MLK weekend, what can I say, another great trip put together by the one and only Dave Chafin. Dave a great big Thank You from everyone as I know they really appreciate the work you put into organizing this trip every year. And now for the saga.
Joy, Westbury and I headed down to Florida amid the rain and cool weather with dire predictions of cold and wet looming for the entire weekend. The rain subsided before we arrived at the campground and we checked in and proceded to set up camp. It wasn't long before Jay, Trish and Diane also showed up and plans were cast to paddle Homossasa River on Friday in case the weather turned foul. Donna was already at the campground and had been volunteering for Manatee watch on the Crystal River. The campfire felt good that night and it wasn't long before we said goodnight and retired as the long drive had taken its toll on all of us.
Friday was overcast but the temperature was moderate. Light jackets were all that was needed and no rain gear, which was a relief. We got on the water around noon after putting in at Riversports Kayak Shop in Homossasa Springs. After checking out the monkeys on monkey island we headed up to the Springs at the state park. Paddling along I spotted a large eagle and after close scrutiny we determined it to be a juvenile Bald Eagle. What a treat. It wasn't long before Joy discovered an adult Bald Eagle in the trees. We also saw Wood Storks, Great Egrits, Great Blue Herons, Little Blues, Pelicans, Anhingas, Commerants, Gulls, the ever present Vultures, Ospreys, and numerous other birds. Arriving at the springs it was a special treat to see the lack of the usual army of pontoon boats. There were only a few fishermen and one pontoon boat at the scene. The manatees were everywhere and feeling frisky. They rolled near the surface and did their manatee thing, putting on quite a show. For once we could concentrate on watching the manatees and not worry about getting run down by powerboats or running over snorkelers. Quite a change from past years, looks like everyone but us had paid attention to the weather reports.
A quick lunch and we headed back to the takeout. Again the birds were plentiful and we spotted several more manatees in the river. Another trip around monkey island and then shopping at Riversports. Back at the camp we were surprised to find Dave already there, he usually arrives quite late on Fridays but this year made it early. David had traveled down with him and was already on a quest to find some golfing facilities near by. Jim Darby showed up as well as Jim and Roz, people were flowing in and it looked to be a good turnout for the weekend. John and Fran set up camp in their new camper, Mike and Cathey also showed and were sporting a new camper as well. Seems like the year for new purchases as Steve and Ginger drove up in their new truck with a new slide in camper. Who says the economy is in a recession? Sherry from Columbus arrived with a friend and I believe Patty and Lynn must have followed Dave and David down from Savannah. That only left Chris and Ward who snuck in somewhere while I wasn’t looking. Long lost Rivka rounded out the group and we were glad to see her once again.
Friday night is our traditional Low Country Feast and Jim Darby worked his magic again this year. Everyone chipped in with extras but the Shrimp, Sausages, Corn, and Potatoes were done to perfection as always. Thanks once again Jim for a great job. Our campfire group was quite large that night and everyone had something to share. We must be getting older as we wrapped it up before eleven and headed to bed….
Saturday our group that had already paddled to see the manatees decided to head to the Withlachoochie. Last year we had paddled from Hog Island down to Nobleton and we really liked that section. It was a short paddle so we decided to extend it by putting in at Silver Lake. We dropped my truck at the public ramp and headed to Silver Lake. There is a new State Park beside I-75 and for one dollar a person we used their ramp and felt secure leaving the vehicles in their lot. We may need to check out their campground as they seem to have lots of sites and may be a good place to camp. At the ramp we were treated to Woodstorks, Great Egrits and Ibis wading together along the waters edge just across from us as we loaded our boats. We paddled across to get a closer look and some pictures, the birds are used to boaters and posed as we clicked our cameras. The water was quite shallow and we worried as we paddled under the interstate about the possibility of wading or paddling as we went downstream.
The first several miles was void of any houses and the solitude was quite nice. We stopped after a short while to eat lunch and were amazed at the number of birds that abounded around us. Limpkin were spread around the area, as well as lots of robins and woodpeckers. Vultures circled overhead while many other birds flew over and around us. Jay and Donna may have even seen an Ivory Billed Woodpecker or two but that is really unconfirmed and they have no pictures to prove it! Ducks were present and though we did confirm a pair of Merganzers yesterday, we didn’t get a good enough look to confirm any specifics today.
Further down the river we came upon civilization again, passing Hog Island, and on cue an airboat fired up his engine at the identical spot as he had last year on our paddle. Wow are they loud! The paddle was just over 7 miles and when I saw the bridge in Nobleton I started watching for the giant concrete snake at the “Snake Farmâ€Â
Joy, Westbury and I headed down to Florida amid the rain and cool weather with dire predictions of cold and wet looming for the entire weekend. The rain subsided before we arrived at the campground and we checked in and proceded to set up camp. It wasn't long before Jay, Trish and Diane also showed up and plans were cast to paddle Homossasa River on Friday in case the weather turned foul. Donna was already at the campground and had been volunteering for Manatee watch on the Crystal River. The campfire felt good that night and it wasn't long before we said goodnight and retired as the long drive had taken its toll on all of us.
Friday was overcast but the temperature was moderate. Light jackets were all that was needed and no rain gear, which was a relief. We got on the water around noon after putting in at Riversports Kayak Shop in Homossasa Springs. After checking out the monkeys on monkey island we headed up to the Springs at the state park. Paddling along I spotted a large eagle and after close scrutiny we determined it to be a juvenile Bald Eagle. What a treat. It wasn't long before Joy discovered an adult Bald Eagle in the trees. We also saw Wood Storks, Great Egrits, Great Blue Herons, Little Blues, Pelicans, Anhingas, Commerants, Gulls, the ever present Vultures, Ospreys, and numerous other birds. Arriving at the springs it was a special treat to see the lack of the usual army of pontoon boats. There were only a few fishermen and one pontoon boat at the scene. The manatees were everywhere and feeling frisky. They rolled near the surface and did their manatee thing, putting on quite a show. For once we could concentrate on watching the manatees and not worry about getting run down by powerboats or running over snorkelers. Quite a change from past years, looks like everyone but us had paid attention to the weather reports.
A quick lunch and we headed back to the takeout. Again the birds were plentiful and we spotted several more manatees in the river. Another trip around monkey island and then shopping at Riversports. Back at the camp we were surprised to find Dave already there, he usually arrives quite late on Fridays but this year made it early. David had traveled down with him and was already on a quest to find some golfing facilities near by. Jim Darby showed up as well as Jim and Roz, people were flowing in and it looked to be a good turnout for the weekend. John and Fran set up camp in their new camper, Mike and Cathey also showed and were sporting a new camper as well. Seems like the year for new purchases as Steve and Ginger drove up in their new truck with a new slide in camper. Who says the economy is in a recession? Sherry from Columbus arrived with a friend and I believe Patty and Lynn must have followed Dave and David down from Savannah. That only left Chris and Ward who snuck in somewhere while I wasn’t looking. Long lost Rivka rounded out the group and we were glad to see her once again.
Friday night is our traditional Low Country Feast and Jim Darby worked his magic again this year. Everyone chipped in with extras but the Shrimp, Sausages, Corn, and Potatoes were done to perfection as always. Thanks once again Jim for a great job. Our campfire group was quite large that night and everyone had something to share. We must be getting older as we wrapped it up before eleven and headed to bed….
Saturday our group that had already paddled to see the manatees decided to head to the Withlachoochie. Last year we had paddled from Hog Island down to Nobleton and we really liked that section. It was a short paddle so we decided to extend it by putting in at Silver Lake. We dropped my truck at the public ramp and headed to Silver Lake. There is a new State Park beside I-75 and for one dollar a person we used their ramp and felt secure leaving the vehicles in their lot. We may need to check out their campground as they seem to have lots of sites and may be a good place to camp. At the ramp we were treated to Woodstorks, Great Egrits and Ibis wading together along the waters edge just across from us as we loaded our boats. We paddled across to get a closer look and some pictures, the birds are used to boaters and posed as we clicked our cameras. The water was quite shallow and we worried as we paddled under the interstate about the possibility of wading or paddling as we went downstream.
The first several miles was void of any houses and the solitude was quite nice. We stopped after a short while to eat lunch and were amazed at the number of birds that abounded around us. Limpkin were spread around the area, as well as lots of robins and woodpeckers. Vultures circled overhead while many other birds flew over and around us. Jay and Donna may have even seen an Ivory Billed Woodpecker or two but that is really unconfirmed and they have no pictures to prove it! Ducks were present and though we did confirm a pair of Merganzers yesterday, we didn’t get a good enough look to confirm any specifics today.
Further down the river we came upon civilization again, passing Hog Island, and on cue an airboat fired up his engine at the identical spot as he had last year on our paddle. Wow are they loud! The paddle was just over 7 miles and when I saw the bridge in Nobleton I started watching for the giant concrete snake at the “Snake Farmâ€Â
