Canoeing with teenagers 102

YES, I got them to do it again!  And only a week after the "three hour tour".  They are suckers for adventure!

This time we did the Silver River.  It is very mild as compared to Juniper Springs Run.  For starters, you don't have to move your canoe that far to get it the water.  The river is wide and deep.  There is a strong current that you have to paddle against on the way up to Silver Springs, but the way back is mostly steering if you are tired and want to go slow.  There is no shade, so bring a hat and sunscreen, plenty of water and snacks for good measure, if you plan to be out there for a while( it takes about 2 1/2 hrs to canoe up and back at a leisurely pace).

There are plenty of birds, fish, gators, monkeys and turtles to be seen on the river.  We saw 6 gators the day we went, and we even "had lunch" with one of them.  This time, I was in the back, and Zman started out in the front.  I figured we could switch around if we needed to.  The paddle strokes needed on this trip were different than last trip and I tried to instruct him how to hold the paddle and make the strokes needed to beat the current.  Believe it or not, he didn't want to listen to me!  : )  Ahhh, teenagers...   So, whatever, I ended up doing most of the work steering, propelling and correcting the whole way.  But isn't that what the back seat does anyhow?

The river was beautiful that day.  We got out there about 11am, just in time for the heat of the day!  By the way, NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY!  The Silver River takes you all the way into the head spring for Silver Springs.  It is a huge spring!  One of the largest artesinal springs in the world producing 550 million gallons of water a day.  Timucuan Indians used it and settled around it, until the Spaniards came and ruined that.  In current history, the TV show I Spy was filmed there along with several movies like Tarzan, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, as well as some James Bond movies.  A small portion of Hoot was also filmed there and gets the mention because the book was written by one of my favorite Florida authors, Carl Hiaasen.

As you get into the Silver Springs attraction, the glass-bottomed boats come by and you can hear some of their spiel.  They don't kick up that much wake so it's not a problem, however they do have the right-of-way on account of them being bigger(and they are making a buck off the tourists).  The head spring is kind of hard to see real well when you get there, on account of  being so close to the water.  There is no dockage so getting out is not an option, and it's busy there because that's where the glass-bottomed boats take off from.  We did go over to the side to stabilize the canoe while Zman and his friend changed places.  While there, I think we rousted this little guy(he was only about 3ft long) from his hiding spot.  There's a dragonfly on his head! : )

After we left the main spring, it was time for lunch.  There are many minor springs and coves along the way that make for good places to hang out and eat lunch.  We shared one such spring/cove with a gator and a couple tour boats.  It was field trip day for area summer camps so there were alot of children gawking at us from the tour boats.  We made the most of it by making faces at them and waving to them.  The gator was not a problem either, even though he was really big!  He watched us and the boats a bit and was just there.  Generally, they don't bother you unless you bother them.

Usually, the rhesus monkeys make an appearance at some point along the way.  I don't know if it was too hot for them, or if they were just tired of the tourists for the day or what, but we didn't see any.  On the way back, we fed the fish, and saw a few more gators.  

The boys stayed in the canoe this time.  There is only one spot where it's feasible to actually get into the water and on the way back it was occupied.  Otherwise, it's just too dark and bottom mucky to try it, besides, who knows what's lurking down there!

At one point, everyone was quiet and we could hear some people around the bend coming up the river.  The boys thought it would be funny to "mess" with them by making weird, loud noises and then acting like nothing happened when we came up on them.  I don't think it worked, but I got a really funny video of Zman's noises.  I wonder what those people thought?

On the walk back to the parking area( which is about 1/2 mile!), I asked the boys which canoe trip they preferred.  They both said Juniper Springs Run.  I am proud of that!  It's not that they didn't like this trip, the other one was just more adventurous!  This canoe trip will be an after thought in their minds to the first trip.  It was fun, but without incident to make it an adventure. 

 I am planning for the next one...muwha haaa haaa ha!(evil laugh, screen fades to black)

Canoeing with teenagers 101

Juniper Springs Run is not a place you want to take an inexperienced paddler(much less 2!) if you have a timeline and you are a serious paddler.  If you want to have a good time and laugh so hard it makes your belly hurt for the next three days, take two inexperienced paddlers who happen to be of the male species in their teenage years and put them in charge of all the paddling.  That's what I did and all I can say is... well, actually I am speechless!

Oh! The fun we had on this trip!  I have been wanting to do this every since my sister-in-law did this and raved about it!  The boys were psyched up about going canoeing and they(nor I, really) had no idea what they were in for.  I have heard it is a challenging run, and the day before we went I looked up a couple blogs about it.  One in particular had the most information and one of the commenters called the run the "divorce run".  In fact on the ride back to the launch area our driver confirmed that several area churches bring their couples that are in pre-wedding counseling to paddle this run to see how well they work together.  I know why...

The canoes can be rented from Juniper Springs for $33+tax with a $20 cash deposit that is returned if you make it to the end by the last pick up which is at 4:30pm.(FYI, you must also pay the entrance fee which is $5 a person)  We left the launch at about 11:15am and made it to the pick up by 4pm with half an hour to spare, and the driver was EARLY! The park rangers check for disposables, which you can not bring. Everything(food, drink and ice wise)must be packed into reusable containers.  I hid some plastic bags which we put our phones into to keep them from getting wet.  They also say that there are gators in the run, and to stay in the canoes.  We didn't see any, and so the boys and myself were in and out of the canoe along the first 1/2 of the trip.

The run is narrow, shallow and shady about 2/3 of the way.  It takes alot of cooperation and forgiveness to maneuver it well and even then you will still run into the banks and trees.  There are alot of submerged trees, and hanging trees which you have to go under, over, or around.  Sometimes you have to lift the canoe over the trees, which involves either rocking the canoe or getting out and pulling it over.  A couple times we were standing on a tree to get the canoe over another tree...  See what I mean by challenging? (I would love to take Sweet pea and the Rocket on this trip but I am afraid they would be too afraid.  I'll wait till they are teenagers.)  As it was, Zman and his friend were about to come to blows over steerage of the boat.  Zman was in front and his friend was in the back.  Zman was doing most of the work because he could see what was coming.  He kept getting angry 'cause his friend wasn't doing his "job".  I was in the middle, helpless, because they didn't want to turn anything over to me, I'm just a girl after all... (nevermind that I have been canoeing for waaaaaaay longer than them!) So I took loads of pictures and video and laughed and laughed and laughed! BOY! That was fun!

It is beautiful out there though, I kept taking picture after picture.  It exasperated the boys. (Makes me wish I had a DLSR kind of camera, although that is harder to put into a plastic bag to keep safe, or rather, keep from getting wet.)  So peaceful and quiet, if you can keep the others in your canoe quiet for 5 seconds! We didn't see any wildlife on account of us having too much fun(in other words, being too loud!)! 

At about half way we stopped and had lunch and played in the water for a while.  I heard thunder rumbling off in the distance("Uhhh, guys?  I think it's going to rain soon.") so we packed it up and and headed on down the river.  We had no idea of how much further it would be to the end(HA! It was pretty far.).  It started to get cloudier and cloudier, the thunder steadily rolled closer and then finally it started pouring. Lightning cracking all around us, LOUD thunder instantly and in some cases I think it even preceded the lightning it was so close!  And of course we are in water, in a metal boat, with NO PLACE TO GO BUT FORWARD towards the pick up point.  We can barely see in front of us because it is raining so incredibly hard!  The boys finally got it together with their paddling, and we really were moving at times.  Zman said "This is a disaster"  I replied "This is not a disaster, this is an adventure!  A disaster is if someone gets struck by lightning or eaten by an alligator, but until then, it's an adventure!"  At one point(close to where a gator had eaten a woman 2 years before)we had to pull over and empty the water out of the canoe because we were sitting so low in the water and the boys were working too hard at paddling while getting nowhere.  It was a combination of dripping bathing suits from playing in the water, and rain.  Every bend we came around I was praying we would see the bridge which meant the take out point, but it seemed it never would come.  I was praying hard that God would keep us safe and please, please, please let that bridge be around this bend!  Oh I swear the Hallelujah chorus played when we finally did see that bridge!  Thank God He was lookin' out for us!  To Him be the glory that He got us to the take out point safely!  It was a lesson for the boys, and me.  Wanna know what that lesson is?

Don't dilly dally on a one way, 4 1/2 hour canoe trip in Florida in the summer(DUH!) and if you do, God will look out for you, He'll scare you half to death, but He will look out for you!

I am also proud to say that the boys agree with me on the adventure! It is likely a trip that we will never forget.  Zman's friend has a story now that rivals a few of his dad's stories of raising hell while growing up in Ocala.  It doesn't come close to most of them, but it's a start!  Zman has yet another memory of a crazy summer trip with his crazy mother!  And I have the memory of two precious teenage boys learning something about themselves and God, all the while having loads of fun!

I asked them, on the way back into town, if they wanted to do it again the next day.  They looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears! : ) Always keep them guessing...

Appalachicola Nature Center

The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve has a new home, and it is beautiful!  As of right now, it is still FREE!  However with Florida's budget woes, who knows for how long... 

I posted about the old place here last year.  We were looking forward to visiting the new place and checking out what was new.  Keep in mind they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Their hours are 9am to 4:30pm Tuesday thru Saturday.   

The building is LEED certified at the silver level.  Some of the qualifying aspects of the LEED certification include, compact flourescent lights on motion sensors, design and construction of the facility with much of the property left undisturbed, pervious materials on parking areas, and rainwater capture system with storage cisterns underneath the building allowing the water to be collected for flushing toilets and irrigation.

This is the nature walk to the center, along this walk you will learn about pine flat woods, oak hammocks and marsh areas.  Nice and shady.  I love the sound of crushed gravel underneath me while walking in nature, don't you?

As you come to the visitor center, after you climb the steps, there is a local oyster boat built and donated by a local resident.  

As you enter the etched double doors, the first thing you notice is the mural stretching across the entire wall.  It tells the story, in picturesm, of the Apalachicola river traveling to the Gulf of Mexico. There are all sorts of critters depicted in this mural, and they are all labeled for your education.

The aquariums that were previously housed in a separate building are now new and incorporated into the general area in the new building.  They are very nice, and allow you to see underwater alongside the habitats.  The diversity in the old building is lacking in the new facility, however the presentation of what is there is very nice and we liked it better.  

Sweetie Pie making faces at the Alligator Gar that guards the front door.  No kidding, he sits right there and watches the front door! 

The Rocket making faces at me through one of the aquatic displays(That is a white terrapin.). 

A peek at the Gulf and Barrier island part of the mural.  There are mounted pelicans "flying" over head just like they do down the coast over Highway 98.  The sounds associated with the different areas of nature represented in the mural are playing in the backgound. 

The education room, is MUCH better than before!  We definitely enjoyed this room the most!  Here is The Rocket playing the matching game, matching up adult sea creatures with the "just hatched" babies.  It's harder than you think... 

Microscope area with slides, for your viewing pleasure. 

All of their preserved specimins, shell collection and bones are out on display for you to touch and examine!  The collection is vast and showcased in the way they should be!  Stadium seating is here in this room for educational presentations for kids.  My kids used it as a stage instead...complete with "spotlight"!  

Did you know that a dolphin's teeth are made of ivory? 

Whale bones and baleen display.

Overall we are pleased with the new facility, however, what's missing is the bird watching area.  I do hope they will eventually incorporate this area again.  There is also an auditorium with a short movie playing daily, but sometimes there are people giving presentations or special movies playing.  They have monthly meetings and programs for the public to enjoy and get educated about their unique setting in Florida.

If you are ever in the Apalachicola area, please stop by and check out this wonderful nature center!

The website for more information about the estuarine reserve is here. 

3 little birds, on my doorstep...

The wrens that visit with us every year came back.  I like to refer to them as "our wrens", but I don't know for sure they are the same ones. Any how, we had babies again, 3 this time!  Daddy was scouting for a nest site and when he found theirs was still there and in very good condition, he was VERY excited!!!
The pics are as follows...
The first shot is for perspective...behind the radio is where the nest is.  Up by the ceiling, and very safe.  No cats or other animals are going to get up there and disturb that nest!
                                    

May 7 - I know there is more than one egg in there...  Aren't they pretty eggs?  Momma disposes of the shells and the poo the babies make as she goes along, amazing!

May 12- looks like one has already hatched...

May 13- three little mouths!!!! that make a LOUD noise!

May 17- WOW, look at those mouths now! The noise that came from them is also louder and more incessant!  When anyone comes out the backdoor it's " Mommy? FEED ME!!!!  NOW!

Now, in between these pics, a neighbor found another baby bird that had fallen out of his nest in his yard.  The nest was too high for anyone to get up there and put this bird back, so we put it in with these birds.  Thinking that it was the same type( WRONG!!!) we thought maybe the momma wouldn't notice a fourth bird in there....  NOPE(What momma, I ask you, doesn't know her own kids, or at least how many she has?!?!)!  It ended up dying.  Sweetie Pie and The Rocket were sad, but it's an invaluable lesson about nature, it doesn't always have Disney endings...(They know this already, but I always welcome reminders of how good they have it!)

May 25- My, My, My! Look at how they have grown!

(Sorry guys, I am not the chuck wagon, she will be back soon!)

May 28- We are now officially empty nesters...

We missed the flying lessons, however, S did see the momma and daddy out on the porch calling to the babies to come out for their flying lessons.  They would sit on the back of a chair, and look up at the nest and call for them to come out!  Really cute!  Now they are gone and we can reclaim our back porch. 

Can't wait till next year!

Has this ever happened to you?

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

 While in Naples over the holidays, we visited Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  I have been wanting to make a trip out here for a while, since it's been so long since I've been here.  When I was little and went to the Nature Conservancy for camp over the summers, we would make field trips out here and go tromping around in the swamp, exploring nature and getting right up close in the experience.  Alas, my kids lack that experience, and I know I will regret it! Hopefully all the outings I drag them along on, and make them go painfully slow on, will make up for it(a bit)...hopefully! One day I will take them on one of Clyde Butcher's swamp walks, when the $70.00 for each of us isn't such a big deal...  I did it when it was FREE!  My how the world has changed...  But I digress.

Entrance to the visitor center.  The kind man inside let me have the Audubon Society member rate even though I didn't have my card!  Figures, I have been carrying it around for a couple years and haven't used it even once and then after I decide to not carry it(after streamlining the wallet), I have the ability to use it and don't have it! UGH! I believe there's a man named Murphy who has a law that applies to this...?

After paying our fee for entry, we began our walk.  Just outside they had a lady that had a baby alligator you could pet.  I just snapped a picture, I have petted these before and I had also just washed my hands. Being a Florida Native- been there, done that, many times. 

Beyond the Alligator lady, there was a marquee that has some recent wildlife sightings.  My good friend Kathy and her boys went on this walk with us and they are checking out what we might see from the 2 mile walk on the boardwalk. 

We started out the walk with some loud cries that sounded kind-of like a laughing gull.  They were the cries of some red-shouldered hawks.  It was rather dry and not very birdy, but that is the norm for this time of year.  By all means it was teeming with life, just not right out in the open type of stuff.  If you go here in the winter-time, you must have time to spare, and stop along the way to be quiet and listen and watch.  Only then will you see the goings on around you.  We did this alot much to the dismay of Z-man and The Rocket, who accompanied me this time.  It caused us to loose our friends along the way as her boys were more interested in barreling through.  They are young, and kudos to Kathy for introducing them to the area and letting them explore it at their own pace(key to their enjoyment and retention of knowledge)! 

My escorts on this journey. 

Scenery along the way: 

A small garter snake, sunning on the boardwalk.   

I caught him also as he slithered off into the brush.  He evidently didn't like his audience even though we were very quiet and didn't crowd him.  It was very neat to watch him in the bushes, and how he maneuvered through them, of course it helped that he is not a venomous variety. He was, in fact, rather beautiful with his racing stripes, and serene stillness. 

A VERY OLD cypress tree.  This thing was huge! 

A red-shouldered hawk landed on this snag above the boardwalk. 

Night heron(?)

It was so neat to watch him walking on top of the vegetation.  Every once in a while he would step into a hole and stumble, causing him to raise his wings as if in flight.   

Cypress tree knees.  

Contrary to popular belief(even mine, as I was taught this), cypress knees have little to no bearing on the oxygen exchange of the tree it is connected to, rather, they provide stability in the unstable and mushy landscape for storms with high winds that would otherwise knock over the better part of the forest.  All the roots underneath the ground are growing together to form a mesh that provides stability.  It would be damn-near impossible to dig a hole in a mature swamp because of this very reason!  

The bald cypress trees are bald, they will get their "hats" back in summer. 

...and a parting shot. So true, so true. 

But you have to experience these things in order to love them and want to conserve them.  Get outside and visit your national, state, and local parks with your kids.  Unplug them and let them experience what's out there in nature that is ever-changing, entertaining, and imperiled by man if we don't conserve it!  If they don't know what they are missing now, how will they when it's gone?



Gee, it's been a long time!

          

Hello, it's been a while since I've been in to visit. Sorry, I have just been so very busy the past couple of months! Halloween and then Thanksgiving and all that comes in between has just kept me from sitting and talking to you about what's been happening around here.

Well, the kids have a cold this weekend, they stayed home from school yesterday.  Today we completed the above winter wonderland scene in about 6 hours.  It was something fun to do while cooped up in the house(I didn't hear "I'm booooored!" once today!!! *big smile* )  I started out this morning hearing "After we make it, can we eat it?", and now I don't think they are so into the eating part.  It took too long to construct!

I think I will go backwards in the happenings around here:

            Starting with Thanksgiving, my parents came over and Zman came up and we had a grand time!  I didn't even set fire to anything this year, however the turkey didn't cook all the way through and so after carving a bit off, we had to flip it over and cook it some more.  We were NOT going to wait any longer!

Before that, we took an overnighter to St. Augustine to see the lights.  It was pretty and crowded, but we love St. Augustine, so it was ok! 

 Here is Sweetie Pie rockin' it in the tower at the Castillo...   

and here I am rockin' it on the top of the Castillo... 

Rocket Man and Sweetie Pie in front of the Castillo... 

We also took a trip in the opposite direction, to the panhandle of Florida.  Specifically Appalachicola, to the Florida Seafood festival.  Here, we were witness to an oyster eating contest: 

No-one threw up on stage, but I think they were close...  EWWWW!

Now I have to tell you, do not make a special trip for this festival as it is not anything like it's name implies.  The food is mostly vendors not from Florida(read: carnival food) and it is more like a county fair.  The gumbo I purchased from the booth of a local church was fabulous, but there were not many local or even Florida seafood food vendors like the name indicates.  Very sad and unfortunate for the area because it is such a charming town to visit! I fear the attendance will diminish in years to come if something is not done about the local representation of Florida seafood at this festival!  Cudos to the churches and local organizations for representing the area! 

The next day we had lunch at Wharf Express(EXCELLENT! I highly recommend this place!) down at Summer Camp.  We then took the liberty of walking out on the dock and the beach.  The kids had a blast with all the things they were finding, namely the horseshoe crab moltings and, of course, the dead stinky ones too.  We also watched the tide as it went out and the flora and fauna that were left behind.  Oh, we could spend hours and hours observing and exploring... 

And finally...  Here is Rocket Man on his final day of Archery class. 

He is such a fruit!

Now you are all caught up on the goings on around here, hopefully I can keep up through the rest of the holiday season.  Don't hold your breath!