Rock/Springs/Run

Just/checked/the/YakTales/archives.//I/had/not/been/on/Rock/Springs/Run/since/June29.///Heck,this,buck
may/have/only/had/a/couple/nubs,back/then.

 Turkeys,just/after/I/entered/Wekiwa/Springs/State/Park

Underway/at/7:45.///I/had/chatted/with/JoanneB.,at/the/top/of/the/hill.
She/was/preparing/for/Volunteer/River/Patrol.

And/framing/her/photo.

Just/like/Saturday/on/the/Hillsborough,the/7:45/sun/was/in/my/eyes.

Huge/logator

 Sunlight/filtered/through/the/Wekiva's/trees

 On/Rock/Springs/Run,at/the/first/curve/of/the/shallow/serpentine/section,I/heard/a/wading/deer.
Got/a/rump/tail/view/as/it/ran/off.

 As/I/was/taking/pictures/of/the/blue/heron/on/my/left,I/thought"I've/seen/deer/here,on/the
right"///There/it/was.

Gator

 Limpkin/at/the/Big/Buck/campsite

The/Run/was/running/fast.///As/fast/or/faster,than/the/Hillsborogh/had/been/Saturday.
But,I/expect/Rock/Springs/Run/to/be/swift.
So,I/paddled/past/Big/Buck,as/planned.

 The/view/upstream/at/the/turnaround/point////Where/an/open/marshy/section/transforms/to/a/narrow
tree-lined/stream

4/miles/from/the/Kings/Landing/launch.///For/whatever/reason/these/new/mile/markers/show
the/increasing/distance/from/King'sLanding.///When/90%of/people/paddle/down/Run/only.

The/Gene/Simmons/of/great/blue/herons.
I/wanna/rockandroll/all/night/and/kayak/every/day!

Heard/another/deer///Or/maybe/a/bear.////More/deliberate/movement.

Two/more/bucks

 In/two/months,if/at/the/same/log/like/today,they/likely/will/be/butting/heads.

 On/the/way/up/the/Run/I/thought/the/above/spot/was/prime/gator/territory.
It/is.///Gator/slid/into/the/water/just/before/the/photo.

I/had/the/Run/to/myself/all/the/way/up.
And/down,to/well/past/Indian/Mound/campsite.///3/hours/before/group/of/6-7,coming/up/the
Run

River/Patrol/Volunteers

Joanne/and/Pam

Joanne/used/to/call/me//"My/favorite/paddling/buddy/that/I/have/never/paddled/with"
I/have/questioned/that/assertion/as/we/each/have/several/photos/of/the/other,on/the/water.
But/those/were/all/ships/passing/in/the/night/to/mangle/a/cliche.
Today,we,and,Pam,paddled/the/rest/of/the/Run,and/up/the/Wekiva/to/Wekiwa/Springs/State/Park.

The/Wekiva/was/getting/as/crowded/as/the/turtles/on/the/gator/log/in/the/lagoon.///Landed
at/11:40.
Carted/the/yak/up/the/hill.///Got/it/on/the/roof,and/drove/to/the/Sand/Lake/Trailhead
Past/the/cars/being/turned/back/at/the/entrance/station/because/the/Park/was/full.

 Lots/of/parking/spaces/available/at/Sand/Lake.

I/guess/folks/don't/want/to/hike/when/it/is/95.

 See/the/deer?
Neither/do/I.///Because/I/Suck!
Missed/not/1,not,2.not,3,but/4.///Where/the/horse/trail/and/bike/trails/meet.
The/bike/trail/is/not/very/rideable,I/walked.

 On/the/horse/trail/going/past/the/Camp/Cozy,horse/campsite.//I/was/not/going/to/stay/out/long.
Hot/and/I/did/not/pack/lunch.///Just/an/apple.////I/was/about/to/turn/back,when/a/woman/approached
from/the/other/direction."We/must/be/the/only/crazy/people/out/here",she said.
I/continued/for/a/bit/before/turning/back.

Off/the/horse/trail/to/a/narrow/hiking/cross/trail.

Gopher/tortises/aren't/as/quick/as/deer.

Sand/Lake

I/was/out/for/an/hour.//Driving/out/of/the/Park/a/parade/of/cars/circled/the/entrance/booth
because/the/Park/was"full"
I/did/not/even/look/at/the/Springs.