Norma and I drove about two and a half hours to get to the vacation house we rented with Mark and Allison.
This place is right on the Rappahannock River. It has a pier, one kayak, kayak paddle, SUP with no fin, and no SUP paddle. But that didn't matter much. Paddling in this area was not the least big interesting. Just big, open water and no nearby tributaries of interest. We had a nice view of the water from the house.

The house had plenty of bedrooms, a nice, open kitchen and dining area, and gas grill, which we made good use of. Some of the doors in the place didn't close. I'm guessing they had swollen in the hot, humid weather.

Outside, I saw what I think is some type of skimmer dragonfly.
There were some big shade trees on the property along with a fine example of a Lilium 'Casa Blanca'.

Our vacation home was near the end of a gravel road in the town of Dunnsville, Essex County, Virginia. If you want to get away from it all, then this is not a bad place, though one could argue that it is a little too far away. The closest town with a sizeable grocery store is Tappahannock.
Its name comes from an Algonquian language word lappihanne (also noted as toppehannock), meaning "Town on the rise and fall of water" or "where the tide ebbs and flows." The Rappahannock is a tidal estuary from above this point and downriver to its mouth on Chesapeake Bay.
- from Wikipedia - Tappahannock, Virginia

Searching online, I found some interesting kayaking to do nearby. Fortunately, the weather was cooperative during our stay. If paddling was not an option, I think it would have been a little difficult for me to stay entertained.

Mark grilled Bubba burgers. Yummy.

Norma made breakfast for everyone using some berries she picked either from her garden or while foraging. The plan was for families to take turns preparing meals.

With our bellies fueled up for the day, Norma, Daphne, and I drove out to Aylett.
During the eighteenth century, Aylett was a thriving town with a ferry, tailor shop, foundry, cabinet maker, and blacksmith. There was a busy grain market where wheat and corn were hauled for shipment to Baltimore and Philadelphia. Tobacco was shipped to England from this point, and the standard weights and measures sent from England for port of entry were kept here. During the Civil War, Aylett suffered heavily from cavalry raids. Much of the town was burned.
- from sign at launch site titled "The Mattaponi River at Aylett"

Here, we launched on the Mattaponi River. We have a Mattaponi Creek in Maryland but this is a totally different place.
The Mattaponi are one of the original core tribes of the Powhatan chiefdom, governed by the Great Chief Powhatan also known as Wahunsenakah, the father of Pocahontas, who ruled most of Tesenacomoca (Tidewater Virginia), when the Europeans arrived in 1607.
- from The Official Page of the Mattaponi Indian Tribe & Reservation
This area caught my eye, partly because of satellite photos. For many miles both upstream and downstream of Aylett, the river is narrow and tree-lined. It looked like the type of place Norma would love kayaking, and we could spend a few days doing so, if we wanted. I figured it would also be a great place to beat the 96 degree high temperature with its cool water and shade.
The outgoing tide meant we had to do a little extra work to get upstream, but it was hardly noticeable. One thing that worked to our advantage was that we got a nicer view of the muddy, vertical walls along the shore, due to the low tide. Where water flowed, the walls were red, while the drier sections were dark brown. In this area, the air was cool and damp. We had never seen anything quite like this before. Looking at a map, we could see ponds along the river which probably fed this seepage.

We saw one area that was almost like a little cave that this seepage had carved out.

There wasn't much wildlife to see but we did see a few bald eagles, prothonotary warblers, and several vultures, including this one eating a fish.
To ensure Daphne did not get overheated, she got dunked a few times. We also made sure to take some breaks.
After kayaking about five miles, we reached our destination, Zoar State Forest. Here's the launch site on Herring Creek.

At Zoar, we did a one mile walk on the Mattaponi Bluffs Trail. Quite a bit of boardwalk was built to support this trail which meanders through dense sections of woodland.

Along the way, we saw lizard's tail flowers, an inchworm, and a tree with unusual growths.
Had I been more ambitious, we would have also walked the 0.4 mile Herring Creek Trail but I don't like leaving my boats unguarded or unlocked for very long so I was wanting to get back to the launch.

Near my kayak, we saw an old lady sifting throught the sand. Norma asked her what she was looking for and she replied, "shark teeth." I know there are teeth further north on the Potomac River but I had no idea they were also here.

Our trip back downstream was pretty uneventful. We had a slight push with the current and/or tide.

By the afternoon, it was getting really hot so I did my best to keep Norma in the shade but it was difficult because the sun was mostly overhead.

We only saw one powerboat, and two paddlers just at the start who were returning as we launched. Hard to believe that such a great place like this doesn't get used much. I felt it was the perfect paddling trip for a hot day.

Norma, Daphne, and I were out for around five hours. We got in 10.4 miles. During that time, the boat took on several gallons of water. It didn't make it sit noticeably lower in the water but I'm sure it made our pace slower. This kayak has a slow leak which I haven't been able to find. At 25 years old, I'm not sure how much longer I'll hold onto it. I've fixed things around the hatch a few times and it seems every time I open the hatch, some part of the rubbery foam is coming apart. It is a good boat with lots of good memories but it might soon be time to retire it. Maybe I'll replace it with the Delta Traverse 17.5T.

Back at the house, Jay and I hung out on the deck while Mark grilled the steaks. These became part of the fantastic meal made by Pat, Allison's mother and Jay's wife. She studied cooking in Italy and was eager to demonstrate what she learned. It was quite a feast.

Pat is also a skilled painter. She showed me the journal of her Italy trip she is painting.

Jay is also talented. He plays the guitar quite well.

Allison taught me how to play Rummikub which was quick to learn and addictive. I managed to win a round or two.

We set off some small fireworks on the deck. It rained sometime after we got off the water so things were soaked...no fire hazards. Some of the neighbors set off much larger fireworks...the kind Daphne hates. She stayed inside.

After a quick breakfast, we headed out to Menokin for a private guided kayak trip. Pat stayed behind with April.

After putting in at the Menokin launch site, our guide, Tim, and his assistant, Abby, took us on a tour of Menokin Bay which is part of Cat Point Creek, a branch of the Rappahannock River.
The [Rappahannock] River shares it name with the people who lived here when English colonists first arrived. The earliest written records of the Rappahannock may be from John Smith's 1608 voyage up the river; however, archaeological evidence like pottery shards and fire-cracked rocks show that many people may have occupied the Menokin site at least as early as 500 B.C.
- from information sign at launch site titled "Virginia Indian History at Menokin"

Near the shore, I saw some exuviae on a pile.
Norma, Daphne, and I were in our tandem while the rest paddled Perception Rambler 9.5 sit-on-top kayaks.

Tim spoke about how to distinguish pickerelweed leaves from arrow arum and how to recognize various raptors in flight from afar by the way they hold their wings. We saw bald eagles, osprey, and turkey vultures.

Here's a pic of Norma, Daphne, and me that Allison took.
We stopped at the launch site so Mark, Allison, their daughter, and Jay could get out. Then the rest of us continued to Muddy Run before heading back. Menokin Bay is nice but it pales in comparison to where we paddled yesterday...at least on a hot day when you're wanting shade.

Near the launch site, Norma spotted some Lilium superbum (Turk's-cap Lily).
Here's the route that Norma, Daphne, and I did.
Unfortunately, Norma stepped in a hole when carrying our boat to the water and twisted her ankle. It was fine on the water but it was hurting her quite a bit after we landed.

Mark, Allison, their daughter, and Jay headed out while Norma, Daphne, and I went to the Martin Kirwan King Conservation and Visitors Center. Here, we joined another couple for a guided tour of the Menokin house by Connie.
Menokin was built c. 1769 on the occasion of the marriage of Francis Lightfoot Lett and Rebecca Tayloe II, who built neighboring Mount Airy. John Tayloe II gave the couple the large plantation on Cat Point Creek, and financed construction of the two-story stone Menokin and its dependencies.
Soon after, Francis Lightfoot Lee joined the cause of American independence, serving in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1779 and signing the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
- from information sign at Menokin titled "Francis Lightfoot Lee's Menokin"

Connie took us into a room where lots of things from the original Menokin house are being stored. I was amazed at the great lengths being taken to preserve and document things.
Next, we drove to the Glass House.
The Glass House Project uses innovative display techniques to reveal the historic fabric of the ruin in its current state with missing portions of the original house to be replaced with architectural glass.
- from Menokin - The Glass House Project

Upon driving to the area, we were greeted by a baying hound. Daphne barked at it. Norma felt it was friendly and just wanted to greet Daphne so I took her out of her box. I'm not totally sure what happened next but the hound pulled Daphne one way while her leash (attached to Daphne's neck) was pulling on part of her box. I tried to keep her from falling. So she was getting pulled three ways. Clearly the hound was not friendly because Daphne screamed and the hound did not let up. The owner, Alice, got control of the hound and that ended that.

The Glass House was spectacular. It is defintely a guided tour worth taking. Connie was able to get us into areas that unguided visitors would not be able to go.

On one of the walls, Norma spotted a spiny lizard.
Finally, we were led to a house being built to support efforts to recognize the slaves at Menokin and provide a meeting place for their descendants.

Norma was in a lot of pain due to her ankle sprain. Connie gave us a big bag of ice to help control the swelling.

Norma and I made dinner. That included me grilling sausages and skewered chicken. She managed to pull off quite a meal, despite her pain. Much of the food was stuff she grew herself.

Daphne was not faring so well. She was yelping when we touched her. I was really concerned and kept thinking about what I should have done differently. I think Norma and I place too much trust in other dogs and their owners.

I taught Norma how to play Rummikub. She and Pat did well but Mark and Allison's daughter was the big winner.

Daphne was able to walk up and down stairs but not easily. It was clear she was hurting.

Norma intended to stop at one of the farms that contributes to our local Savage Farmers Market on the way back. After that, we planned to stop at the home of one of her friends. But this all got canceled once we were able to get a vet appointment for Daphne.

The vet felt there was some soft tissue damage but nothing major. She gave Daphne some pain killer and anti-inflammatory medicine. She also noticed that Daphne has bad knees. This had nothing to do with the hound incident. She doesn't need surgery yet but she might need it eventually. The vet gave us some stuff for helping build cartilege.

Daphne hadn't been eating since the incident, but once the vet opened up a can of wet food, Daphne started eating. She ate too much and then threw up on the carpet that night.

The medicine definitely helped. Daphne was feeling much better.

Norma's ankle was much better. Pat is a retired nurse and she told Norma what to do using the RICE method. That did the trick.

Except for Norma's and Daphne's injuries, it was a good trip. Mark and Allison are easy to get along with and I admire how much love of life Jay and Pat have. I hope to age like them.

Maybe we'll return sometime and paddle more of the Mattaponi River. I think Norma would say this is one of the most scenic kayak trips she's done in the mid-Atlantic region. I might agree.