Lake Drummond 10/30/24

 We had another great paddle all the way around Lake Drummond, this is the third time we have had great weather, we must be doing something right. We all met down at the put-in by 9:30 A.M. The group was made up of 10 Tuesday Groupers, and they were Bill B, Bob M, Marian N, Dan F, Catherine F, Steve L, Kevin Mc, Patricia E, Margaret J, and me Bruce J.   We had our safety talk and the dangers of paddling Lake Drummond, which there are not many. Watch out for Cottonmouth Water Moccasin and that was about it, there was no one else on the lake, except one white Canoe which we thought was the Indian Maiden out looking for her Indian Brave, but it turn out to be 2 fishermen, staying close to the shore the water was only 2 to 3 feet deep, if you fell out of your boat just stand up. We did have to watch our step at the Washington Ditch Boat Dock, some very large Bear, yes Ellis a Bear sit down on the bench and was so heavy that side collapse all the way to the water's edge breaking a few of the boards. (One of these days Ellis, I will show you a Bear)  The crew and a few volunteers were working on the Boat Dock at the put-in and after they finish with that one, hopefully they will rebuild Washington Ditch Dock. We did get to see 4 Bald Eagles, 2 adults and 2 juvenile, lots of Seagulls out in the Lake, guess they made a wrong turn at Rudy Inlet or maybe they were nearsighted and though this was the ocean, it is pertly big, This time we skipped the Feeder Ditch up to the Dam and this took off about one mile from the total distance, this trip was 8.7 miles, where last time it was 9.6 miles long, and the time before that it was 18.5 miles long, when we left Hwy. 17 Boat Dock and paddled all the way to the Lake and then a few of us Paddle around the lake. We made it back by 3:00 P.M.  and loaded our boats and headed home..  We did have two new people to our group, that wanted very bad to see the Lake, but both got sick and couldn't make it,  Maybe we can go again and all can make it that time. Next week we have the 15 miler down the Nottoway River, hope we get a few more paddlers for that one.  Bill's pictures will show how much fun we had this time, and we also had two Witches  which paddle very good, their hats got in the way a few times, not sure why they didn't fly on their brooms. I did take them to the Bald Cypress Tree which was a witch being chased by the law and as she reach the Lake she turn herself into this tree and then lost her powers and never was able to change back, so the legend goes.     Bruce 

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  Bruce led a great 8.8 mile paddle around Lake Drummond! Perfect weather and no wind! The colors were beautiful and it was nice to see all sorts of birds including bald eagles.  But we did have to contend with witches! 

I was very proud that I worked 28 year for the Union Camp Corporation that donated the Great Dismal Swamp to the Nature Conservancy in 1972.

At the end of the  album  is a series of aerial images of the land around the lake that burned. I was finally able to get the Google Earth time slider to retrieve past images. Each image has the date in the upper left corner.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gpTE9K2Qop23UUVB6                 

Bill Billings