Cedar Key, December 8, 2013

It's tough living in Florida.  When the weather is the best, the days are short.  Sun setting at 5:29, above.  First photo, before sunrise, 6:59, from the balcony.

 I went downstairs, across the street to City Park.

 NOAA forecast sunrise at 7:09.  These photos are time stamped, 7:10.  Close enough.

 

 

 

 

The outdoor deck at the Seabreeze Restaurant was a good vantage point.

 

Views from the Harbor Master Suites, below.

 

To the big dock

 

Looking back to Dock Street on the bridge headed into downtown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Went into to the Island Hotel

 

 

 

 On Saturday afternoon, there was a constant din of air boats.  It sounded like they were just going back and forth.  I did not see them, just heard them.  Spoiling the day for everyone with their disgusting noise

The Nature's Landing condos may have to change its name.

 Demonstrating the finger to put in your ears to attempt to shut out the noise.  Why these things are legal, I have no idea.

 

 

 Spoonbills and more on the oyster bed extending from the wreck in the Number 2 Channel

 

 

 

 Rebounding skills are important in Cedar Key pick up games.  Especially at high tide.

 

I thanked the worker for using a broom, instead of a noisy leaf, or in this case, sand, blower.

Dec. 14, separate, $50 prize for the best decorated kayak.  I'll be on Sanibel Island.

An hour walk.  Breakfast, Yak Tales composing, pack my back pack, and back on the water at 10:30.

Lots of dolphins. About 8.  Too bad they don't surface for long.

 

 Into the Number 2 Channel

Oyster catchers

 

 The wreck at high tide.  The spoonbills were gone.  While dolphin watching, I heard airboats.  Coincidence?  Hardly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White pelicans.  Disturbed by an air boat.  Which disturbs everything in a 5 mile radius.

 

 

 Tide out, water level very low. Turned back with Scale Key a long way off.

 

 

Osprey, beating the water with its wings like a pelican.  To stir up fish. 

 

 The osprey, drying.

 

 A lone avocet. Saw a small flock flying, Saturday.

 

 

 Another avocet

 

Bufflehead

This paddling pair was fortunate I was on the water.  I showed them where the low places were.  Not intentionally.

 

 

 Went to the super vivid to get the black skimmers orange beaks

 I posted the above picture on my Facebook page, Sunday.  Wrote "oyster catchers"  I was corrected by my high school biology partner.  Who now is the editor of Bird Watching Magazine.  I often have said I have a crack editing staff. 

 

 

 Landed just before 2.  The shelter nearest Park Place was occupied.  The view below is from the one farthest from my lodgings.  And wi fi.  No connection.  So, I moved into the big shelter.  No connection there.  The people at the close shelter moved.  I took over.  Got on line, downloaded a few more pics.

Unable to get the Packer game.  I think I need to download something, and did not have time nor capacity.  They won, so maybe its better I did not listen to the game.  Ate a steak sandwich, tangerine and cookie, back on the water at 3:24.

 

Loon 

 

 

 Made the short paddle to Astena Otie Key

 

 Paddling inside the key until here.

 

 To the exterior.  Hoped to see an eagle in the pines. Did not

 

+

 

I paddled clockwise around Astena Otie, the original home of Cedar Key.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I landed

 

 

 

Astena Otie  is the only key in the Refuge where you are allowed to go into the interior.  To a 19th century cemetery.  I did not have time to go there. Darn these short late fall days.

 

 

 

 Tempted, but did not pick up a brick.   I'm not a looter.

Lootee, maybe

 

 

Back on the water to check out a big orange ball  on the western horizon

 But first, a glance to the east

Westward, ho!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dock Street pelicans and cormorants. Where the day began, 10.5 hours ago

 

 

 Landed at 5:50

 

 

 I think the Dock Street establishments got tired of Mr. Robinson parking his truck in front of their eateries.  My last few visits it has been parked in the City Park lot.  It and I were the last vehicles.  I planned on having dinner there.

 

 

 A deer hunting show was on the TV

My other visit here, the seafood chowder was white.  The waitress said the cook likes to change it up.

 Shrimp, mullet and sea bass.  The sea bass, what ever that is, was thin and not at all tasty.  The mullet was fine, but too little fish and too many little bones to pick out.  But the shrimp....

I had another helping.   And another, not pictured.  Next time, shrimp only.  And chowder.  And ask if I can sub lima beans for the other fish.  After all it is all you can eat.  I mean, all I can eat. I mean...

"Pronoun trouble"

 

And so ends a nice weekend at Cedar Key. This coming weekend, and more, Sanibel.