Haulover Canal

Sunday, January 4, 2008. Saw the first manatee of the day as I drove in to the launch, the first dolphin as I unloaded the kayak. I saw the same pair of dolphins several times.

In the water at 10, paddled across the Indian River to Mullet Head Island as rosette spoonbills flew about. Many stayed on the sanctuary island.

One manatee in Bairs Cove.

Later, a dolphin in Bairs C0ve.




















The pair, again.
















A Dave's Yak Tales, tail.

The water, sky, winter sun, made for some darn good photos this trip.

I landed around 2:15. On the way home, I stopped at the Causeway Cafe. It is, you guessed it, a Cafe on the Max Bennett Causeway. I stopped at the site years ago, before 2000. My 35 mm died in 2000, and somewhere I have my first ever manatee photo, taken from this pier at the Causeway.

Hurricane Wilma, in the fall of 2005, wrecked the pier. Food and drink was available, but in 2004, ground was broken for a new concession. It finally opened in May of this year. These are the views from my table.

A simple place, I had the second most expensive item on the menu, Shrimp poppers with fries and slaw. $ 7.99. The fries were seasoned, the slaw seemed homemade. An ample slaw serving in a cardboard french fry basket, not a plastic thimble. Cup of New England clam chowder, $2.50. A sizable serving in a bowl, skin on the potatoes, thin broth, ample clam meat. $2.25 Miller Lite, $3.25 Heine. $20 after tax and tip. I'll be back.