Surveyor's Neck

I've been squeezing in as many last-minute aquatic surveys as I can before the growing season is over, the weather (and water) turns too cold, and the lake level gets lowered too much to make kayaking feasible. Today was no exception - I started off with an exploratory paddle of a lily pad-covered cove that necessitated wading through sinking, stinky muck to get our kayaks launched and floating. Exquisite, isn't it though? Definitely worth getting mud into my wellies for!

Surveying at this time of year means I get cold quickly, because I'm constantly putting my hands into the water to reach for interesting things, and then the cold wind dries them off. And when your feet have got wet too, it starts to seep in after a while.

This time I got home with all my 'gear,' dried off, warmed up, and changed, only to have the desire to go back out again after lunch, this time staying out till 6:30 p.m. to harvest each and every possible naiad I could reach with my butterfly net. It's compelling!

I came home jubilant - 38 naiads removed on a day that seemed dismal and dreary, but the naiad signature is so distinct and blatant right now, that good light wasn't even needed. 

Oh, and now I know exactly why I've been getting headaches - I'm calling it surveyor's neck: from holding my head taut and erect as I scour the water for hours on end. Or is it kayaker's crick? Knowing the cause really helps endure the discomfort 😀!

Hope I can get that mud out of my socks!