Cedar Key

The view from the balcony of Room 228 in Park Place, Cedar Key, Florida, Saturday, January 21, 2012,  3:17 PM.   I had not been in the kayak since Sunday and was suffering withdrawal.  So, when I saw the marine forecast for the waters around Cedar Key was a light chop both Saturday and Sunday, I decided to make a overnight visit.  As usual on my Cedar Key adventures, I stopped first at the Waccasassa River.

An early start at the first stop, time stamp on the above photo is 6:55 AM.   I was so eager to get on the water after 6 days when I looked at the clock and it read 3:37, I said, what the heck., I won't be able to sleep.  Had sunrise been earlier, I would have been on the water earlier.   Not waking up before I did, but driving faster.  I went the speed limit, and below, because I know it would be dark when I arrived at Wacassasa Park in Levy County.  With the price of gas, I'm glad I drove slowly.  Two power boaters launched before me.   99% of boats head downriver.  I went up.

For some reason, I'm really tired.  Time for a nap before a sunset paddle.

I'm back.

Time to cook dinner.

Since I'm just here one night, I'll eat in.  Tomorrow, maybe lunch at the Pickled Pelican.  Now, back to this morning.

Arrived at the confluence of the Waccassasa and Wekiva Rivers to see the first guy who launched waiting.  At least I assume it was the first guy.  Remember, it was dark, so I did not get a good look at him.  Didn't get a very good look, now, either.  In camo. Head to toe.  Eyes peering out from his balaclava.  Hmmm, that's not a fishing pole on his lap.  "Beautiful day" he said.  "Sure is"  Unless you're a duck.   I only heard one gunshot as I paddled up the Wekiva.

The view when I turned around, 8:15.

Good thing there's a cattle ranch so I have some wild, er, domesticated animal photos.

There were numerous small birds.  A big flock of robins.   Seems like I'm seeing more robins this year than ever.   Forgot to mention saw a lot of them last Sunday, on Rock Springs Run.   None on the other Wekiva River.

Saw wood ducks, as usual, could not get a photo.  Lots of turkeys.  No pics of them either.  All in the trees.  Only I did not see any until they took off from their roost.  I had a glimpse of an otter on the way up River, just the tail sliding into the water.   I was thinking, I haven't seen anything really neat yet, on this River, where I've seen deer, manatees, bald eagles, swallow tail kites, otters..... If otters could tale, it would have said, "Wake up, numbnuts"   Right on the bank, eating a fish.  Again, I missed the photo.   But, I followed it downstream.

It exited, left bank.
I exited the Wekiva and paddled up the Waccassasa.

 I'd not noticed this hollow cypress before.  Maybe because the River is so low, before I just was the top of it.

Turned back here as I began to scrape the limestone bottom.

Waccassasa left, Wekiva, right.

 I landed at 10:25.   Hours later, when I downloaded the photos, there were 4 of just water.  Were they the last of the morning or first of the afternoon.  Oh yeah, there was a otter near the launch.   I snapped four quick shots.  Still had the zoom on from the above pic, and the otter was right next to me.  Thus, photos of water.   Lots of trucks and trailers now in the lot, but they all had gone down the Waccassaaa, towards the Gulf.   Thank goodness, as that meant I just heard the airboats.

I had told Park Place I expected to arrive around 1:00.  More like 11:15-20.   My room was not ready.  Which was expected.  So, I just wheeled the kayak across the street and was back on the water at 11:45.

The forecast light chop must have been early in the morning.  Breezy on the Gulf in the early afternoon.

 I got to the fishing dock, and turned back.

Past Dock Street, and the beach where I launched, to the channel behind the lodgings for my last two trips to Cedar Key, Old Fennimore Mill.

My favorite place to stay, but not after a month when I did not get a commission check.  $125 a night, Park Place is $81. (AAA rate)

 Cedar Key is a working town.  Aquaculture, in particular farm raised clams, is big in this small town.

No wind or wave issues in the Back Bayou.

Approaching the Number 2 Bridge.

Four bridges link Cedar Key to the mainland.  The old, wood bridge.

 Oyster catchers

Sunday morning. Heating up the leftovers, waiting for the tide to go out.  A few more photos during breakfast.

 This would be a great place to stay with a group. My family, for instance

Back to Sunday. You know you are close to the Gulf when you open the sliding glass door to let the breeze in, and hear the kayak rental guy, on the beach, say "I have a group of 12 coming in an hour and a half" That would be 10:30. So, I'm shooting for 10:15.

 Cloud Nine, or as I call it, 'the octagon house" is near the Number 3 Bridge.  I paddled towards, not all the way to it, then turned back.  Paddled past Cemetery Point.

I had not noticed the osprey in the background when I took the photo.

Time to back and get in the yak.

More to come when I get home tonight.  As I told a woman on my walk this morning, we have no reason to hurry home for the game.  She was attired in a Packer sweatshirt.

9:30 PM Sunday.  Home after another wonderful day.  More about later. Let's see if I can finish Saturday's Tale before bedtime.

 Saw lots of ducks.  Too far away for a good ID.  And when I got a little closer

 Mergansers, maybe?

 I know these are pelicans

And a cormorant.

These are female hooded mergansers.  Not with the group, so I'm wondering what the group was.

 The ducks again,  a better look.  Could me male hooded mergansers.  I had thought they always had a large white mark on the side of the head.  Not so, according to the Cornell U. bird ID site

 Past the Old Fennimore Mill dock into the Gulf.   Where another male merganser bobbed in the waves.

I landed about 2:30.   Wheeled the kayak across the street to Park Place, where the housekeeping cart stood out side my room.  So, I took my time putting the yak on the car, rinsing off the salt water, getting my gear together.  When I finished, the room was ready.  Sat down for this photo at 3:17.

The guy in the shorts operates the kayak rental concession.

I was back in my kayak at 5:30 for a sunset paddle.  Which, as you know, was successful.

Headed to the dock at Atsena Otie Key.  Thinking it would provide birds and interesting perspective.

Right on both counts. I was 3/4 of a mile to a mile away from the launch site. Time to head back.

 Turning around now and then for more photos. Thought, if I can just position the yak so I get the view over the island (North Key)

 There it is.

The last photo from the kayak was taken at 6:14 PM.  The first was at 6:55 AM.  Not quite 12 hours.  I think I earned a good dinner.