We are having some awesome summer days -- low humidity, in the 80's -- perfect for bike rides along the river. Today I did 25 miles before 11 am, enjoying the stillness of familiar trails and also exploring some new side routes. I woke up chilly, put on long sleeves, and by the time I was parking my car at a trailside lot, it was warm enough to push my sleeves up. Silly me! Three pictures for you today:
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Do you know what this is?
Ten points to Gryffindor if you know what this is. Guesses? It's a fish passageway or fish ladder. There are two of them on Easton's dams. These structures are supposed to allow fish (shad in this case) to swim up river for spawning. The velocity of water falling over the steps has to be great enough to attract the fish, but not so great that it washes them back downstream or exhausts them. It's not clear that they work.
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Who tied up this boat anyway?!
There's always something new on an old ride; I'm never bored. And I'm always amazed (and pleased) by how much actually see when on a bicycle. It's so easy to stop and look at things. My friend Deb, out on a Richmond, VA ride the other day came across a huge hawk feasting on roadkill. Cool Love raptors.
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Algae bloom on the canal
This is my favorite algae. If PA can have a State Fish (brook trout), I can have a favorite algae. This blue-green algae blooms in warm weather and waters that flow slowly, making picturesque floating carpets -- like astroturf for rivers.