Lakes Maitland, Nina and Minnehaha

My first "Lakes Maitland, Nina, and Minnehaha" Yak Tales post since April 27, 2022.  At which time I wrote:

 It likely will be the last time I will do this until October.  A construction project starts Monday. 5 month timeline, "weather permitting".  Fucking idiots. Winter is construction season in Florida.  Summer heat, hurricanes, daily thunder storms will cause delays. I doubt it will take 5 months.

Sadly, I was right.  Apologies for the salty language, but sometimes you have to call bleeping idiots, bleeping idiots.

It reopened on Monday.  Word has not got out.  One trailer in the parking lot. The boater, in a Ghenooe "canoe" with a motor, landed as I was launching.  He was in the new to him vessel for the first time, and was not aware Fort Maitland Park had been closed.

I was on Lake Maitland at 6:33.  The lake floor at the launch site, which was hard sand, is now muck.  Likely the result of 11 months of construction activity.  Dirt and sand used to build up the parking lots and driveway, and as base for new plantings, running into the Lake.

There is gentleman who fishes from the condo dock next door.  I see him just about every time I launch from Fort Maitland Park in the late afternoon/early evening.  I asked if the fishing improved without the boat traffic for the last 11 months. Like most anglers, he was noncomittal.  Another angler said, "The hurricane blew a lot of bass in here"

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Limpkin

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Canal to Lakes Nina and Minnehaha

Lake Minnehaha

The bald eagle must have been on the wall above the lakewall.  I was concentrating on the wood ducks and a turtle, when suddenly the eagle flew by, low and close.  It gained altitude and landed in a nearby pine. 

Took off again

Osprey pair

I should have not been surprised it took the City of Maitland over a year to finish the Fort Maitland Park project.  After all, it took years to replace the covered bridge.  After an oversized vehicle knocked the cover off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMQ9-db8UA

Lake Nina

This big house has been on Lake Nina for as long as I have been kayaking it. 2005.

This monstrosity is going up next to it.  On the formerly vacant strip of land on the west side of the canal.  And it is not the only "home" being built.

Back on Lake Maitland

Landed at 8:05