Twenty six adventure-seeking paddlers met at the Black Bayou boat dock in Monroe on Saturday morning July 19th and embarked on a 4-mile round trip paddle to see the Eagle's Nest. Although humid, it didn’t feel overly hot thanks to the cloud coverage blocking the sun. Despite the high concentration of alligators in this lake, we didn’t see many (or any) on this outing, although we’re sure many saw us! Mark R. did see one as it was submerging. Egrets were also spotted in the distance. Several paddlers had spiders fall in their boats after bumping into trees, but none of the arachnids were large or scary enough to cause an evacuation. We all marveled at the large Eagle's Nest built high up in the tree, but no eagles were visible from where we were.  The paddle back to the boat dock was pleasant, and we reached it just as the sun was coming out and starting to heat things up. After loading our boats, we decided to go have lunch at the Waterfront Grill located right on Bayou DeSiard in Monroe. No sooner than we’d gathered around the tables on the covered back patio did the bottom drop out and rain came pouring down, bringing with it a very refreshing drop in temperature. It felt so wonderful and relaxing to sit under the breezy patio with friends and watch the rain beat down on the bayou. We enjoyed an array of drinks, appetizers, and entreés, including burgers, catfish, poboys, crab-stuffed mushrooms, and the best shrimp and chicken quesadillas Tammy’s ever eaten. A bale of turtles swimming below the patio were hoping for a taste, too. For dessert, Barbie helped herself to several fresh figs growing on a fig tree behind the parking lot, which inspired a few others to do the same. We all headed home full in both belly and spirit. There’s something uniquely rewarding about a day that combines paddling through nature’s beauty and savoring a tasty meal with fellow BCOS friends. Thanks to Steve B and Melissa for organizing this event and to Jack Armstrong and Tommy Williams for leading the way thru the gator infested waters of Black Bayou Lake. Getting prepared to hit the water.... 24 kayaks and 1 tandem kayak = 26 participants Sent from my iPhone

Ten BCOS members met at the American Legion on South Lakeshore Drive at 7:00am on Sunday morning July 13th to provide safety boats at the Sunrise Triathlon. Jenny and Gary were in a canoe and Mark, Roy, Becky, Larry, Teresa, Misheal, Marian and new member Cynthia Teddlie were in kayaks. After the swimmers were safely out of the water, several of us decided to do some exploring and paddled in the cove until we ran out of water. We saw Double Crested Cormorants airing their wings out while sitting on stumps. No snakes or alligators were encountered. When we got back on land, there were pulled pork sliders and draft beer to refuel our bodies. We sat around and talked for a while then headed home. It was a beautiful morning with temps in the low 70’s and just a trace of wind. BCOS has long provided safety boats in area triathlons. This is a much needed and much appreciated service that we provide. River Cities Triathlon is coming up on August 3rd at Cypress. Mark your calendar and come join the fun while providing a great service!

22 friends met at 7:00pm in Dixie Inn on Saturday July 5th for a Moonlight Float on Dorcheat. We paddled upstream this time, which was a first for most in the group. After paddling for 2 miles, we headed back and found a sandbar where we stopped, roasted wiennies and just chilled for a while. The thunder definitely got our attention but luckily stayed in the distance. We headed back around 10:00pm with our lights showing the way. The moon was only 75% full so it was a challenge avoiding the stumps and branches in the water. Thanks to Mark Robinson for planning and leading this event! And for cooking the hot dogs!