Florida, Crystal River Jan 2 - 9

Crystal Isle RV Park,  Crystal River, FL  About two years ago Kay and I visited this park.  At that time we decided we wanted to come back and spend some time here.  The park is located on one of the channels that lead to the river.  We met Bob and Connie from Oregon they were into kayaking and fishing also.  Was great to have someone to go with.

Crystal River, Florida

Now this sign tells it like it really is.

We had to drive to the end of the road just to see the Gulf and walk the dogs.

One of the many boardwalks along the gulf.

The water looked too good to pass up a quick kayak trip.

It was pretty chilly so Kay did not want to go with me.  I did about an hour by my self.

The dogs wanted to go me so bad.

After I finished kayaking, we stopped to have a pizza.  Afterward we went to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  This is what we found when we got back to the truck.  There were two big pieces missing.  I know it was Maxwell that opened up the box but I'm sure Zoe got her share of the pizza.

Bob and Marty carrying Bob's kayak down to the channel.  They have a very different kayak.  It has pedals that operates a flipper type of propulsion.  It worked very good for Bob to fish with.

Bob and Connie at Three Sisters Springs looking at the manatees.

There were many of them at the springs.  The water is a constant 72 deg.  The manatees come up to keep warm when the river gets cold.

The manatee are such gentle creatures.

This is my hand getting up close and personal with this one.  It let me scratch his nose for a while before it went back under water.  Many of the manatees have very bad scarring on their backs from motor boat props hitting them.

Bob and Connie on the way back from the springs.

Kay looking at the manatees.

Blue heron along the shore on our way out of the springs.

The day we went kayaking in the gulf among the mangrove islands, the water was as smooth as a piece of glass.  The water was so clear you could see all the way down to at least 15 feet.  It was such a pleasure kayaking under these conditions.  I love kayaking.

Connie getting ready to hit the water.

Bob got the first fish.  It is a nice Red Fish.

I got the second fish.  Sea Trout.

Now this is one fish you do not want to stick your fingers into it's mouth.  You can see the long needlelike tooth.  I did not know it had teeth like that.

One of the many mangrove islands in this area.

Am still looking for my next fish.

Kay took this picture of the Ring-Billed Gull.   She has such a good eye for fine photos.

These birds are non breeding double-crested cormorants

This is an oyster bed shell build-up.  They are very sharp.  They are also covered up at high tide.

One of the nuclear power plants in the area.

Another look at the calm water here.

Bob and Connie getting ready to launch from the campground boat ramp.

This is the channel that leads to the Crystal River from the campground.

A Great Egret doing a little fishing of his own.

This is the end of the channel from the campground. I am now in the Crystal River.

Bob and I doing a bit of fishing in the river.

Just relaxing as I ride the tide back up the channel to the campground.

Bob and Connie in their truck with the kayaks on top
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Full Moon.

Florida, Orange Lake Dec 26 - Jan 2

We ushered in the New Year at Orange Lake, Fl.  We did not find anyone to kayak with but enjoyed our stay anyway.   Treva, Richard and Joyce  drove from their home in Athens, GA to St. Augustine, Fl to visit their son Richard Jr. and his family for the holidays.  They took a road trip one day to come visit us at Orange Lake.   They brought along their grand kids, Kathryn and Mason.  This was the first time we got to meet Mason.

 Orange Lake, Florida

 My brother Richard and his grand kids Mason and Kathryn.

 Richard and his favorite blondes.

 Joyce just taking it easy.

 Kathryn and her new American Girl doll.

 Now tell me,  isn't this just another Moeller Boy?

 Mason always on the go and getting into stuff.

 Treva and Kay waiting to put the garbage can back in.

 Zoe our little blond girl.

 Maxwell our young man.

 On the way out of the campground one day we found this sandhill craine.

 Here is a pair.  I think craines mate for life.

 Silver springs river, we wanted to kayak it but could not find anyone to do it with us.

 Happy New Year Kay.  There was a New Year's Eve party at the club house in the park.

 Can you guess who this is?

 Our table.

 The band

Florida, Live Oak Dec 16 - 26

Here we are back in Florida again to kayak some of the beautiful rivers down here.  The first one on our list is the great old Suwannee River. 

 Live Oak, Florida

Kay, I and the dogs drove to Suwannee River State Park to look at the river where we will take out from our kayak trip the next day. 

 When we looked at the river at the campground, there was not much water.  Once we got down to this end there was much more water in the river.   That made me feel a lot better.

 Max and Zoe love exploring the river banks.  Guess they hope to find another muskrat or something like that to chase into the river.

  Zoe has to check under every log she came across.

 Maxwell also in a searching state. 

 This is a strange looking log.

 Having a little chat with Zoe, telling her there ain't no bears in the woods.

 Nice little bridge on the hiking trail through the woods at Suwannee River State Park.

 Kay and Zoe on their way back from the hike.  Max is behind the tree.

 At the campground they had a Christmas town set up.  With a bunch of little shops to visit.

 This was the candy shop. 

 There was also a big campfire for people to roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate.

 John sat at one end of the campfire singing some of the oldies.  He was quite good.  We sat and listened to him for a long time.

 There was also a trail of lights set up by the campground.  Kay, I and the dogs went to do the drive but they would not let us go.  They said our bikes and kayaks on top of the truck were to high for some of the displays.  So the next night after taking all the stuff off the truck, we did the drive.  It was very nice and we think that Max and Zoe liked it also.

 Some of the lights.

 The marching solders legs move as they walked past the drummers.

 This is the Suwannee River where we started our 8 mile trip down the river.

 The river here was nice and wide.

 It was a very peaceful trip until we hit a 12 mph head wind.

 Kay did very good against the wind.  But she was pooped by the time we got to the end.

 Some of the local wildlife on the river.  And there were lots of them.

 This guy was quite large.

 The rocks and trees gave some very strange shapes.

 It is hard to see but Kay is sitting under the rock ledge.

 If Kay can't find any flowers to take pictures of any old leaf will do.

  Just taking it easy on the way down the river.

 Kay taking a picture of me as I take one of her.  Mine is better because she is the rose in my heart.

It was a good trip down the Suwannee river.  We will do it again some day.

The campground where we stayed was very empty for this time of the year.