Ocklawaha/River,Lake/Eaton/Trails,and/Wildcat/Lake

Palmedes/swallowtail/pair/share/a/pickerel/blossom.//On/the/Oclawaha/River,Sunday,August,18,2013.

Mill/Dam/Lake/sunrise.6:40.//I/had/breakfast/and/headed/off/to/the/Ocklawaha/River,Eureka East
ramp.//My/GPS/had/me/crossing/the/Ock/going/north,and/crossing/it/again.//I/took/my/own/route
thinking,County/Road/314,intersects/with/316/the/road/the/ramp/is/on.///It/does/but/in/Salt/Springs
near/the/St.Johns River,on/the/other/east/side/of/the/Ocala/National/Forest.//It's/more/fun/driving
on/hard packed/sand/Forest Roads,anyway.

 Eureka!//Found/it/at/10:20.//River/flowing/fast.//I/briefly/considered/driving/across
the/Forest/to/Salt/Springs/Run.///But/with/a/forecast/in/the/mid90's,I/decided/the
shaded/Ock/was/better/than/the/open/Run.

The/above/two/pics/are/from/the/bank.//The/great/blue/heron/remained/in/place
as/I/began/paddling/up/River/at/10:40.

 One/of/two/motorboats.//Did/not/see/any/paddlers.//I/was/not/out/long.//Turned/back
at/noon.

I/did/want/to/see/hoofed/animals.

 Preferably,with/antlers.

Good/that/butterflies/were/bountiful.//Or/the/great/blue/heron/at/the/start/of/the/paddle
would/have/been/the/only/winged/thing.

Saw/one/little/gator///Slid/off/its/log/before/I/could/photo/it.

Landed/at/1:30.//As/was/securing/the/kayak/on/the/roof,a/couple/came,parked.
He/carried/the/lawn/chairs/and/picnic/lunch/to/river's/edge.//She/followed,slowly.
An/older/couple.///As/I/age,that/comment/gets/rarer.///Must/be/nice/to/have/someone
to/just/sit/with/an/watch/nature.///To/bad/I'm/a/old/fat/ornery/poor/man/with/no/prospects.

 On/a/Forest/road.

County/road.

 Forest/road/to/the/Lake/Eaton/sinkhole,lake,and.trails.

I/have/wanted/to/visit/here/for/years.///Finally,made/it.

There/were/a/few/toppled/trees/across/the/trail/to/the/sinkhole.

 188/steps,80/feet/deep.///I/visited/Devil'sMillhopper/Geological/State/Park,many/years/ago.
When/brother/Andy/was/living/in/Gainesville.2003,or4?//Just/checked/the/website,
220steps,120feet/deep.

Sign/in/the/sink.//Vandalism?or/storm/damage.///From/beer cans/in/the/parking/lot
I/think/the/former.///This/is/easy/for/a/non/parent/to/say,but/I/think/kids/should/be
allowed/to/get/drunk/and/stupid/at/home.///As/a/former/teenage/male,I/doubt/my
buddies/and/I/properly/disposed/of/our/empties.//Hopefully,I/am/making/up/for/my
youthful/indiscretions.

Going up.

 Another/sign/of/fall..after/Saturday's/belted/kingfishers,pie-billed/grebes,and,white/pelican.

The/sinkhole/trail/has/2/loops//I/walked/the/short/one,.09/mile//Then,back/to/the
parking/area,across/the/road/to:

Lake/Eaton/is/a/lake/because/this/sinkhole/hit/the/water/table.

It/began/to/rain.///It/had/also/rained,briefly,on/the/Oklawaha.

I/thought/a/limpkin's/cry/sounded/vaguely/familiar/the/first/time/I/heard/it.

Three/boardwalks/offer/views/of/Lake/Eaton.

Lush/resurrection/fern/on/a/like oak/branch.

Deer/moss

No/sure/what/these/flowers/are.//Very/hard,plastic-like,feel.

 A/two/hour/tour/of/the/Eatons....Sinkhole,and,Lake.

There/were/bear/tracks/on/the/road.///Not/just/aprint/or.two.///A/steady/trail/in/the/rain/soften/road.
I/got/out/to/take/a/picture.///Of/course/that/is/when/the/only/car/I/saw/on/the/Forest/roads/came/from
behind///Not/wanting/to/block/the/narrow/road,I/got/back/in/the/car,no/track/picture.

Back/to/the/resort/for/dinner.//Unit/204/needs/a/kettle/with/a/lid.///So,instead/of/a/brat,
rice,and/corn-on-the-cob,I/had/2/brats,and/an/ear/of/corn.
Then,to/Wildcat/Lake/for/eagles,and,sunset

 No/sunset,moonrise

No/eagles,just/a/vulture.

Moon/reflection

 Moon

 Kayaking/over/the/moon.

Moon/from/the/fishing/pier.///Sometimes/I/think/Florida/is/miserable.///Hot,humid,'
rainy,cloudy.///Then/I/remember,there/are/places/where/the/water/is/frozen/4-5
months/out/of/the/year.///I've/been/on/the/water/every/weekend/since/October,2008.
And,counting.