Blackwater Creek

It's a good day when you leave the house with one kayak and come back with two. Not a great day, as my friend, Stephanie is moving and will not be able to take her kayak. So, until she comes for a visit, this was our last time paddling together for awhile.

 There was a crowd at the launch.  4 kayaks  They went up stream.  We went down. Underway at 8:52

Eastern phoebe

Midwestern Dave

Limpkin

 Great blue heron

Wood stork

Took a while to see any gators.  As we approached the high ground break spot, I predicted we would see some little ones on our left. Which is where these were. Stephanie got a better photo.  With a smaller gator. The tiny one on the tail.

We stopped at the break spot.   And left when 6 kayakers landed.   "Only 6"   Only?   I can go 8 trips on Blackwater Creek with seeing 6, total.  Added to the 4 at the launch, that was 10.

I told Stephanie that I had not noticed the River Reeves plaque  for a while.  In fact, in all my times on Blackwater Creek, I had only seen it once.  Twice, if you count a picture Stephanie took in June, 2001.    I went past it today when Stephanie told me to come back

Copied from an earlier Tale: I was looking through your blog today and saw the picture you took of the placard for Frank Reeves that I hung on the tree on Blackwater. I placed his ashes in the water under the tree in 2003. He and I fished Blackwater Creek many times together and were friends for 25 years. On one of our trips he made me promise I would put his ashes in Blackwater if he died before me and I kept that promise.

Jim is a good friend of the Creek, and, Frank

 Ibis

Approaching the Wekiva River, 12:15.  We turned around and paddled back up Blackwater Creek

Same gator spot as on the way down

 This next one was up stream, on the opposite bank

 Turtle

Blue heron

Anhinga.

We saw 4 more boats.  3 kayaks, and a canoe. 14!   I may have to stop Dave's Yak Tales.  Blackwater is getting way to popular.  Just one adult alligator.

We saw, but I was unable to photo, belted kingfishers, wood ducks, robins, great egrets, pileated woodpeckers, red shouldered hawks, and assorted song birds. 

Landed at 2:52.