Dave's Yak Tales

Cedar Key Sunset

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Lakes Maitland, Nina and Minnehaha

A quick paddle on the local lakes this morning.  After an oil change.  I was a quart low.  No surprise, as I was past getting it changed mileage wise, if not by date, before putting almost 900 miles on the car over Thanksgiving.
Under way at 9:10.

 
 
The anhinga parade begins.
 
 
Pie billed grebe


 
 
 
 
 
Coot
 
Belted kingfisher
 
 
Green heron
Moor hen
Mallards

 
Wood ducks
 
 
 
 
 
 Blue heron
 
 
 
 
Ichabod great blue heron
 
 
Landed at 10:40.  The best ninety minutes of the day

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Mud Keys

Sunday, November 25, 2012, the last day of Thanksgiving weekend.  My usual Key West routine is to have breakfast, and go.  Stopping to kayak on the way home.  But, on Thanksgiving, my nephew Arlo told me he was taking the boat out.  My kayaks could come too.  I said I could leave later. 

Breakfast was the Thanksgiving plate Monica brought home from her dinner Saturday.  It did not have the deep fried turkey, because there were leftovers from the Rowan pot luck in the fridge. So adding that, and the gravy from my Saturday dinner, I had another feast at breakfast.  Even ate both the green bean servings, something that I would not have put on the plate had I prepared it myself.
Elena dropped Olivia off for a visit.  She helped her Oma sweep the porch and water the plants.

Great Uncle Dave supervised.
Monica and I drove to Stock Island and the Cow Key Marina. Arlo, Ashley and Bill motored over from Evan and Camila's in the L'll Raskell.  The boat has been in the Haskell family for 27 years.  Arlo said it would be easier to load the kayaks here than at Evan's.  I asked if he got a family discount on docking, as Aaron's stepfather runs the place.  No, but as long as he buys gas, no problem.  I saw a sign next to a ramp, $10.00 launch fee for kayaks.  And, I assume, stand up paddle boards.
The marina is a site on the Haskell wedding trail.  Elena and Aaron had their rehearsal dinner here. I hardly recognized it without a pig roasting.
It was 12:07 when we set out.  The young lady above, and the unseen gentleman in the boat had Packers gear on.  They are from Canada.
Through a short mangrove channel
Into the open water of Florida Bay
Monica and Arlo
Open, but shallow. Arlo said at low tide, we could walk back.  One has to watch for "Bubba sticks"   PVC pipes that mark the deeper water
Bill and Ashley
Kenji
Into the Mud Keys at 12:29. Slow motoring through a mangrove lined channel
 
To a small beach where to boats had landed.  A small beach, room for one more boat.  One boat was occupied by friends, the other by friendly people.
Lots of coral fragments in the shallow water.
 
Kayak on the water at 12:55
 
 
Not the moon, lens spot
 
 
Hey, hey, hey, its Fat Albert
 
I circled the key where we landed, and met Monica
 
 
 
 
 
 
The other boat had paddle boards
Arlo
Kenji waits his turn
Ashley
Great white heron
 
Reddish egrets
 
 
Kenji gets his turn
 
 
 
The multi talented Ashley, yaking and suping.
Kenji was not able to be on his favorite place on the Li'l Raskel on the way out.  Someone had put kayaks in the way.
We left just past 3.
 
 
 
 
Seagulls chased us, assuming we had been fishing
 
Joined by a magnificent frigate bird
Kenji is friggin magnificent himself
 
 
 
Back to Key West, right, Stock Island, where the Cow Key Marina is, left.  "Stock" refers to livestock, not securities.
Whale !
Or, flipped sailboat
 
Back to Cow Key Marina around 3:40.
Got the kayaks off the boat and on the car, changed, said my good byes. Arlo refused money for gas. I then told him it was a belated birthday present. Besides, I can't be pool boy for two nephews when we meet again at Sanibel in two weeks. Told Evan I was his after a generous discount at the bike shop.
I did a web search for Mud Keys kayak trips.  One outfitter charges $500 for four people.  Includes dinner.  My tour included ham and turkey sandwiches, beer and wine.  I was born into the right family.
 
 
Still on the water, in the car
 
 
 
Pigeon Key
 
 
 
I considered for a sunset photo, but decided I had plenty and settled for the sunset in the mirror.
Got home just after 11 PM. Traffic was not bad at all.