In May I Paddle. May I Paddle In April?

Gordon Lightfoot wrote about clouds like that....think 'Edmund Fitzgerald'.

Dave, Alison and Enya paddle towards Hammond River #2 covered bridge.

Yes, there is a Hammond River #2 bridge as well as #3, but no #1 so far as I 

could tell.

Now this is Canada! It's mid-April and there's still ice along the shady banks of the river. There's a red canoe and one orange umiak (okay, so it's a kayak and I'm into it like an Inuit). The forecast daytime high was to be +6 but it was only +4 when we launched at 9:30 a.m.

Ffffffffffffff.......cold.

The Hammond River. It's the only river in New Brunswick named after an organ. Wait a minute! I forgot about Wurlitzer Creek!! Kidding.

We launched at a covered bridge known as Hammond River #3. One could presume there are others, but like Gate #3 at the Fredericton airport, don't assume anything logical. Our launch site was along the Damascus Road in Smithtown.

Damascus Road. Hmmm...doesn't sound terribly Canadian, eh? Are you  serious, Ian? Or Syrian, Ian? Blah blah blah.

And Hammond. What or who is a Hammond? I did some digging in the New Brunswick Provincial Archives (on-line) and here are the results...

William Francis Ganong identified the Maliseet name for the Hammond River as Nuhwig'ewauk: named for Sir Andrew Snape Hamond (1738-1828), lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia from 1780-1782 and a land owner in area:  in 1866 Hammond River was a farming community with approximately 52 resident families: in 1871 the community and surrounding district had a population of 300: in 1898 Hammond River had 1 post office, 2 stores, 1 tannery, 1 cheese factory, 1 church and a population of 100: Hammond River is now within the town of Quispamsis, a small community owned by Randy and Jennifer Wilson.

Therein ends our almost true history lesson for today, kiddies. Class dismissed. Grab your paddles and get out there.

P.S. re: William Francis Ganong. Mmmm...Ganong's.