After a long hot day with tempatures in the mid 90′s we decided to take a ride down the Shiawassee River. Since we are staying at the Showboat Park we knew we would eventually find ourselves on the river and this evening was the perfect time.
The river was a bit low with a few obsticles along the way. The pace was very relaxing. We saw plently of wildlife including: Blue Herron, Ducks, Baby Ducks, Turtles and Eagles. We even saw fish that would jump an easy 6 inches out of the water just in front of our boats. It was really cool to see! I am so mad at myself for forgetting my camera back at the RV. 
This was one of the most enjoyable trips we have had on the Shiawasse.
We kayaked the Black River from Clark Bridge to Crocket Bridge near Atlanta, Michigan. At Clark Bridge there is off road parking for a few vehicles. There were four of us that went; Jerry, Ted, Gary and myself.
For the most part the river was somewhat slow and about 15 to 20 feet wide. There were just a few rocks and stumps along the way. Three trees totally blocked the river. Two of them we could get over with a bit of extra speed but that left us with one portage due to the size of the obstacle.
As we floated down the river we spotted an eagle soaring above us and saw raccoons along the river bank. We followed a dozen baby wood ducks and their mother down the river for over an hour. They finally got tired of our company and ducked into a low hanging tree until we passed by them. The ducklings were unable to fly yet so they just flapped their wings as they ran across the surface of the water for as long as we could hear them until they finally disappeared in the opposite direction.
It took us about 3 1/2 hours to reach Crocket Bridge. At the bridge there is plenty of off road parking spots. After loading the vehicles we headed north on S Black River Road then east on Milligan Road to get back to M33.
It’s hard to believe that this is our 4th annual Fourth of July Camping trip. Once again friends and family gathered around the campfire on a site up at Clear Lake State Park to share good times and great food.
We met some new friends this year, Chuck and Rande , who were the Host Campers at the park. I want to express how nice it was to chat with this couple. They were two of the most friendly and helpful hosts that we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They were always willing to lend a hand to someone trying to back into a site, give advice when needed or simply provide some darn good coffee to us morning-eyed campers. It was truly nice to have them in the park.
We spent some time out on the lake. Here is a photo of our friend Gary and his dog Oskar, going out for a cruise around the lake. I got to borrow a kayak from Gary’s sister Jo and also went for a tour of the lake. You won’t see a photo of me since I didn’t have a cute little life jacket to wear like Oskar did.
We also spend some time exploring the woods this year. My wife and I discovered two of the most amazing creatures. We found this Eagle’s nest along side a trail near a swamp.
Later, we ran across this young Elk calf hiding from us in the middle of a field.
