Pottering on the Potomac

Sunday was supposed to be a warm sunny day so my friend, Tom, and I went out on his boat for a chug up the Potomac. There was little sun and it was a bit chilly but undaunted we carried on. 

This house on the shore has its own chopper, handy for those shopping trips when you need a new pair of shoes for an evening out but can't be bothered with traffic. Thought the back hoe for gardening was a bit over the top though...

Whoa! We were so busy chatting that we never noticed this boat bearing down on us. 

This boat was obviously made by its owner and from this view it looked like the man was taking a trip in a barrel. Think I would've had a more comfy armchair in there than his folding deck chair.

This guy's kayak was impressively rigged out with floatation cylinders for better balance, racks for his rods and a fish finder computer. 

We saw a lot of ospreys, many of whom were busy nest building. I liked the trash bag on this nest, useful for those bones and bits of cartilage left over from a hearty meal. Looks like they've got their Christmas stocking up early as well.

There were also plenty of blue herons, and a flock of double-crested cormorants in a tree.

Gulls flew around the many fishermen that were on the banks of Occoquan. We couldn't go further up river since large boulders beyond the bridge blocked the way.

I thought this house was abandoned but Tom thought otherwise and the grounds did look well tended. It seemed a bit eerie seeing the roof covered with silent turkey vultures. Tom told me the birds don't defecate like other birds, all their body waste is regurgitated.Some interesting turkey vulture facts here.
We headed back to the docks and went in the boat club for lunch. Of course, it wasn't too long before the sun came out and started warming up the rest of the day. Oh well, there'll be more days on the river.