Hillsoto,or,DeBoro

 Hillsborough/River,and

Fort/Desoto.
As/the/Hillsborough/picture/was/shot/coming/out/of/Trout/Creek,perhaps
Hilltrode,is/more/appropriate.
Inspired/by/the"Downtown/Orlampa"sign/on/I-4.

 Pushed/off/at/7:43,from/Trout/Creek/Park

Paddled/up/the/Hillsborogh,into/the/sun.

 Ibis

Blue/heron(juvenile)

 Vulture

 Someone/defaced/a/tree.
Or,Da/Face

The/River/was/high,normal/for/this/time/of/year.
Upstream/of/Nature's/Classroom,where/it/narrows,swift.
Paddling/took/effort,I/was/not/seeing/much/wildlife,so,I/turned/around.
Maybe/half/way/to/Morris/Bridge.

 Finally,an/alligator.

Approaching/Trout/Creek/Park,10:06.
I/made/a/starboard/turn,into/Trout/Creek.

 The/gator/made/a/good/turnaround/spot.

Landed/at/10:36.
A/nice/thing/about/living/in/Florida,so/many/places/to/paddle.
Because/2.5/hours/is/not/enough/on/Saturday.///Especially/after/an/80/mile/drive.
I/decided/I/would/drive/50/more/miles/to/Fort/DeSoto.
But,first,I/called/the/Mill/Dam/Lake/Resort/to/reserve/a"cabin"(manufacturedhome),for/next
weekend.
I/had/called/Friday,at/6PM.//The/manager/said/she/thought/cabins/were/available/but/was/not/in/the
office/and/suggested/I/call/back/today.

 Launched/into/Soldiers/Hole/at/12:35.
Good/news/for/those/who/do/not/like/waiting/at/the/entrance/booth.
A/second/lane/for/a/second/booth,is/being/built.
Three/cars/in/front/of/me/today.

A/manatee/surfaced/in/front/of/me.//Headed/the/other/way.
I/turned/hoping/it/would/surface,again.
It/did,50/yards/away///The/big/things/can/move/fast.

Reddish/egret

Cormorants

Osprey

Osprey/alley

 Beautiful/day

As/long/as/I/don't/look/back.

The/rain/caught/up/to/me.
I/landed.

 This/is/a/trail.
Not/a/stream.

I/thought/it/might/lead/to/the/Arrowhead/Picnic/Area.
I/did/not/walk/far/enough.
The/trail/makes/a/circle,then/joins/another.
But,the/rain/stopped/so/I/went/back/to/the/kayak.
After/falling/on/slick/mud.

 Concrete/piling/where/I/landed.

Picked/up/a/souvenir/shell.

Arrowhead/Picnic/Area

In/the/cove/at/the/tip/of/Mullet/Key.

Lots/of/boat/traffic/in/the/channel////Shell/Key/on/the/other/side//I/turned/back.

 The/black/dot/is/a/magnificent/frigate/bird.
Five/of/them,and,I/can't/even/get/a/friggin/photo

 Sunshine/Skyway

In/this/high/water/season/it/is/good/to/paddle/where/rain/has/little/effect/on/water/level.
Takes/a/lot/to/change/the/Gulf/and/Tampa/Bay.
Global/warming,maybe.

I/hoped/to/see/dolphins.
No/luck.//Figured/chances/were/good/I'd/see/a/manatee,again,in/Soldiers/Hole///Nope.

Landed/at/4:38.
Got/the/yak/on/the/roof/just/before/the/rain/returned.
Drove/across/the/road/to/the/Gulf/Pier.
Unfurled/an/umbrella.Then/sat/under/another/at/the/concession

The/rain/subsided,I/went/out/on/the/pier.

 Good/to/know

 Egmont/Key,and,lighthouse...Above///Below,a/smokestack?//Mullet/Key

If/you/want/to/see/snowy/egrets,go/to/a/fishing/pier.

Fort/sewage/system?
No/qualms/in/the/early/20th/century/about/dumping/into/the/Gulf.
Like/cruise/ships,today.

Lazy/Dave/drove/across/the/parking/lot/to/the/Fort.

 To/the/top.
For/the/view.

Beach/view/from/above.

 Beach/view/from/beach

 Brick/road.Constructed,1898.
I/headed/home/at/6:15.

What's/with/the/Mountain/Dew/bottle?you/ask.

Well,recently,I/wondered/whatever/happened/to/the/hillbilly/bottles.
And,there/it/was,in/the/cooler/at/the/gas/station.///Mountain/Dew/is/my/standard/travel/beverage.
Helps/keep/me/awake/after/a/long/day.
It/also/reminds/me/of/summer.//Not/a/soda/found/in/the/Cannon/home/when/I/was/a/kid.
But,the/summers/we/would/vacation/on/Little/Lake/Tomahawk,as/soon/as/the
station/wagon/was/unpacked,my/brothers/and/I/paddle(or,motor,6HP),across
the/Lake,toCamp/American/Legion
Where/we/would/play/shuffleboard.//And,get/Mountain Dew/from/a/vending/machine.
To/me,the/vets/were/ancient////Older,than/my/Dad,a/WWII/vet,so,they/to/be/from/WWI.
Or,helped/construct/Fort/DeSoto/during/the/Spanish-American/War.
Now,I'm,the/old/guy//The/vets/pictured/on/the/website/are/younger/than/I.
And,shuffleboard/is/not/listed/as/an/activity.