November 13, 2011
This last July I had the pure joy of spending an entire week in a beachfront house at South Shore Lake Tahoe.
We rent a house on the beach every year just down from a great resort. Within walking distance we have the General Store, Ice Cream Parlor, Coffee House and one of my favorite restaurants, the Beacon, home of the famous Rum Runner. While the food is good too, it is mainly a fave because it is right on the beach with a big ole Patio…and live music most nights. What more could you want in a vacation spot?
We downsized the rental this year as we had a smaller group so this was the first time in this house. It was perfect with a private beach and a brand new pier.
With night lights.
Every morning around 7AM I would brew up my coffee and head out on the water. I guess you have to get older to really appreciate the early morning hours. I can’t even bribe the kids, or many of the adults, to come out early with me. The morning hours are best at Tahoe as the crazy ski boat people are not up yet and the water is like glass.
My favorite destination is Taylor Creek. It is a good fun paddle around the marina boats and up the South Shore.
Taylor Creek and surrounding marsh is a protected eagle nesting area, so no people on the ground allowed. We non-motorized boats can paddle around the marsh and have the best seat on the lake.
There is a lot of wild life but catching a glimpse of an eagle is the prize. Today was the day. I spotted him very close to the creek just sitting in the tree. Pretty soon I noticed two black birds harassing him. Clearly he was too close to something. It took about 30 minutes but he finally flew off to another tree.
On the way out I watched this Osprey snag breakfast.
By 10 am the big boats are usually chopping up the water so I head home for breakfast.
The rest of day is always a maybe for paddling. During the week boat traffic is light and if the wind is down you can paddle all day comfortably. But weather can change quickly. I remember one year a hailstorm blew through and we had to run for cover in a cove.
One day out paddling I started to notice all these sail boats around me. I finally realized that I was in the middle of some kind of race.
Look closely at this wood pile..it's full of babies
Till next year...
No comments:
Post a Comment