HauloverCanal

Last/Saturday,seeing/a/solitary/white pelican/at/Cedar Key,I/posed/the/question;Straggler/or
advance scout?//On/the/east/side/of/the/Florida/peninsula,the/giant/birds/have/returned

 I/knew/the/white/pelicans/were/back,thanks/to/ViewsFromOur/Kayak.//I/took/the
backdoor/SpaceShuttlelaunch,route/to/HauloverCanal.//4-44-95-442-1-3.
That/put/me/on/the/north side/of/the/drawbridge.//Which/is/semi-permanently/raised
as/road/work/continues.//The/road,StateRoad3,is/in/fine/shape.//New/blacktop.
No/idea/what/is/going/on/at/the/bridge.I/see/no/work/going/on.//What/ever/is
being/done/was/supposed/to/be/completed,Friday.//Someone/needs
to/update/the/date/on/the/portable/sign/at/the/north/end/of/the/Merritt Island
National Wildlife/Refuge.

I/launched/into/the/Indian River,from/the/end/of/the/dirt/road,at8:55

 I/could/see/the/pelicans/from/the/launch site/half-a-mile/away//Above picture/is
not/from/that distance.

Kayakers/well/inside/the/sanctuary boundary.//They/also/had/me/change/my
usual/counterclockwise/route/around/MullettHead.///As/that/was/the/direction/they/headed.

 Woodstork/above.

 Baby/brown pelicans,above.//Woodstorks,below.

The/trespassing/paddlers/did/not/circle/the island,but paddled/further/out/into/the River.

Paddled back

 No/manatees/near the/sign

However,there was/a/dolphin.

It/has/been/a/longtime/since/I/have/seen/manatees/in the/canals/south/of
Haulover.//Longer/after today.

Bair's/Cove/manatees

What/I/Call,"The Protected/Area"

 Into/Mosquito Lagoon

Manatee Overlook.//If/any/were present/I/overlooked them.

A/sign(not/the above)instructs boaters/to/stay/100/feet away.//So,why have/the/historical
marker face/the/water?

Looking/up/the/open drawbridge.

No passing.

Back/to/Bair's/Cove.

 Out of/the Cove/back to/the Canal

 Manatee/in/the/Canal.

I/wanted/to/paddle back/to/Mullet Head,to/look/for/spoonbills.//Skies/too/threatening,
so/I/landed.12:30

 Leaving/the Refuge/the way/I/entered,on/the/north end,let me/do things/I/do
not usually/do.//Or,ever/do.//Like/check/out/the/PineFlatwoods/Trail.//On the
way/a/buck crossed/the road/in front/of me.First one/I/have/seen/in the/Refuge.
I/did see/a/deer/in the/adjacent/CanaveralNationalSeashore/a/few/years ago.In
the/Elora/parking lot.

The/trail/is/a/one/mile loop.//Plus,a4/10/mile/detour/toMosquitoLagoon.

 Which/is/in/the/distance,above.//The/trail/is/not/mowed/as/short,here.//And,the
eponymous/bugs/were/out/in/force.//Hence,I/did/not/go/all/the/way/to/the/Lagoon.

But,had/I/taken/the/detour,Iwould/have/missed/a/pair/of/scrub jays.

50/minute/walk.

 Souvenirs

Next/stop,Seminole/Rest

 Indian/mound/on/the/bank/of/the/Indian River

 The/home/on/the/mound/saved it/from/being/leveled.//To/build/roads.
The/fate/of/most/other/shell/mounds/in/the/area.
Turtle/MoundandCastle/Windy/being/two/other exceptions.

I/had/been/here/once/before.//Maybe/8/years/ago.//I/do/not/recall/going/inside/the
home.

The/informative/ranger/told/me/restoration/was/completed/6/years/ago.
A/fine/job.

 I/had/noticed/Goodrich's/Seafood Restaurant/on/the/way to/Seminole Rest.

Decided/to check/it out.

 "Insideorout"//"In/please"

Crab/corn/chowder.
Followed/by/a/bay scallops/basket.//Those/are/the/little/ones.//Had/them/grilled.
With/onion/rings/slaw,and/a/hush/puppy.Plus/fries.//Told/my/server/the
onion rings/looked funny.//Because/they/were/fries.//She brought/the rings.
The/entree/photo/did/not/turn/out.Sorry.
With/a/Yuengling,I/got/out/for/a/smidge/under/20/bucks.//The/dolphin/I
spotted/was free.

 Gotta/love/a/place that/uses/tackle boxes/for/condiments

I/asked/if/the/restraunt'soysters/came/from/what/looked/like/a/lease/right/off/the/dock.
"No,they/come/from/Apalachicola//The/Indian River/ones/are/dying"
Wow.////So/sad.///Also/dying/are/seagrass/manatees/dolphins,and more.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/07/dolphins-and-manatees/2/

To/end/on/a/happier/note,their/is/a/small/roadside/park/just/north/of/Goodrich's/where
you/can/put/your/yak/in.//I/did/not.///Headed/home.///A/storm/served/to/clean/off
kayak/and/car.