Silver River and more

From a new sign at the Yearling Trail in the Ocala National Forest.  My last stop in a day of kayaking the Silver River, and a little of the Ocklawaha, taking the scenic route to Silver Glen Springs, ith a stop for a bike ride, snorkeling the springs, walking the Lake George and Spring Boils Trails, ending the day at the Yearling Trail. Where I saw scrub jays. Got a picture of one.  I did not see any monkeys.
Saw a bear on the bike ride. No photo.

Headed down the canal from Rays Wayside to the Silver River at 8:00 am. I was not the first kayak to make the trip this morning.  Pulling up to the staging area, I recognized a kayaker about to head out. "Hello, Phyliss" I think I've met her 3 times, all on the Silver River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood duck, and Phylliss' kayak.  I caught up with her, ot rather she had slowed to avoid a slow moving, stinky motorboat.

 

 

 

First pie billed grebe of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were three turtles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Over the main spring at 10:30

 

 

 

 

Good thing there are several springs.  Three tries with the holding the camera underwater before I got good pics.

 

 

 

 

Thunder rumbled behind me. Before 11 am. WTF? But the skies were mostly cloudy in the direction I was headed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rains came. Light at first, then steady.  No thunder.  I kept paddling.  After a while, it stopped.

 

 

 

Back to the canal at 12:24.  I made better, or worse, time than I usually do.  Paddled harder than I usually do to try and beat, and then, get out of the rain. I kept going.

 

 

I also did not stop for lunch, due to the rain.

 

Paddled up the Ocklawaha for a short time.

 

 

The brown Ocklawaha meets the silver, Silver.

 

 

I paddled back up the Silver for a while in a fruitless attempt to find monkeys.

 

 

Landed at 12:30, then, the scenic route to Silver Glen Springs.

 

A 10 mile drive on hard packed sand roads on the western and northern boundary of the Juniper Prairie Wilderness.  I stopped at the Pat's Island Trailhead to get on the bike.  Road for about a minute, stopped to adjust the seat.  Got back on, heard a snort.  A bear!

It ran into the scrub before I could get a picture. About waist high. Of course, it was on all fours.

 

 

 

Not charcoal

 

 

 

Hiking, not biking trail.  My ride was short, about 2.5 miles.  Hey, when you see a bear at the start, why keep going.

 

The sand road comes out to Highway 19 just north of Silver Glen Springs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always a refreshing, and interesting snorkel in the vast spring.

 

I found the car I learned to drive in. My Mom's '73 Super Beetle. Slightly modified.  I was at my car, getting out of wet swim trunks to go for a walk.

No sign, who knows why this temporary fence is at the entrance to the Lake George Trail.  I walked around it.

 

 

I went to the Overlook.

Overlooking Lake George.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stripped bass in the Natural Well Spring.

 

 

Boil.

Video

More spring boils.

video  with fish.

 

 

Shell Mound

 

I left Silver Glen, crossing the highway to the Yearling Trail parking area. Where there is a new sign.

 

The reverse is all about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and "The Yearling"  Which is set in this area.  I love the quote about "remoteness from urban confusion" which is why I led off the Tale with it.

 

Florida scrub jay

 

Full view of the back side of the new sign.   I think I will go to the library in Feburary to borrow "The Yearling"  When I'll be in the cabin where the film crew for the film stayed.

Today's visit to the Ocala was 10 hours, 3 plus, camera batteries, and after deleting the bad ones, 204 photos.  Not all of which are posted here.