What Was That?

by: Larry Asam

Published: July, 2025

Some people called it spring 2025. Yes, it was cool and rainy with more than the normal number of cloudy days and yet in spite of the weather, the River is always intriguing. The migrating birds arrived, the water was crystal clear and old friends appeared. Below are some of the sights that caught my attention.

One foggy morning, a ship's horn blasted again and again. She was moving through the soup but finally anchored near Twin Island. As the fog started to lift, there she was – the Griffon – a Canadian Coast Guard ice breaker and buoy tender. A bit later that morning, this little Grenell Island bay asked to be photographed. Everything was locked in place except for one duck that was floating around.

This solitary loon slowly came close to the boat and then dove down. Suddenly, there it was about to surface. A lucky moment.

This remarkably calm loon rested as my boat drifted closer. Sometimes loons will shut down half their brain and close one eye while sleeping and at the same time, keep the other eye open and alert. It's mate was casually swimming near by.

And then there are the mergansers. There seem to be more than ever this year. Mergansers, like most water fowl, are entertaining as they sprint over the water just before take off.


This imposing Osprey never budged. It just stayed put and watched everything go by.

An Osprey perched by a ledge, part of the Minna Anthony Nature Center. [Photo by Larry Asam ©2025]

The BIG Birds – swans and herons. Swans must have inspired the Boeing 747. What a huge and powerful bird. This one flew over the boat, its wings beating the air, making their distinctive whoop – whoop sound. This heron had had enough of me and took flight for a more remote perch.

While poking around Murray Island one morning, the sun light was striking the tree tops from behind and a bit of fog had settled into the Narrows. An irresistible photo.

This image was taken from the Eel Bay side of the Narrows that separate Murray and Wellesley Islands. [Photo by Larry Asam ©2025]

A swimming deer [Photo by Larry Asam ©2025]

On another trip through the Narrows, a deer was swimming from Murray Island over to the Minna Anthony Nature Center on Wellesley Island. Deer swim very well and are capable of swimming over two miles at a stretch.

The deer paused for a moment. [Photo by Larry Asam ©2025]

The light was very flat but the “edges effect” made this antique steam launch stand out. Each year in June, steamboats gather for a week at Clayton's Antique Boat Museum.

An antique steam launch passing Twin Island. [Photo by Larry Asam ©2025]

Several tall ships traveled down River to the Brockville Tall Ships festival. Imagine climbing the rigging on these ships, not an activity for the average bear . . .

Friends return to the River and the parties start. This year, there was a 1920's costume party on Pullman Island. Word is that the theme of the next big party will be Woodstock . . . Stay tuned.

Guests at the Pullman Island 1920's themed costume party. [Photo by Larry Asam ©2025]

And finally, a sure sign of spring – a couple on a boat ride a few days before their wedding at the Antique Boat Museum.

Yes, the weather was not exactly what we had hoped for but as the River came alive we realized, That Was Spring '25.

By Larry Asam

Larry Asam has lived in and around Stowe, VT since 1974, and then spent several winters at Snowbird, UT, in his first career as a ski instructor. In the 1990s he started photographing Vermont weddings. Soon couples from around New England discovered his ability to catch the excitement and beauty of their wedding in photographs. By 1997, wedding photography became his full-time occupation, and this continued for almost 15 years. Now his photography is mainly focused on nature, old boats and the people he encounters.
Visit www.RiverGloss.com to see a selection of recent work. Since 2014, Larry and his wife Kym have been part of the Grenell Island community; he is also the current VP for the Thousand Islands chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.
Be sure to see Larry's other TI Life articles here . His ability to capture Thousand Islands in photographs is much appreciated.

Comments?

P.S. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have something to share? Just send your comments my way, and I'll publish them. Don't hesitate—drop me a message at info@thousandislandslife.com. I can't wait to hear from you!

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Volume 20, Issue 7, July 2025, Places, Nature, Current

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