Salt Springs Run and more

Below is the view from my cabin at 7:20 am

 This is a little lake on the other side of Highway 40

Back to Mill Dam Lake Resort

 Rental units

Owner units. Two years until I can buy one

 A bald eagle flew across the lake.  My battery was dead. By the time I put in a fresh one, it was gone. Or,was it?  I am leaning towards the raptor below being an osprey, not an eagle. But, it was where the eagle was headed.

I showered, ate breakfast, packed.  I will be back.  Maybe Memorial Day weekend.  The office as closed, so I just left the key on the kitchen counter, as instructed.  If  rips on the armrests of the hide-a-bed and chips in the kitchen linoleum bother you, Mill Dam Lake Resort is not for you.  If window AC and space heaters make you nervous, stay home.  At 99.00 for the weekend, what do you want?  I want a place close to kayaking, a nice view, and a good internet connection.  This has all that.  It lacked two things I like.  A bottle opener. I had my own.  No ESPN on the dozen or so channels on the TV.

Launched from the Salt Springs Marina at 10:40.  I wondered if Saturday's
cool weather bought manatees to the springs.

 It takes more than one cool day

Turtle.

Paddled to Lake George.  The opening photo is the entrance to the big lake.  To choppy to explore, I turned  back.

Shell mounds.  I stopped for lunch

Eagle

Osprey

 Coots. Not as many as I have seen before on the Run. Must have migrated

Bald eagle spots its prey

 The great blue heron had other ideas.

How it squawked with a fish impaled on its beak, it don't know

 A little dip in the water to get it off the beak

Down the hatch

 Bulge in upper neck

Look out stomach, here it comes

Looks like brother Pete's boat

 The Springs were empty.  I love overcast days.  It was fine, temp wise. I was in swimsuit and t-shit. Unlike Saturday, that was enough.

The road out of the Marina

Into Salt Springs

It was crowded.  With fish

There were four people in the Springs.  They swam in from their anchored boat.

I'm  sure they had the $5.50 entry fee in their pocket

As I did back when I would paddle across the Run from the Marina, land at the campsite launch, and walk in.  That was so long ago the fee was $4.25

 I never noticed, until today, how the opening between the mens and ladies rooms frames the springs.

 Pheasant, in the campground.  First one I have ever seen.   Campsites are close together. 18 bucks.  As I can sleep indoors, with wi fi, and a full kitchen for 50 bucks, I will not stay here. I left, and went to the Yearling Trail

 Began hiking at 5:12

Scrub jay

 I was down wind from the rabbit

 Able to get close.  The wind was why I was hiking, not biking. Can't bike here, I would have road on on a hard packed Forest Road.   I know, would have ridden.

 The trail goes to Pat's Island.  An island of trees in a sea of scrub

 Red cockcaded woodpecker.  I think

 Cattle dip

 Markers on the trail correspond with information on a kiosk at the trailhead.  A map with the information has not been seen in several years.  I have a copy in my vast collection of maps, brochures, and pamphlets collected over 20 years.

I was on Jody's Trace.  Named for the boy in the Yearling.

 Sink hole

 Pioneer cemetery

On to Grahamville Road

 Red headed wood peckers?

 Back to the scrub

Need scrub to see scrub jays

The trail map.

Final scrub jay, just before the parking area.  6:54.     Ending another great weekend.   A little rain on the way home.  At home, the retention pond had more water than it had in months.  1.48 inches at the airport. I dealt with rain, but not that much.  Picked a good weekend to leave home.  Of course, I do that about once a month.