Myakka/River/State/Park

    

Greetings/from/my/houseboat
The/Myakka/River/is/just/a/tad/high

I/took/Friday/off.//After/getting/a/Wilderness/Permit,I/was/on/the/River/at/8:54.
Put/in/from/the/pullover/just/before/the/Park/Bridge.
The/River/is/very/close/to/the/the/road.
“Very’as/in/orange/saftey/cones/are/at/the/launch/spot/as/the/blacktop/is/crumbling.

Stream flow(and/height)gauge

I/flowed/down/River

No/idea/what/the/white/lines/are.
Or,the/flowers.

I/had/my/permit

Posting/a/poor/alligator/photo/because/I/did/not/see/many.
Too/many/places/to/get/out/of/the/heat/due/to/high/water

Same/story/for/birds
I/did/see/several/green/herons/and/was/able/to/capture/a/few

I/was/not/as/successful/with/black/crowned/night/herons.
They/were/more/numerous/than/their/green/cousins.
I’d/hear/a/rustle/in/the/grass/and/a/night/heron/would/burst/out

Lower/Myakka/Lake

A/sinkhole/is/at/the/south/end/of/the/Lake.
In/winter/and/spring,when/the/Myakka/is/low/there/can/be/50-100/gators/in/Deep/Hole
I’ve/seen/them
Today/I/saw/0

The/Myakka/becomes/a/River/again/downstream/of/Deep/Hole

Black/crowned/night/heron

Green/heron/pair

My/float/plan/was/to/paddle/for/three/hours,then/turn/around
Noon/arrived,and,I,modified/the/plan
If/I/had/gone/this/far/may/as/well/go/all/the/way/to/Downs/Dam
Outside/Park/property

I/went/over/the/dam.
Not/as/thrilling/as/it/may/sound.
The/dam/is/underwater.
Turned/back/at/12:30

The/stream gauge/is/downstream/of/the/dam. The/dam/is/beneath/the/ripples
The/dam,at/the/bank

This/is/the/third/time/I/have/paddled/to/this/dam.
First/time/it/has/been/underwater.
I/have/paddled/over/the/other/dam.
At/Upper/Myakka/Lake.

Wrong/turn

Back/where/I/need/to/be

Lower/Myakka

I/often/have/trouble/finding/the/entrance/to/the/River/from/Lower/Myakka/Lake

Took/3/tries/today
I/did/not/need/the/extra/paddling

In/the/correct/channel.
For/now

I/did/see/a/lot/of/these/flowers/on/the/way/downstream.
But/not/this/many.
Do/they/bloom/that/quickly?
Perhaps/but/I/had/gone/right/when/I/should/have/veered/left.

Back/where/I/should/be.
If/watching/a/funnel/cloud/is,
“Where/I/should/be”
It/rained,hard.
Windy/too,and/lighting.
The/funnel/never/fully/formed.
Good/thing/the/S.R.72/Bridge/was/not/far/away.

These/were/taken/after/it/let/up
The/wind/was/very/strong/in/the/center/of/the/span.
I/had/to/stay/at/the/bank/to/stop/moving.

A/cloud/that/looks/like/Abe/Lincoln/isn’t/going/to/strike/me

Back/to/the/first/streamflow/gauge

Black/bellied/whistling/duck.

My/first/visit/to/Myakka/was/the/first/time/I/saw/one/of/these.

Had/no/idea/what/it/was

Whistling/ducks/are/highlighted/at/the/ranger/station/as/a/duck/that/stays/in/Florida/year/round.

Other/residents/are/mottled/and/wood/ducks.

BBWD’s/did/not/appear/in/Florida/until/the1990‘s

From,the/Yucatan/Pennisula

Landed/at5:04

8/hours/in/the/kayak

All/8/in.Ate/lunch/while/paddling

4/deer/near/the/Ranger/Station
Video

Where/I/exchanged/my/Wildnerness/Permit/for/a/cabin/key

View/from/the/back/door

If/you/are/thinking:

“That/looks/like/the/Sweetwater/Springs/Cabin”go/to/the/head/of/history/class.

Both/were/built/by/the/CCC/during/the/Great/Depression.

Stepping/out/the/front/door

Soggy/path/to/my/parking/spot.

A/day/later,Saturday,the/water/on/the/path/was/gone.

The/lake/around/the/cabin/remains

Lake/YakDavaka

Drove/to/the/Myakka/Outpost/so/I/could/begin/this/Tale.
The/concession/has/wi-fi.

And,see/more/deer

Firing/up/the/laptop.
Let’s/get/it/out/of/the/way

The/connection/is/slow/but/at/least/I/posted/a/few/pictures.
And,learned/the/outlet/on/the/left/has/no/juice.

Sunblock

I/thought/the/Birdwalk/might/be/a/good/sunset/spot,so/I/got/in/the/car.
Stopped/on/the/way.

At/the/Birdwalk/parking/lot.

Bodes/well/for/when/I/get/out/on/the/walk

Yeah,it's/a/good/sunset/location.
515256

Time/stamp/on/the/video/is/8:37....And,so/ends/the/day/and/Tale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZZNmpA1tI8&feature=youtu.be