Bear River Boiler

My tradition for the morning of the 4th of July is kayaking down the Bear River with my friend, Deepika. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes at a "never stop paddling" pace to 3 hours at a "let the current do the work" pace. We started out at 10am and floated til after 1pm, so you know what kind of mood we were in! Last year we inadvertently snuck up on three deer drinking from the river not six feet from our kayaks. We were silent and they seemed perfectly unafraid, so we just stared at each other until we drifted by. This year's wildlife included turtles and two kinds of birds I've never identified before. At one point a turkey flew across the river right over our heads. He was eagle-sized but distinctively clumsy and noisy unlike his noble cousin. We drank in the colorful sights, unfamiliar sounds and sweet aromas of this serene setting, a private eden hidden from the hustle and bustle of the nearby towns. The thousands of tourists and locals gathered to celebrate the occasion of Independence Day "up north" were a world away. As we lazed on down the river Dee told me the story of an old factory from a bygone era whose boiler suffered a huge explosion that tore open the thick metal sides and rocketed it to a spot by this river a half mile away. When we approached the "boiler" I couldn't help but remark about it's looming presence and resemblance to some kind of ancient aircraft (UFO, of course), WWII U-Boat or perhaps a Dharma Initiative electromagnetic device from "LOST"! I got a few pics so YOU decide.... look closely.

                                      

"Lost" embellishments added in Photoshop by me!