Silver/River/and/Cedar/Key

The/roseate/spoonbill/is/from/the/Silver/River,believe/it/or/not.///Current/time,2:40PM,Saturday,August,17
2013.///Sitting/in/a/picnic/pavilion/at/City/Park/in/Cedar/Key.///Charging/a/battery,and/getting/a
signal/from/Park/Place.

 Out/the/door/at/6:42,Mill/Dam/Lake

On/the/canal//from/Ray's/Wayside-to/the/Silver/River,7:13.

I/was/the/first/kayaker/on/the/Silver/this/morning.//Two/boats/launched/as/I/did.
Anglers,headed/to/the/Ocklawaa/River.//No/fishing/allowed/on/the/Silver.
The/2/boat/ramps/are/separated/from/the/hand/launch/area/by/about/25/yards.
An/arrangement/I/like.//One/of/the/boats,canoe/with/motor,returned.
Bug/spray,or,bait?I/asked./Bait.

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Lots/of/anhingas/and/blue/herons.//Seeing/yet/another/wing/drying/diver,
I/told/myself/I/would/save/the/next/photo/for/something/different.
The/anhinga/was/on/my/left.//Looked/right/and/there/was/the/first
alligator/of/the/morning.

Wood/duck

Almost/deleted/the/above/pic.///Great/blue/heron/blends/into/its/environment

Green/heron

 The/ol'/stinkeye,

Usually,I/will/see/people/on/the/River/at,or/past/the/Silver/River/State
Park/canoe/kayak/launch.//Not/a/soul.//Unless/you/believe/animals/have
souls.

I/can/only/imagine,with/gratitude,the/heart/and/soul/that/goes/into
parenting.///As/at/the/rookery/just/down/River/from/the/head/spring.
Near/two/other/springs.

Arrived/at/the/head/spring/at9:45.//The/attraction/must/open/at/10,as
the/only/person/I/saw/was/a/white/uniformed/glass/bottom/boat/captain.
Only/2/boats/were/berthed.there,are/usually,4.//I/wonder/if/they/are
under/repair/as/the/State/prepares/to/take/over/and/convert/the/attraction
to/a/State/Park.

Tried/to/see/the/glass/bottom.//The/sides/are/too/high.///No/need/for/a/glass/bottom
when/you/have/a/kayak.

Something/is/going/on/above/the/boats./Tarps/on/roofs.
In/other/areas/visible/from/the/water,maintenance/appears/deferred.
As/the/current/concession/holder/may/not/care.
Speaking/of/caring,I/could/not/see/a/boil/above/the/head/spring.
There/has/always/been,at,least,a/ripple.//Nothing.

Wonder/if/this/will/be/open/to/the/public/when/the/State/takes/over.
I/recall/seeing/something/about/bids/for/a/canoe-kayak/concession.
With/a/gawdawfull/number/of/boats//Wekiva-like.

Osceola.

Lots/of/mouths/to/feed.

In/the/August/heat,a/harbinger/of/fall.//First/pie-billed/grebes/I've/seen/since/spring.

 Also,a/belted/kingfisher/pair/on/the/up River/paddle

Belted/kingfisher/atop/a/cistern/in/the/cove/with/the/cabin

Took/very/few/photos/on/the/way/down/River.//Battery/issues.//Saving/power/for
monkeys.//None///Perhaps/a/good/thing/as/I/would/not/have/got/this/spoonbill
near/Ray's/Wayside.

Rarer/than/monkeys/on/the/Silver.///I/had/seen/one/before,near/the/rookery/island.//I/think/
I/saw/that/one/twice.//But/a/search/just pulls/up/one/result//July,2011///When/I/also/saw
Luis,of/ViewsFromOurKayak/fame.
Landed/about/12:30,inCedarKey,2hours/later.

After/an/hour/to/charge/batteries/and/begin/this/Tale,I/was/back/on/the/water.
The/wifi/connection/fromParkPlace/was/stronger/than/it/is/sometimes/in/the/motel.
A/good/thing,in/light/of/upcoming/web/issues.

 Low tide/exposes/shipwrecks.//And,food/for/waders.

 Missed/a/black/crowned/night/heron

Magnificent/frigate/bird.

I/had/seen/signs/of/fall,on/a/hot/day,on/the/Silver/River.//Pie/billed/grebes/and/belted/kingfishers
Part/of/the/lost/commentary.///Another/migrant/in/CedarKey.

 Straggler?/Or,advance/scout?

Black/skimmers

 Landed/just/after/6.
Keeping/all/options/open,I/had/charcoal/and/brats/to/grill/at/City/Park.///But,while
paddling,I/decided/I/wanted/to/be/served/a/mess/of/fried/seafood.
So,to/Dock Street.

Into/the/Big/Deck/Raw/Bar

Band/setting/up.//I/saw/a/trombone.//Need/to/see/these/guys/someday/and/report/to
my/bone/honing/friend,Mahone.//Tom/has/appeared/in/these/Tales/a/couple/times.

 Always,always,have/clam/chowder/in/Cedar Key.

Oysters,slaw,grouper,and,fries.//The/fries,on/a/prior/visit,were/soggy.
This/time,excellent,although/quite/salty.//Washed/down/with/a/Guinness.//I/had
a/taste/of/Orange/Blossom/Pilsner,brewed/in/Orlando.//Too/fruity-as/one
would/expect/from/the/name.
$34.95/with/tax/and$5/tip

Missing"S"

I'm/not/the/only/one/with/keyboard/issues.

Off/the/Deck,and/outside

How/to/save/horseshoe/crabs.

I/stopped/at/Park Place/to/book/my/LaborDayStay.///The/office/was/closed.///After/7
already?//Time/to/find/the/sunset.

Headed/out/of/town/to/the/ramp/at/the/Number4/Bridge.

 Just/a/peak/between/the/clouds.//To/the/east,getting/nasty.

 Very/windy.///I/paddled/back/as/did/2/guys/in/a/kayak/an/one/in/a/canoe.//The/canoeist
paddled/backwards.//If/he/tried/to/turn/the/gale/would/have/hit/him/broadside.

 Not/much/of/a/sunset/but/the/cloud deck/was/impressive.

Landed/at/8:10.
An/eerie/drive/through/wispy/fog.//The/rain/began/about/halfway/back/to/the/Mill/Dam/Lake/Resort.
When/I/got"home",the/wifi/was/not/working.///So,it/took/until/Wednesday/to/complete/the/Tale.