Cedar Key

 Tour of the Angler's Resort, Dunnellon, FL

Up with the birds, just before 7 am

 

 

Not sure if anyone was in the room with the boarded window.

 Back to the room for a shower.  Under a very low shower head.  Pressure and temp were fine.  No coffee provided, but I had a pack I grabbed from some other lodging.  Only, it was decaf. That won't do.  So, I found an employee and asked it there was any coffee.  He went into the kitchen and came back with two bags.  I only accepted one, and brought more than half, home.

Launched from Cedar Key City Park at 10:09. Would have been earlier, but I started out going the wrong way. Got out ahead of an armada from North Carolina.

 Black skimmers, mostly

Into the Number 2 Channel

 

On my way into town, I saw white pelicans on the Gulf side of the Number 3 Bridge.

 Still there.

 

 

 

I have never seen this many white pelicans in this area before.

The area being Cemetery Point

 

As the tide was out, and I had already seen the white pelicans that I usually need to paddle under and beyond the Number 3 Bridge to observe, I decided to paddle a different channel, the one that runs north on the east side of Way Key.

map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Birds of a different feather

 

 Loon

 

Unseen dolphins

Oyster catchers and more

 

I was past where I had ever padded before, but figured if I kept the major land mass of Way Key on my left, I'd eventually circumnavigate it.

 

 

 

 

Mother ship gives birth

 Black skimmers thinking high tide will be very high

 

Landed at 1:35.  Time to eat lunch, get on the Park Place wifi, add pics to the Rainbow River Tale... wait a minute, keys not in the dry bag.  And I think I locked the car.  To the car.  All 5 doors locked. Damn!  I know what I did.  Parked.  Put the keys on the seat, near the dry bag.  Unloaded the kayak. Carried it to the water line.  Back to the car for paddle, pfd, cooler.  Put on sunscreen.  Thought, it is crowded, I should lock the car.  Standing at the driver side door.  Thought, I should pick up the camera and dry bag now, before I do something stupid like locking them in the car.  Put them around my neck, lock the door.  Walk around to the passenger side, grab the Cutter and cooler.  Thinking the keys were in the dry bag.  Too many caps on the seat, keys under one of them.  Or at least that is what I hoped.  I am not a cell phone user.  I have a cheap trac phone.  For emergencgies.  Never take it on the water.  So it was in the car.  As was my AAA card.  But, the folks at Park Place are always helpful.  Used their phone and Linda's AAA card to call.  ETA, 3:20.

 

There are worse places to wait, and I did have my lunch in the cooler

 Sitting at the gazebo, watching the world go by, waiting for the vehicle with a locksmith name or AAA logo. And waiting, and waiting..... until a gentleman walked up..."Mr.  Cannon?"  No logo on his vehicle.  "The stimulus, and insurance, and people thinking all businesses have money, so they see a company name and fake an accident is why my car is not marked"  I did not inquire how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act affected his insurance rates and desire to work off the records.  I needed my door unlocked.  It was.  The keys were on the seat. 

After taking some time to get a wi fi signal and download a few photos, I was back in the kayak at 4:20

 

 

 

 

 When the oyster is shownin, no goin to the other side of the wreck

But there was enough water to enter the channel to the Nature's Landing condo area.

 

 Into the night heron rookery

Spoonbills, too, but they flew away

 

The black crowned night herons came back

 

 A small flock of spoonbills flew over head.  I was unable to capture them

Scale Key eagle nest

There was an eagle.

 

 

 

Dolphin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 All in all, a good sunset

 

Landed at 6:50.  With keys.

Now dinner.  The lights were on when I paddled past the Pickled Pelican, usually closed on Sunday.  When I walked over after securing the kayak on the roof, it was closed.  OK, Big Deck Raw Bar is open.  "We are out of chowder, shrimp, and oysters"  And maybe something else as I wrap up this Tale 6 days later.  So, back across Dock Street to the Seabreeze.  Closed.  To Steamers, open, and not out of anything.

 It was very crowded for a Sunday as I had a bowl of clam chowder and a plate of sea food pasta.  The bartender was saying she had been busy all day.

As I think I mentioned earlier in this Tale, or maybe Saturday's from the Rainbow River, I hope the weather improves up North.   I like it slow down here.