I was the second person at Trout Creek Wilderness Park this Saturday morning. The first being the Hillsborough County worker who opened the gate. Open when I arrived. As was the restroom. I was on the water at 7:23
Yellow crowned night heron
Blue heron
Anhinga
Great blue heron
Great egret
Snowy egret and tricolored heron
Roseate spoonbills
Anhinga
Turkey vulture. I had not taken any photos of the hundreds of vultures, black, mostly, near Nature's Classroom. But this one, alone on a narrow part of the River, caught my eye. Then my nose caught the deer carcass in the River.
Belted kingfisher
Great egret, ibis, blue heron
Gives Morris Bridge Park its name. Paddled past at 9:05
Cool weather, high 40's when I launched, kept the alligator out of sight. Also kept people away. I like that.
Come on. Turn
Around
Bango!
Wood stork
Limpkin
Otter
The second and third paddlers of the morning were coming down stream as I took the otter picture. 3 people in 3 hours. I can live with that.
Approaching John Sargent Park, 10:47. A vast armada had just begun their downstream paddle. I asked how far they were going, Morris Bridge, or Trout Creek. Trout Creek. Good for them, bad for me.
First gator of the day.
Gator #2. By the way # is a number sign. A hash tag is the price of your breakfast potatoes.
3rd gator. Possibly a repeat. I had come about.
Number 4
And 5.
Landed at 11:14. Took a 30 minute lunch break. Recharged the camera battery. In the woman's restroom. No outlet in the men's. Good thing no one was around but the Canoe Escape concession worker. One kayaker arrived as I was finishing lunch. My signal to get back on the River.
The canal
River, down stream to Trout Creek
Alligator count to 7. First on the Hillsborough.
Otter
On the way up River, I saw a plastic bag in the water. Not within reach, I figured I could get it on the way back. On the way back, it was still there. So, none of the other paddlers could pick it up? I paddled to it.
Oh, not a bag.
Gator 8. This is the one in the opening photo. Number 9, barely visible in the logs.
Not one twisted alligator. Numbers 10 and 11.
Pie billed grebe
Next 3 photos, cormorant swallows a fish
Approaching Trout Creek Park, 3:35. I brought my trail bike, but decided I wanted to get to my hotel on the Gulf, leisurely check in, and go for a sunset walk. Traffic is usually terrible through downtown Tampa. This trip, slowed to 40 mph for a short time, which was far better than usual. This is the third January in a row I've made a $50 Priceline bid and ended up at the Sirata on St. Pete Beach. Next year, $45.00. The first time, I signed up for the "Club". So, when I go, I ask if I can get an upgrade. The desk clerk told me she would see what she could do. "I think you will like this"
View from the door. Wrong door, I was one floor down. 5:20.
Outside my door
View from the balcony
Inside the suite
Time for that sunset walk. Looking west
North
South
Super vivid setting works well on them, too.
Don Cesar
I never like it when places charge extra for parking. And have tight spaces. The spaces near the main entrance to my building were all taken. I had parked fairly far away. But, on the walk, I saw if I made one more turn, to the rear of the building,
There was covered parking. Plenty of spaces. Bigger than the ones out in the open. I lined up with the elevator and stairwell, just on the other side from where I parked.
Front door view
Balcony view
Not a bad day
1 comment:
True that.Not a bad day.
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