The irises were blooming. That's the non-native Yellow Flag in the distance and the native wild iris Blue Flag in front. How do you tell them apart? Heck if I know. You can get your own "Hudson River Field Guide to Plants of Freshwater Tidal Wetlands" from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The oars worked well, a little noisy with the oars slapping around in the oarcage, I have to reduce the space somehow. Also, I gave myself too much D shape on the oarshaft, so it clunks every time you turn the oar to feather. You need some D shape to register the oar for the power stroke, but not as much as I thought. The oars will never be as silent as the traditional pinned oars, but I think I can make them a lot quieter. I would also like a bit more resistance -- I'm kicking myself for not getting the oars made a bit longer. But I can broaden the blades which would give me the resistance and still work well in close quarters. Back to Rowing    Ed's Homepage