Hillsborough River

As I worked 4 hours on Wednesday, my travel day from Wisconsin, I had to work 4 on Saturday.  Well, 3 hours and 52 minutes.  Clocked in at 8:56, so I clocked out at 12:48.  Wet weather forecast in the Orlando area and points east and north.  Forecast for Thonotosassa, just east of Tampa, no rain.  To the Hillsborough River.

 Underway at 2:51.  Delayed by ants in the car. Little black ones.  I think they came in from the tree I parked under at the off site airport parking location.  I thought I had squashed, vacuumed, and drowned most of them Wednesday afternoon.  Not so.  Shook out all the floor mats and other items they were on.  Have not noticed any more.  We'll see.

 

The no rain forecast was wrong. But not by much.  Just a few drops.  Thunder rumbled in the distance.  A kayaking coming downstream asked if I knew which way the storm was going.  I did not. I was going to ask him if the River was clear, as there was a lot of water hyacinth.  He said, 'It's blocked at the outdoor classroom"

 Need a thousand manatees to chew through this stuff

Turned back

 

 

 

 

 

 Back to Trout Creek Park and up Trout Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 Turned back at this log.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Besides beautiful scenery, Trout Creek is home to some very large alligators.  I did not see them today.

 

Back to the Hillsborough

 Lots of hydrilla at the dock

Landed at 5:00.  Loaded the kayak, made the short drive to Morris Bridge Park for some more paddling.  Made a stop at a Circle K half way there for a couple taquitos to ward off hunger.

 Back on the Hillsborough at 5:45.

Paddled up River

 

 Wish the zoom was working for the above pic.  Woodpecker stealing bugs from a spider web

 

 

 

Two deer on the right bank

 

 

 Another deer, this time on the left bank.

 

 

 

 

Egrets and ibis

 Gator

 

 

 

 

 

Gator resting on a submerged log

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Landed at 7:30.  A Park Ranger, doing the clean up to close the Park at 8, asked if I had seen him talking to a gentleman when I launched. I had  not.  The ranger said the guy was asking, "Is he going alone? He shouldn't be doing that!"  We both chuckled.   If I were a woman from Ohio in a canoe, perhaps I'd be nervous.
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/oh-stark/uniontown-woman-released-from-care-after-gator-bite-on-hillsborough-river-in-florida

Last pic, 7:53.  I'll be back here, Friday night, after work.  Got a place across from the beach and on the bay in Treasure Island for $114.41.  For Friday and Saturday night.