![]() ![]() ![]() They are interesting to watch and seem to adhere well to a "if you don't bother me, I won't bother you" attitude. Mostly the snakes keep to the water's edge and are simply traveling from one place to another. ![]() Maybe this was the reason that I did not see more snakes. I did encounter some sun but only briefly. The day was overcast and threatening rain. Ahead of me I could see fish breaking the surface or leaping from the water entirely. Every turn or bend brought me upon turtles sunning on logs. The wildlife I saw consisted mostly of turtles, jumping fish and birds. The Northern bank was simply undisturbed and beautiful as the surrounding area there is a preserve. I got glimpses of cornfields through the trees on the Southern bank. There are many trees growing from water in little islands and scattered glimpses of color from bright flowers growing at the water's edge. That soon gave way to a forested shoreline with more solid ground. The area closest to the put in was extremely swampy with no inviting areas to pull ashore and rest. The area surrounding the river was widely varied. The main river was not hard to follow and I pressed on heading for the platform. After that stretch, the river widened and shot off into smaller arms to be explored. While navigable, this stretch required lots of weaving through fallen trees and limbs courtesy of Hurricane Isabel no doubt. I paddled through a small straight area for approximately 1/4 mile. My destination was the Nature Conservancy platform erected at the mouth of the Pocaty as it feeds into the North Landing River, a round trip of only about 5 miles. We spoke for a few moments and I was off, heading almost due East. Free and accessible, what more could I ask for? I encountered a lone fisherman trying his luck at the bridge. I was very happy at finding an open spot and with no formal boat ramp, thus avoiding a ramp fee. There was plenty of room for parking four or even five vehicles on the road's shoulder. My launch site was a small bridge over the Pocaty River on Blackwater Road in rural Virginia Beach. The Pocaty is a tributary of the larger and longer, North Landing River. Sunday afternoon was the perfect day for a short trip on the Pocaty River here in Southern Virginia Beach, Virginia. ![]()
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