Cool River Morning Surprises

It has been hot here. This week's daily highs were mostly 98-102 F or 36-39 C.
I went early this morning before sunrise down to the river.
Walking from the dry sand levee, across the shallow sand bar, the first, ankle-deep water was cool from the night and early dawn. Stepping off the sand bar into the deeper, warmer current was like stepping into mild bath water. It carried the heat of the past week.

Walking the sand bars and narrow channels or backwaters across on the southern side of the river, I found a big turtle hauled up on a sand bar. I thought it would be a mature red-eared slider; but it was a different species, I did not recognize. I picked it up and turned it on its side to look at the neck and was surprised when he stuck his head out and did not retreat. I set him back down and he watched me as I walked on down the sand bar towards the sun.

Where the channel was deeper I sat and then floated along silently in the shallow 2 ft deep water. I was suddenly surprised by passing a beaver up on the bank in some dense reeds 6 feet from me. The beaver was surprised too, panicked and dropped into the water jetting straight at me,  then 3 feet from me, powerfully turned (under water) and disappeared in the brown river.

The beautiful American Ruby Spot damselflies were out by the dozen and one Ebony Jewelwing all along the river bank perched on the tips of the of the reeds. No birds, other than a flock of a dozen Canada geese flying over. Often there are egrets and herons out foraging.

Cool big yellow and black bumblebees were out foraging for early morning nectar/ pollen breakfast in the yellow partridge peas along the white sand levee.