Veterans Day, Cedar Key

If the City of Cedar Key needs a motto, I propose: "More flags per capita than any city in the U.S.A."
I did my part.

View from the balcony, 6:40 am.  I went outside.

Stars and Stripes and sunrise

Back home-home away from home that is.

 Surf and turf. Just thought, if I had a big slice of white bread, left spaces between the steak, and put the clams in the upper left corner......

 Underway at 9:04. Roughest conditions of the weekend, so far.Felt water come in as I fastened the spray skirt.  My water bottle came open.  Dripping from the deck.

 High tide was at 8.  Figured I'd have no problem getting past the wreck

High tide must have been low.  I gave it a shot.

Did not see the blue heron. Upper left.

Did not go far.    Seeing shelly bottom, I carefully came about.

Paddled the channel  behind downtown for the first time this weekend. It can be too shallow at low tide.  A clam boat avoided it.  I made it.

Continuing the flag theme. Construction crane? Where was this?  Answer, later in this Tale.

 Osprey

 Yellow crowned night, upper, and blue, heron.

There are 2, 3, small mangrove islands just before the Number 3 bridge. One time,they were full of birds. So, I always investigate.  Nothing like that time. Until, today. Starting with the osprey pair.

Never saw a Mohawk on a black crowned night heron.

Black crowned, hair/feathers in place

I'm guessing this is the same away from the flock pair I saw, Sunday.

Paddled to Scale Key, hoping to see bald eagles.  And, I did.  A pair, dancing high in the sky. "Come on, come closer"  One did. Not part of the pair, a third, from the other direction, flying a few feet above the water.  Then, rising, to land in a pine.

 The blob with the white head above and left of the other blob. Low tide limited access

Did not paddle to the distant white pelican flock. Just saw the pair on the way back

Get up dear, the kayaker wants a picture.

 Do I have to?

I heard bells. 12.  Will I hear music.  On Christmas Day, I heard, and posted,carols. Memorial Day, patriotic chimes. Don't recall if I recorded it. I did today.

God Bless America

America The Beautiful

Have I said I love Cedar Key?

Gulls,some,and black skimmers, mostly, on a low tide sand bar.

Landed at 12:35.  Lots of folks at City Park.  Holiday for Levy County schools.  I missed the parade. Began at 11:11.  Like the Armistice.  I turned down free hotdogs and soda.  Shocking,I know. Too much food in the unit. 

A birthday card from the Park Place staff. Got one last year, too..

 A World Wildlife Fund card.  Yeah, they know me.

More,red,white, and blue.  Washed down a summer sausage, ham, and cheese, sandwich. And, an apple and two cookies.

 Main City Park flag from the balcony.  3 PM,tine for a bike ride.

 Remember the flag on the crane?  Not a crane.  Firetruck ladder

 Cedar Key traffic jam.

Cemetery Point boardwalk.

 The Cemetery Point overlook is a good place to see dolphins. But, I have not seen any my last 2 visits to Cedar Key.  I told myself I would wait a few moments.  No dolphins. But, in the sky, a tussle. Eagle and osprey.

The osprey dropped its catch on an oyster bar. The eagle swooped down, grabbed the fish in its beak, and took flight.

 Saw interesting buildings, so I turned on a street I had not been on before.

Cedar Key Community Center.

I knew there are shell mounds, never knew about this.

 The buildings that caught my eye

Economically diverse neighborhood.

 Windsurfer was the last biking photo. 3:52. On the water, again, 4:17

Kite boarder still out.

 Paddled to Astena Otie Key

 Never fail to see lots of cormorants,brown pelicans, and gulls on the old dock

Another view of  Astena Otie.

 Snake Key

Grassy Key

 Seahorse Key

North Key

 Way Key. Home to the City of Cedar Key. The Keys shown, plus a few more, are the Cedar Keys.

 I was now paddling east, away from the sun.  Every so often, I'd turn back, checking its position. Then, I heard, an saw a dolphin.      Swimming east.  Dilemma, dolphin, or sunset?

Great blue heron.  Failed to get a dolphin photo.

The sun does not move as quickly

Last  flag for Veterans Day.

 Left overs. With more grouper and squash.

Had a second helping, still had left overs for birthday breakfast.