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The highlight of this month was our trip to Port St. Joe where we paddled our asses off. I also had a couple of wonderful trips exploring the new area of Pumpkin Hill. Trips this month: 10
06/01/03
Happy Birthday to me! It's been quite a week. The terrible cold mentioned last month continued this past week and I finally took a day off from work to re-coop. Of course, I had other incentives - like avoiding work and getting a chance to spend time with my adopted little sister - Gigi. Well, early this morning I sadly watched Gigi drive away and decided that since I was feeling pretty much over the aforementioned cold that I would celebrate my 46th birthday by spending a few hours out on the water. I intended to put in at Cedar Point at Heckscher and paddle north to the ICW - either to hang out on the island there or possibly even to head south to Hannah Mills and complete the circuit. Once I arrived at the point where Cedar point runs along the land mass where the road bearing that name actually ends, I made the decision to take the nameless branch that goes directly north toward the road where it then crosses under the road where it turns into Pumpkin Hill. It turned out to be a great decision. What a wonderful place! Beautiful and pristine and full of wildlife. I got some wonderful photos of the marsh wrens who were singing their heads off. Their song is so unusual - kind of a chirpy song that ends in a buzzzzzzzt like the sound of a grasshopper or a locust. I also found one of their interesting nests made of marsh grass wound into the top of the reeds. Later I came across a painted bunting - this is the time of the year that these wildly colored birds migrate through this area. I also came across an Osprey nest that seemed to be occupied by a lone, immature female. I'm no expert, but it just seemed odd that she was sitting on a nest that was strangely built and seemed to be unoccupied by youngsters. Do females build nests in hopes of attracting mates? Do they stay close to them even if they are not sitting on eggs or tending to young? I have no idea but her behavior was clearly odd. I continued north until the stream gradually closed in on me and I could see the power lines crossing the bridge where the two streams originate. It finally got to a point where I knew that if I continued further I would no longer be able to find the main stream and might wind up spending a long time finding my way out. There was a lot of area left to explore but I felt like I needed to head back as my SI joint was screaming loudly by this time. So, I headed back to catch the outgoing tide. It was kind of funny in a way. I have been talking to my friend Gigi this week about how you know you have made the right choices in life and as I was exploring the area I began, as I often do, to see some wonderful analogies about not worrying about making the wrong decision - or taking the wrong turn - it always seems to work out in the end and it makes life's journey, or a paddle in the marsh, a lot more interesting. On the way back - once I was well into familiar territory - I had that life lesson thrown in my face when I made a huge wrong turn that sent me paddling for several minutes in wrong direction. I was tired, I was sore and more than a little frustrated at myself for making such a huge mistake but I had to laugh once I was back on track thinking that it's not so easy to put life in neat little catch phrases - sometimes those wrong decisions hurt really really bad and are really really inconvenient. Well, there I go again - trying to philosophize - better I should stick to paddling eh? See the Pictures From this Trip
06/08/03
Well, this is a departure from my usual accounts of the Timucuan but it's a paddling trip so I will include it. Hope and I have come over here to St. Joesph's Bay - a place that has rapidly become our favorite destination to vacation - for our 25th anniversary trip. We rented a house for a week at "Old Saltworks Cabins" and drove down here in the rain on Saturday. The house is fantastic - much better than we expected - the place is great - lot's of places to explore and we have a whole week in which to do it! Today we decided to try putting in from the cabins which are located at the very south end of the bay. It's a unique place - this end of the bay varies from a few inches to a couple of feet deep for quite a ways out. We weren't sure how this would be for paddling but since they rent kayaks at the place we thought it must be at least doable. It turned out to be a very pleasant paddle. We headed west - I wanted to get to the very corner of the bay - but we didn't quite make it. We stopped at a couple of sandbars along the way and swam and snorkeled. The water here is very clear and I spent most of my time looking at the bottom as I paddled instead of the horizon looking for birds or trying to determine which way to turn - there are no wrong turns in St. Joe's Bay! At one of the islands, I encountered a Willet who was determined to not leave her roost. She began calling in alarm and flying in circles close to me and then would fly over to another part of the island to draw me away from what was apparently her nest. We got the message and moved on. At another island, I was scared silly when a huge, black stingray came roaring up from the sand as my boat approached. His wingspan was as wide as my boat (30") and he was close to six feet long. I chased him around the shallows for a bit before we headed back to our cabins. Tomorrow - St. Vincent's Island. See the Pictures From this Trip
06/09/03
Quite a trip - eight hours and 10 miles round trip! Poor Church Lady! She has to put up with a young(?) buck like me who drags her out on these adventures and wears her out as he tries to find out what's around the next bend. We set out from Indian Pass - a narrow stretch of water between the mainland and St. Vincent's Island wildlife preserve. We saw dolphins at our put-in and quickly paddled across to the island where we followed the the beautiful tree-lined shore. My intention was to make it down to "Big Bayou" - a large inlet on the NE end of the island - I wasn't sure how far it was but it looked doable. The paddle was easy as a light wind was at our back and the current was with us. I have yet to figure out the tides in this part of the world - I'm not sure it matters since they vary only a foot or two from high to low. We didn't see much wildlife aside from the occasional egret or heron but just after we passed and area called "the reef" - a large bird swooped low over our heads and as I watched to see where he would land I saw that it was a Bald Eagle. We located his new perch and slowly glided our boats until we were almost directly under his tree and I got some terrific shots in spite of a smudged lens. It was the closest either of us had been to an eagle in the wild and I still can't get over how beautiful and majestic these birds are - sorry Ben Franklin but the eagle was the right choice for this country! He finally got tired of us and left and we continued on. We passed a group of oystermen raking their harvest from the bottom of the shallow, murky St. Vincent's Bay. It was really interesting to watch and listen to them work their long rakes as they scooped up piles of oysters and then sat down to break them apart. It's easy to see why this part of Florida is called "Oyster Country". We stopped to picnic just shy of entering the bayou and swam and rested up before heading on. I could tell that Hope was starting to reach her limit and probably should have told her to string her hammock whilst I satisfied my hunger to find out what was out there but like the good sport she is - she plugged on until we were in the bayou. We watched a Great Blue snag a huge fish and saw a dolphin feeding in a lagoon before we headed back into a breeze that had stiffened considerably since we set out. It was slow going and we stopped a few times along the way. At one point we noticed that the beach was full of what appeared to be pottery shards and a girl who was there with a group of kids confirmed that "anything that was not a shell was Indian pottery" - which explained the signs telling us not to take any artifacts. Along the way we found ourselves in the midst of a pod of a dozen or so dolphins who were feeding and got to hear the wonderful sound of dolphins exhaling. Finally, after stopping for a long rest and swim we set out on the final leg and as I approached the crossover, I decided to not wait for Hope and go ahead and get the truck in place to load up. I thought she would know that she could take her time and rest before making the crossing but she misinterpreted my actions and came on across - mad as a church lady at Satan by the time she got to the beach. All's well that ends well and she forgave me - just doesn't want to go paddling with me again - for at least a day! See the Pictures From this Trip
06/10/03
After a trip inland to Wewahitchka to scope out a future paddling trip at Dead Lakes and the Chippola River I decided to do a paddle in the bay. I didn't realize that the tide had changed so much in a couple of days that it made getting out to paddling depth a real pain. I had to carry my boat a couple of hundred yards before I reached a point where I could lead it to deep enough water to paddle. Once I finally got going I headed for Black's Island but about a mile from shore I encountered a bank of sea grass that seemed to stretch all of the way across the south end of the bay. I wondered how this bank of grass affects the tides - possibly holding the water back until it reaches a certain level - it would explain why the tide seems to either be all of the way in or all of the way out - no in between. I also saw some paths through the wall of grass that looked similar to the paths that I had seen the horseshoe crabs make in the sand. As I wondered whether or not these were "Crab Highways" I saw a pair trucking down the road on cue. In several places in the grass bank there were huge bare spots where the depth suddenly plunged to 8-10 feet - looking like ideal spots to snorkel. The grass made paddling difficult and so I decided to head back in - stopping to swim in some water so hot it stung my sunburn! . See the Pictures From this Trip
06/11/03
I got up before 6 and set out in the bay for a pre-dawn paddle. It was very pleasant – peaceful, calm and quiet. About the time the sun came up over the horizon, I noticed a long black ripple in the water several yards away from me, snaking itself south. I headed over to investigate and as I approached I saw that the there was a small fin surfacing occasionally and sometimes another one behind it. The end of this creature was snaking back and forth lazily as it swam over that same grass bank I was in yesterday. I began to suspect what I was seeing when I intersected it and forced it to change course. I swung around to intersect it again and this time the creature reacted angrily at my presence and started to come towards me. It was then that I could clearly see beneath the surface the head of a shark that was as wide as my boat and at least eight feet long. Of course, I paddled quickly away – turned to see the fins still following me (insert Jaws soundtrack here) so I paddled a little harder and turned to see that it had continued lazily on its way. A little later I saw another of these ripples directly in my path and as I glided over it – it took off in a swoosh and we went in opposite directions. I’ve seen sharks on the east coast – I even had a pet shark last spring who would come swim with me at one of my hangouts (not too close mind you) but I have never seen a shark this big in the wild. Scary? Yes! Cool? Also yes! So, I continued on north to check out the biggest island in the bay called Blacks Island where there is a big house that we are curious about since it is accessible only by a long boat ride. I thought it was strange that someone had scrawled a pentagram on the outside of the house but after I got home we realized that I was seeing a string of Christmas lights – in the shape of a star. Darn! I was hoping for devil worshippers and instead I got Baptists! I then went east to check out “Conch Island” and sure enough I found several broken conchs lying about and then I took a leisurely paddle home – stopping along the way to float a bit. See the Pictures From this Trip
06/12/03
I felt so tired and sore this morning I was tempted to tell Hope that we were going to have our veg-out day a day early but I have a reputation to uphold as the “young pup” in this marriage so I got myself together and packed up to go to “Pig Island” which is located in the southwest corner of the bay. We got in the water about 8:45 and set out along the southwest coast of the peninsula toward the island. The coast line here – and this entire area of Cape San Blas – is owned by Eglin Air Force Base but is open to the public most of the time. It’s kind of nice because there is a ton of development going on in the “Forgotten Coast” and it’s nice to see that a lot of it is also being preserved. The trip was uneventful – we both took it slow – passed an Osprey, a few herons but not much else. We crossed a little bay to get to the island and watched the Pelicans feeding while the black headed gulls sat nearby hoping for a handout. A group of least terns were hovering and diving too. We stopped at a nice little beach and took a swim break and talked. I told Hope that we needed to communicate better about how far she was willing to go and that if I felt the need to go further she could stay put. She told me that she would let me know beforehand – rather that wait until she was too mad at me for trying to kill her. I told her that we were doing pretty good in the calorie burning category this week – five days in a row that I have gone paddling and three days out of five for her! I told her that tomorrow was going to be a non-paddling day and that if I made a move toward my boat – slap me! Awww heck! I’ll probably go anyway and endure the pain. We made the circuit around the island in about 30 minutes – it’s a small island – and no – we did not see any pigs. On the way back we parted company so that I could fill my urge to “see what’s around the next bend” and I followed an inlet until it narrowed enough that I had to back my boat out to turn around. Hope said that she would head back to the truck and I figured that I would catch up to her well before she got back but – by golly – she was almost already back to the truck by the time I caught up to her. I think she does better when she’s not chasing me. Just before caught up I saw two Bald Eagles fly by – Hope saw the second one and said that she was able to get right under it’s tree before it flew away – I’m going to have to get her a camera because I was unable to get any shots of either eagle. On the way back we stopped at a place called the “Stump Hole” which is where the old Cape San Blas light house is. I think we found the place we are going to veg-out at tomorrow! See the Pictures From this Trip
06/16/03
It was Hannah's turn to go paddling with the old man so, of course, I took her back to her namesake creek - Hannah Mills. It was HOT and very still when we first set out but a very slight breeze started to stir once we got out there. We made the turn to the east and decided that since Hannah had never paddled in the ICW that we would head that direction. We stopped to admire a group of least terns who were fluttering and plopping into the water. As we approached the waterway, we noticed that a large group of black headed gulls were swarming and swooping excitedly over an island on the east bank of the ICW so we headed over to investigate. We never did discover why they were so excited so we returned to the island at marker 82 where we took a dip in the cool water. We headed south along the ICW and as we approached the "No Wake" sign just before the Sisters Creek Marina, we saw that it was occupied by an Osprey who was sitting in her nest. As we got closer we could see that she was not alone but was accompanied by a pair of the cutest/ugliest chicks who were about half her size. She had swept her wings back as if to cover them and all three of them were warning us away so we did not get too close as we floated by. Dad was no where to be found but as we entered the creek by the marina, we noticed a male sitting on a piling with a thoroughly eviscerated fish. Apparently, he had no intention of returning to the nest until he was good and satisfied - he knew that whatever he brought home to that crew was going to be noisily consumed in a matter of seconds. A storm started to brew to the south so we headed on our way and completed a pleasant two hour paddle. See the Pictures From this Trip
06/19/03
I was off today so that I could switch over to nights for the next week and a half due to some testing that will being going on at work. I wanted to try out my new kayak cart at Pumpkin Hill but high tide wasn't until around 3:00 p.m. up there and I wasn't sure if the thunderstorms would hold off that long. I kept an eye on the radar as I waited for the tides and it seemed like everything was staying south so I decided to head out about noon. I wasn't sure where to put-in but finally I chose the access point about midway down the road to the gate. I probably couldn't have picked a worse spot - it was a long walk to the water which, with the cart, was no big deal but the actual put-in was a deep drop-off on a slick clay bank. Getting in my boat was a muddy, messy pain in the ass but I finally pushed off about 12:30 and headed north into a pretty swift incoming tide. I had the creek to myself and it was very quiet. I passed a couple of fishermen at one point - the only boat I saw all day. After about 90 minutes, I reached Tiger Point where Edwards Creek joins Pumpkin Hill and as soon as I turned the corner, I saw that the trees on the point were jammed with birds. I saw Wood Storks and Egrets and for a second I thought that I was seeing a large flock of Ibis but soon I realized that instead of Ibis I was seeing a dozen or so Roseate Spoonbills - a beautiful pink bird that is fairly rare around here. I paddled up and down the point and shot dozens of photos of the spoonbills, storks, a couple of green herons and another odd looking bird that I couldn't identify at first but once I got home I realized that it was another Green Heron who had raised his crest in alarm giving him a distinct "punk" look. He sorta looked like my son Andrew before his latest haircut. I headed back as the tide began to peak out and found the getting out a lot easier. As I was loading my truck, one of the locals stopped to inform me that there was a much easier put-in at the place just outside the Tiger Point gate - just to the east. I had been down there before but had assumed that it was private property but he informed me that it was all state property - so now I know. It has a gently sloping shell beach. The trip - especially the birding experience at Tiger Point - made me really thankful that this beautiful area was saved from the sleazy developers last summer. I can't imagine that flock of spoonbills co-existing with million dollar homes! Good job everyone! See the Pictures From this Trip
06/27/03
My week and a half of nights didn't work out for me to do any paddling - just too beat and too lazy - but today we were all off so I decided to make an attempt to load the Malibu in the truck and see if Andrew would want to attempt to paddle it solo. It all worked out perfectly - it loaded in the truck fairly easily and the new seat backs that we bought for it installed OK and Andrew felt like he could handle it so off we went. We made good progress as we headed toward the ocean against a tide that had just turned. We paddled out close the breakers and then had a swim (great until I got my annual jellyfish sting) and then drank beer, ate chips and talked. I had just given Hope her birthday present - an Olympus Digital Camera and so the three of us happily snapped away at each other and at a gull that kept us close company - hoping for a tidbit. A lone dolphin passed by us heading out to the ocean and we watched an Osprey pass over us with a freshly caught fish. It was basically a lazy day on the beach and Andrew really enjoyed himself in the Malibu so it looks like it has a new owner.
06/30/03
I tried the put-in at the end of the road today - the one to the east of the Tiger Point gate. It is a much better place than the one I used two weeks ago - shorter walk and a gentle sloping shell beach into the water. It took me about 45 minutes to reach Tiger Point. I had a following breeze which easily overcame the incoming tide. As I approached the last turn where Edwards Creek joins Pumpkin Hill at the point I was ready for what I expected to be trees full of spoonbills and storks. I was not disappointed and as I glided past the trees we observed each other quite calmly and I snapped some good pictures. The egrets who were also occupying the point left in a hurry but the spoonbills are brave little troopers and aren't spooked from a good perch. They will fly away only to return to the same tree - honking noisily when they return. My main objective today was the Broward Islands which are located about a mile or so across the flats from Tiger Point. I continued north in Pumpkin Hill and passed along the houses on the water along the west side of Black Hammock. As I paddled along - I occasionally would see a Black Crowned Night Heron flying overhead. At one point I happen to look to my side and was startled to see a Yellow Crowned Night Heron hiding in the grass. I stopped, turned around and managed to get a few good shots of this rarely seen bird. About the point where the houses come to an end is where the stream that runs along the islands is located - directly east of the last house and I headed this way. The stream breaks off immediately into two separate branches - the left one goes off into the flats and dead-ends while the right one winds around but eventually passes along the bank of the eastern Broward Island. As soon as I made the last turn I could see that the trees overhanging the water were full of spoonbills but I found a campsite to pull off at and decided to take a break. As I was getting back in the boat, I was startled by the sight of a dolphin rising out of the water a few feet away from me. The stream here is only about 15 feet wide and I was surprised to see a dolphin here. I was even more surprised when a minute later he was joined by three or four more who were happily exhaling and chasing fish up and down the stream. At one point a large wave appeared at one end of the creek and raced the length at breakneck speed - an unseen dolphin under the surface of the water the cause. I followed them for a few minutes before continuing on. I paused to take some pictures of the spoonbills and some Green Backs before continuing the circuit south. At one point - I observed what at first appeared to be a large flock of wood storks soaring in the sky but I soon realized that they were White Pelicans - whom I had figured were long gone from their winter roost. Evidently, they have chosen to make the Timucuan a permanent residence - as many other birds have done in recent years. It was a looong paddle home - made a lot longer by the fact that I was now bucking the outgoing tide and an unfriendly breeze. Not only that, but my "paddlers elbow" flared up on me and although I had an arm strap packed away - it was still a painful trip back. I headed south until I found Edwards Creek and then wound my way back to Tiger Point where I paused to snap the Spoonbills and Woodstorks and drink a beer before completing the trip home. While I rested, I observed a group of four dolphins coming out of Pumpkin Hill and heading out to the Nassau River - could have been the same group I had seen a couple of hours earlier. See the Pictures From this Trip
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