Kip’s Comments - November 1, 2025

My Path To Another World

Fifteen years or so ago my friends at the Iowa Flood Center told me (and others in the audience) that our weather patterns would change from periodic rains to dry spells followed by heavy rain. Our overall annual rainfall would remain about the same, but the pattern would be dry/flood conditions. Like it or not, so far they have been right.

How this has affected me personally is that the river in front of our cabin is either terribly shallow or out of its banks. Where we used to see water skiing or where we pulled the kids on a tube behind our pontoon boat is now too shallow to run an outboard without churning up mud.

If I was a serious boating enthusiast I would be disappointed or frustrated. Since I really enjoy paddling much more, the low water levels - while concerning - have not slowed me down too much. With my canoe I can still get where I want to go. A dock with a canoe next to it is my invitation to head out on the water. Once out paddling I enter another world where the day-to-day concerns quickly fade as natural world activities fill the void.

Canoe at Dock - Image 1041019

My water outing this morning began in the drizzle as I paddled slowly enjoying the saturated autumn colors and bird activity. A red-bellied woodpecker was one species observed, along with crows mobbing a barred owl relentlessly.

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Image 1041022

Along the shoreline I spotted a whitetail doe watching me watch her.

Whitetail Doe in Brush - Image 1041078

Not too far away I saw not one, but two whitetail bucks working the shoreline. I would imagine they were focused on finding the doe I had just seen and I was a curious distraction. I shot some photos and paddled on as they pursued their love interest.

Whitetail Buck Along Wapsipinicon River - Image 1041037

Whitetail Buck Along Wapsipinicon River - Image 1041049