Trashpaddler: Just One Moment

Before paddling into 2020 and the new decade, thought I'd reflect on my most memorable paddling moment from 2019. It occurred on a cloudy spring morning in western Maine where, after awaking in my tent, I'd driven to a lake said to possess Native American pictographs. While finding information regarding the pictographs was relatively easy, finding information concerning their actual location proved anything but...I'm sure for good reason. Therefore my quest that morning was to find a particular rock face or cliff reported to be near one end of the 7-mile long body of water.

After launching my boat and scanning the shoreline, one such cliff in the distance (opening photo) caught my eye and I began paddling toward it . However upon closer approach it didn't look very promising...

...as the only reddish markings I could see looked related to iron staining. Despite the urge to move on to other potential sites something told me to look a little closer...and with the aid of binoculars some pictographs began to appear...

Upon seeing this I began the process of maneuvering my boat through the aquatic shrubbery to the cliff's base where several human shaped figures became more and more distinct...

Once landfall was made I waded through knee-deep water to a point where I could ascend the cliff. There, to my surprise, was a shelf of sorts where the artist must have stood while creating the image. Standing with my feet placed on the same shelf I was able to view the art from the artist's perspective...

...and subsequently place the palm of my hand upon the image while trying to connect with the artist across time and space. Perhaps a Native American shamen? When was it drawn and why? Perhaps it depicts a warrior or a hunter? For whose eyes was the image intended? Was the natural line in the stone deliberately incorporated into the image to represent a lance or spear? Was the artist in a trance-like state? Was red ochre used to paint the image and how much effort did it take to embed the paint so permanently into the rock surface? What kind of brush or instrument was used in applying the ochre? Were fingers used to rub the paint into the rock? Might the artist's spirit be able to see me here at his work? If so, what would he or she say/think about the world I occupy? Could he or she possibly comprehend my world as compared to his? Could I comprehend their's? My guess is "mindblowing" in both situations and plenty of food for thought for my paddle/drive back to my waiting tent. I've long sought to make some sort of connection with a soul who lived in this land before European influence and always envisioned it occurring while holding a piece of hand-worked stone such as an arrowhead in my hand. I never expected it would happen while standing at the face of such a very large hand-worked stone?

While recollecting this moment I recall an illustration I purchased in Boyd's Cove, Newfoundland that comes very close to what I imagine could be a Native American shamen on a vision quest paddling to a spot where he'll permanently paint his vision...

The artist of this drawing is David Preston Smith, an internationally recognized Canadian Artist and Illustrator. His drawing is of a Beothuk man paddling a Beothuk style canoe.

Since I'm here I'll recollect my favorite wildlife encounter of the year. It was in a secluded cove off the Kennebec River where this hawk and I locked eyes...

2019 was a year filled with bald eagle sightings...24 in all with 7 being on my local Assabet River. This eagle graced the Assabet near Lake Boon's outlet...