A December weekend in New Orleans

The weather was warm and perfect for training. We started Saturday morning with a couple of laps on the bike trails in the Spillway. This proved amusing and a little scary as we came upon a group of bird watchers intent upon a gold fin (bird). The scary part was the hunter we came upon within the next 100 yards. We warned him about the bird watchers and he apparently disappeared as the park rangers were investigating the situation. Later, I paddled in a bayou along the spillway with a friend who is training for the Everglades Challenge. I have concluded that the golden eagle that I reported seeing earlier in the week was in fact an immature bald eagle. We also saw numerous alligators, nutria, herons and an osprey.