Follins Pond – Dennis, Cape Cod MA

If you paddled in from the Sound and up the Bass River you would end up in Follins Pond.  A few years ago I had scouted the area and found a Town Landing on Follins Pond Rd, which is off Mayfair Rd.  It looked like a good spot to put in so I added to the list for a future visit to the Cape.  This year I decided it was time.  The weather was half of the story here as it had rained in the morning, but the iPhone said 0% to 5% chance of rain so I was off.  When I arrived at the landing the sky looked quite ominous but it was not raining.  Perhaps it would stay south of me, so I took the kayak off the car and loaded up.  Just as I was about to shove off it started to sprinkle so I put on my trusty poncho. Who’s afraid of a little rain?  Surely not I…

I was able to shoot a quick picture of a Cormorant before the rain started to get a bit heavy.  As I was also in the middle of breakfast (usual kayaking fare,,, Dunkin Donuts coffee and breakfast sandwich) I paddled to the shore and parked under an oak tree.  For a while I was sheltered from the rain but that quickly changed as the rain soon saturated the tree.

While under the tree I heard the familiar call of an Osprey, he was hold up in the trees just ahead of me. It wasn’t long before he came out and circled, and joined by two others!  I knew that I had to see more, rain or not.  I headed out staying along the north shore of the pond.  It’s a fairly large pond with plenty of development around it. Normally, houses really take away from the natural beauty of a lake or pond, not here though. Much of the shoreline here must be protected and the sea grass is flourishing.  The homes that don’t have a beach or dock are built for the view. There was not one house I wouldn’t die for!

Knowing Osprey were here I paddled on, past many nice docks and speedboats. So, here is another good reason for kayaking in the rain, you don’t have to worry about being run over by a speedboat! I was the only one on the pond besides the Osprey, Cormorants, and Seagulls.  One thing was very evident, the fishing was great!  I saw Cormorants in the water pulling out their favorite food, eels.  Second time I saw one toss an eel up in the air to swallow it!  I saw a gull fly by with a crab in its beak. And to top it off, an Osprey with a good size fish sailed by, just a few feet off the water right if front of me. Another Osprey wanting to share was following him, but he wouldn’t have anything to do with that! They flew to the east shore and a little later he came back alone with the fish in tow! I wondered what he did to shake the unwanted company.

By the time I reached the northeast corner of the pond it was really pouring hard. The wind was driving from the west and that meant to get back I’d be paddling into the rain. I wanted to take a picture of myself, as I’m sure I was a sight!  I had my plastic yellow poncho over my lifejacket and my straw hat on. The hat kept my face dry by absorbing the water. Well that was good until I turned into the diving rain to go home.

This trip while it may sound like a washout was far from it. There were Osprey and gulls soaring the whole time I was on the pond.  I would do it again in the rain, in a minute!  And next time I might make it out of the pond and head into Kellys Bay and Dinahs Pond and just maybe into the Bass River.