Back in September I was fortunate to join the boat owners club when I picked up a single-seater canoe/kayak hybrid. After my typical dive into researching the best potential model for my usage and pocketbook, I was pretty certain it would suit my needs. Excited to give it a try, my first stop in getting it wet was an early morning vacation day at Creve Coeur Lake.
On this first outing, only minutes from my house, I did not expect the photographic opportunities to be very abundant. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the looks at wildlife and photos I was able to get.
Maneuvering the boat into position while trying to get the photos was a bit of a chore and will definitely take more practice to get right. Facing your subjects is key and in still waters was usually doable before the subjects could complain.
This boat sits very shallowly in the water, allowing me to maneuver easily in the shallows wetlands found at the south end of the lake. I was often moving in less than three inches of water!
This wraps up the best of my keepers from my first day out in the boat. Needless to say I was quite satisfied with this activity and I am looking forward to getting out more often with it.
Thanks for visiting!
-Ozark Bill
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 
Great job on showing the northern watersnake and properly identifying it. So many people see them and kill them because they assume they are cottonmouths or copperheads. It does not help their cause that many individuals of that species are often ill tempered, though.
Thanks for the comment, Pete. Yes, I’m a helper from way back and love snakes of all forms. There’s no relevant excuse for killing one whatsoever.