Lakes Maitland, Nina, and Minnehaha

Underway at 9:13. The photo below.  The lead off photo came later.

Red shouldered hawk found something in the lawn.

 

 Osprey in nest

 

 

 Entering Lake Minnehaha

AKA Anhinga Alley

Tricolored heron photo bomb

 

 

 

 More variety.  Great egret and moor hen.

 

 Muscovy duck and chick

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landed at 10:34. Short paddle after a late start

 

 

 

Cedar Key and More

 

 Started the day with a Yak Tales tradition.   Last day morning walk in Cedar Key

 

 

 

 

Colorful Dock Street

 

I decided to modify my usual route and walk along 1st Street

 

 

 

Misspelled.

Ida Mae's Cottage spells Mae like my great aunt, Mae Dean.  Who had a home on Lac Lac Belle, west of Milwaukee.  One of my early paddling spots, although I don't remember much of that.  I do recall a orchard, hooking a carp off the pier, and Dad losing it, and Mom always bringing cold chicken, deviled eggs, and brown bread, pumpernickel, I think, packed in a white and yellow Styrofoam cooler.

 

Walking up G, or maybe, F, Street

 

 

 On to 2nd Street, the main drag.

 

 

 

 The sunset painting is a new addition to the outdoor art gallery

 

 

 

 I was not going to take a picture of the cormorant,  as I have before. Until I noticed it is perched on wood.  Like the downed trees on Astena Otie Key.  See the last Tale.

 

I was going to delete this. But it would make a good Batman villain's lair.  You kids may not know on the classic TV series, the bad guys were filmed at an angle.  Because, they were crooked.

 

 

 

 

 

Shell walkway

 

 My balcony. From the street. A 35 minute walk

Tour of 331.

 Kayak paddles are too valuable to use as décor or railings.

 

 

 Come November, I'll spend more time on the balcony.  Will be here for my birthday.  Which is on a Wednesday.  I already reserved it. I think Saturday-Wednesday.  I'll have to ask.  Sure I'll be back a time or two before November.

 Check out 11. The marine forecast was SCEC.  Small craft exercise caution.  The look at the Gulf forecast confirmed it.  So, I headed to the Waccasassa River.  To my surprise, I had not paddled it since November.  

 Launching at Waccasassa River County Park at 12:00

Up the Waccassasa

 

 

First pie billed grebe of the season.  Or, maybe it never left.

Rain as I approach the Waccasassa-Wekiva confluence.

Up the Wekiva.  As you see, the rain stopped.

 Flowers liked the rain

 

 I call this, "The Bachelor Pad".  As opposed to the Honeymoon Cottage in Cedar Key

 

 I think this is a boat that I have photoed before.  But, completely  underwater in the middle of the River.

 

 Resting on a log before I turned back at 1:30.  The large log that has stymied me for years looks like it has been cut away.

 

The spring fed Wekiva is high and dark from summer rain and runoff 

Limestone

 

 

 

 

 

Good to see turtles as there was not much visible wildlife this mid summer afternoon.

 

 

 Plenty wildflowers

 

 

 

 Fiddler crabs finding high ground in trees

 

 

 Swamp lily

 

Another Yak Tales tradition, paddling the Wacassasa up stream from the confluence.

Just as I was thinking I had not seen much wildlife, a manatee lifted its fluke just on my right.  It dove, not to be seen, or heard again.  By me.

 

 

 

Confluence, without rain

 The combined rivers are the Waccasassa.  Why not a third name, like, Ohio, I don't have the answer to.

 

 Landed at 3:40. The plan was to go to St. Petersburg for the Brewers at the Rays.  Plan changed.  Pulled over 3 times because the kayak kept moving on the roof rack.  After the 3rd time, I decided I did not want to be driving late at night, with a couple beers in me, with that issue.  So, when I came to a junction, I headed towards Tampa, and eventually, Orlando.  Of course, the third time was the charm, and the yak stayed in place the rest of the way home.

I would not have seen the contrail from the Delta IV rocket launch inside Tropicana Field.

Home to see the game on TV.  Brewers lost. I can't have a perfect weekend.