We loaded up the canoe for an early morning paddle near Longbranch, on the Key Peninsula. It couldn't have been more tranquil, with the fog lifting up off the water and slowly vanishing. It was 32 degrees, and frost lined all the trees and shrubs along the roadway to our put-in place here. 
The marinas were all closed. Not a soul around. Just a stunningly beautiful Sunday morning on Puget Sound.
We paddled along, slowly pulling the canoe through beautiful, clear water.
We rounded this gravel- bank and came across a large flock of seagulls. When we approach- ed, about 70 of them flew up into the air, then landed again, hunkering quietly down.We were the only ones out on the water. As the fog burned off and it got a little warmer a few watercraft powered along out far in the channel between us and Anderson Island. The ripples from the boats caused our canoe to ride the swells, dipping and splashing.
There were only a few houses along the shoreline. I especial- ly liked this one.We paddled for about three hours, beaching the canoe several times to check out the driftwood on the shoreline. I found some pretty rocks to add to my collection, and discovered a huge piece of styrofoam ( 3 feet by 7 feet) that had washed up onto the beach. I wanted to see how it floated, so I layed down on it, and pushed myself out into the water a few feet. It drifted in the current, bobbing up and down. I closed my eyes, and stretched out. Within a minute the current brought me back to the shoreline, and I just layed there rocking back and forth, sliding into the rocks. What generous-spirited lulabyes I could have composed, right then and there, had I put my mind to it!
