thankfully as calm as I’ve ever seen it—blue and windless and a slack high tide—and we took a route through the back creeks as mullet jumped and herons soared and shrimp popped and fishermen waved. We got all the way to the Huntington Beach State Park causeway, where four shimmering pink roseate spoonbills flew past us. I asked Dan to read his wood stork poem from the anthology and, lo and behold, a wood stork flew above us. Total serendipity, total marsh magic. On the way back we saw a swallowtail kite dipping below the treeline, and got back to the landing right on time. I’m so grateful for these people, who have helped me with my business, which has been one of the great joys of my life. 
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