Haulover Canal

I had a bad week, so bear with me while I vent. First, I did not get my usual Wednesday morning paddle in.
Second,  I picked the wrong day to forget my wallet. Monday, I left it at home.  I got home, looked on the kitchen table, not there, into the dining room.  Where's the computer?  I was robbed.  Came in through the bedroom window which I had closed, but not latched.  A polite crook. The mudderfocker closed the window behind him.  I only figured out how he got in when I saw the screen propped up against the outside of the house.  At first, and all the time the police officer was here I thought all that was missing was the computer and wallet.  After the cop left, I realized the camera was gone.  And another, non-working one.  Try pawning that, asswipe.  Obviously, I bought a new computer.  Every day I realize something else I need to replace from the wallet.  Today, it was my AAA card.   Got a new camera too.  Do not like it at all.  A Fuji XP20.  Waterproof to 16 feet. $199 at Best Buy.  But it has minimal zoom. A minimal owners manual.  It has a CD marked "owners manual"  After wading through reams of useless crap, I still haven't found a picture of the camera showing what each button does.   I sent a complaint email to Fuji.  The battery is different from the one the Canon used, so when it ran out after only 3 hours today I did not have a spare.  Final complaint.  The camera must have been designed by a one handed, right handed, engineer. The viewfinder is at upper left hand corner.  I got lots of finger pictures.  Thank goodness Best Buy has a 14 day return policy.  I wanted to get a Canon underwater camera, the D10, but no one had it in stock. I think I will just order it, to whatever model replaced my stolen SD1100, for which I assume I will also need to buy a new underwater case, and return the Fuji.
Another reminder of the robbery this morning.  Looked for a backpack to put in a change of clothes.  It's gone.  The scumbag used it to carry my property.   If he's caught, I first want everything back. Then,  $5000.00 for my time in replacing ID's credit cards, ect., and mental anguish.  Then, he should have both hands chopped off so he can't steal, both feet cut off so he can't run, and put in a cell with a feeding tube of gruel the rest of his like.  I don't support capital punishment.

So much for my troubles, here's the Yak Tale.  Into the Indian River at 10:15, usual destination, Mullet Head Island.

A huge tour group had just launched.  Good thing for me, they were not going in my direction.  A nice collection of spoonbills on Mullet Head.

 Camera designed by one handed idiot.  Hard to hold with both hands without getting a finger in the way

The camera has a 5x zoom.  My stolen one had a 3x zoom, but got much, much closer.

One good feature, it does capture moving objects well.

In addition to the big yak tour, there was a lot of traffic in the Canal. The banks were backed with anglers. Easter weekend.  But, out of the Canal, no crowds.  I explored two side canals, looking for manatees. Unsuccessful.

Trying the camera underwater.

Into the main Canal. No dolphins in "Dolphin Cove"  Frisky manatees in Bairs Cove.

New pier at Bairs Cove. Speaking of new, I crossed the new high rise bridge, from Titusville to the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, for the first time today.

   It replaced a draw bridge.

 Another complaint about the camera. Slow shutter speed.  A manatee would surface, I'd press the shoot button, the manatee would go under, I'd get a picture of the water. I put the camera on "Continuous"  Able to get better pics, but I think that drained the battery.

There is a barge with heavy equipment  in the Canal, just east of the drawbridge.  Asked a fisherman if he knew what was going on.  "Working on the bridge, bringing up rocks for the bottom". Kind of what I thought. Dredging.

I paddled through the Canal, pausing to watch manatees at the Overlook, not to mention those traveling the Canal, made the usual detour out of the Canal on the north side, then back to the Canal exiting into the Mosquito Lagoon.   Paddled south, hoping to get a good view of Endeavor on the launch pad. Wind and chop in my face, so I did not paddle very far.

Far enough to see a nest building bald eagle soar overhead.

 I think the Space Shuttle is in the distant, wider tower, on the left.

Not sand.  Dried seaweed.

I was able to coax a few more pics out of the drained battery.  The camera would take one photo each time I turned it on, until it died for good.  Could have got some very nice manatee pics back in Bairs Cove if I had a decent camera. For which I will be looking.  Then I won't be such a whiner on a day when I saw osprey, cormorants, blue heron, green heron, great blue herons, sting rays, great egrets, mullet, black drum- nice catch at the launch site- clams- I picked one up, but as I don't have a fishing license, put it back, ibis, pelicans, rosette spoonbills, bald eagle, and lots of manatees.

Landed about 3:15.