Sweetwater Cabin, Silver Glen Run and Springs

7 days of kayaking. No wonder I am smiling.
Began the day, as I have the others this vacation, with a walk. Saw 2 deer, than a third.  All dashed away.

Red cockaded woodpecker

Scrub jay

To the Spring.  The owner was on duty

Back to the cabin, deer in the road, same time as yesterday, around 8 am

02 03 04 05 06

These deer are as unafraid of people as Key deer.  Not running away, even walking towards me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwqbV-n_fKA&feature=youtu.be

At breakfast, looking at a map of the Ocala National Forest, my sister asked
“What about kayaking here?  Silver Glen”.    I have never paddled the short run from Silver Glen Springs to Lake George, so off we went.   A cart is handy for the somewhat long walk from parking to put in.

Made two trips.  The pelican is from the first.

In the water at 10:40.  Silver Glen is in the center of the State.  Far from the ocean. I think this is the first time I've seen pelicans here

 One houseboat in the Run.  On summer weekends, do not go here Unless you like drunk yahoos.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  But, there is a time an place for everything.
I had told Monica we might see manatee, bear and bald eagle

I was one for three

An impressive amount of wildlife in the short, one mile or so paddle to Lake George

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Private marina near Lake George

Saw two fishing boats, near an island at the mouth of the Run, nobody else,

Thousands of snail shells on the bottom, and on the root ball of a fallen palm.

Another bald eagle

Paddled south along the shore of the 2nd largest lake in Florida.  Lake George is a bulge in the St. Johns River

I wanted to see if this was a bald eagle or osprey.  Monica had already turned back.  The water level near shore got very shallow, and mucky.  I ran aground, took the photo, and tuned back. Osprey.

 This osprey and its mate were building the nest

This sign advises boaters to stay on the right going in, left coming out.  There are two sets of channel markers  in the Run.  Which gives you an idea of how busy it gets on summer weekends.

Saw a huge gator in little inlet on the north side of  the Run

Landed at 12:15.  After wheeling the kayaks, one at time, two the car, we were ready for a swim.

But first, Monica asked me what kind of snake this was.  Who am I?  Joanne B.?    Without my glasses, I just saw brown.  Monica took the photo.  Brown water snake or water moc.  I can't tell if it has the eye slits that would ID it as a moc.

I had now snorkeled 5 springs this vacation.  Juniper, Sweetwater, Salt, Alexander, and Silver Glen.

 With the sun at my back, I had a better view of the sunning snake as I got out of the Spring

 The Natural Well Spring

I have seen more bears, for a longer period of time, at Silver Glen then at any other spot. None today.

To the boils

I usually see no more than one or two people on the short, Boils Trail. Today, there were about 8 people at the end of the trail.  I took one picture. Time to get back to our private Spring.

 After a few more pictures from Silver Glen.

Indian Shell Mound.
Left Silver Glen just before 2.   Back at the cabin, I had a big plate of leftover stir fry from two nights ago.  Needed to rest a bit, I was beat.  Loaded up a second plate and took it to the deck.

No sign of Bob.

After some what nervously looking for Bob the gator, Monica joined me.

I look much better from far away.  Monica claims she took 3 pictures of me, but only one came out.

 I showed her this pose, which I stole from John H., two years ago when we stayed a couple days on Lake Kerr.  Not at the yoga place.

Out of the Spring

Sweetwater Panorama

Headless hawk.  I had to put the kayak in again.

Made the short drive to the Juniper Wayside.  Four people with two rental canoes waited to be picked up.  4:40 PM, I figured I'd have Juniper Creek to myself.

 Saw a deer, and three kayakers.  I was ready to turn back when I saw the paddlers, so, I had to keep on going.  The picture below is on the way back down.  At least I think so. Easier to take a photo, then duck, when going down stream.

Not sure if this is Bob, but it was just outside Sweetwater

 Except for me
At least until 9 am, Friday

Landed at 6:10.  The folks I saw were waiting for the guy with the car.  Who was still on the Creek.

Sunset from Juniper Wayside.

Final rays over Sweetwater Spring.  Put some cheap steaks on the grill.  Monica whipped up some pasta and greens.  The latter was better than the tough steak.  Which was good, as there were left overs for later.
And so ended Thursday, last full day at the Sweetwater Cabin.