Howling at the Milk Moon

Our “Lake of the Month” for June is Keuka! We kicked it off with the first of our series of Full Moon Paddles on Saturday night. [Okay, technically, the full moon was the previous Tuesday, so it was a waning gibbous moon that evening, but let’s not split hairs!] Once

again this year, we have scheduled our sunset paddles close to the full moons of the summer months. The titles of our paddles reflect the Native American names given to the monthly full moons. The May full moon is known by several names: Flower Moon, Corn Planting Moon, and Milk Moon. This last name indicates that in May livestock

enjoy sprouting grasses, weeds and herbs in the fields, and produce lots of rich milk, full of vitamins.

Earlier in the day, I was concerned with the overcast sky and the cooler temperatures. But NYS licensed guide Pat Atkinson, Museum volunteer Peg Angelo and I dutifully hauled all the kayaks out of the barn and cleaned them off for our first guided paddle

of the season. Our guests arrived and Pat gave them a quick review of basic paddle

strokes, then shared the float plan for the evening. Wouldn’t you know it, by the time we got into the water, the skies had cleared, and we ended up needing sunglasses!

We paddled down Sugar Creek until we got to the lake. Pat led us through the trail in the Izaak Walton League wetlands, where the group posed for this colorful photo.

It was such a lovely evening and we didn’t want our journey to end, so we continued the journey along Crescent Beach before we headed back up the creek to the Museum site.

We capped off the evening over a campfire, enjoying some milk and cookies in honor of the May full moon.

We have several paddle events scheduled for 2018 but seats are limited so be sure to register soon to save your spot and join in on the fun.

Interested in a full moon paddle?

June 29 - Strawberry Moon Paddle

July 27 - Thunder Moon Paddle

August 25 - Blue Berry Moon Paddle

Can't make a full moon paddle? That's OK, we have a full calendar of up-coming events at the Museum and hope you to see you soon!

To see our entire schedule of programs and events click here: 2018 Programs