One Last Hoorah

Rob and I went canoeing a few days ago. It's been a while, since he is always working these days. We both took a day off to go down the Santa Fe one last time before I leave town.

Unfortunately, it had been so long since we used the canoe that some large ants had moved in. A lot of them. Into both the front and the back of the boat, or as Rob insists I call them, the "bow" and "stern." I want to mention here that since I am not a pirate, I don't feel the need to use this fancy boat talk.

Anyway, we had to submerge the canoe for at least ten minutes to get rid of them all. 

But they were invincible! They floated toward shore in hordes and simply got out and began marching.

All those white dots in the above photo are ants. Here they are up close.

We didn't canoe very far -- just down to Blue Springs, where we canoed up a side spring run, and then back out and down to Ginnie Springs for some R & R. 

See the turtle (also known as a cooter)?

Rob demanded I take a photo of him.

A snake swam up to our canoe at Ginnie Springs and glared at me. It was kinda freaky, but I don't think the snake was a poisonous one. Still, who wants to be that close to any snake? It literally came up to the side of the canoe. Too close for me.

I'm in Europe right now, but wanted to finish this entry before I got back and became concerned with moving to D.C. (five days after my return). 

So this was my last Florida outing for the forseeable future.

Goodbye, river.

Goodbye, springs.

Goodbye, Florida.

Austin

The trip to Austin was fun.

We ate lots of delicious Tex-Mex cuisine.



We visited old friends. One of Rayne's friends collects, grows, and sells cacti and other succulents. He had multiple greenhouses filled with the most amazing plants! Of course, the only time I nearly tripped was in the cactus greenhouse.






We wandered around some shopping areas. My favorite store was called Uncommon Objects, and was the coolest antique store I've ever been in. Each area of the store presented a perfectly arranged tableau.



Austin has loads of unique, progressive shops, like this one, that sells all environmentally friendly products for the home. We saw their products (paper towels, toilet paper, and hand soap) in nearby restaurants.

We also went to Barton Springs, the famous (and gigantic) spring in the middle of the city. Actually, the spring area was created by the systematic damming of the Colorado River, so it's actually a spring run that's been cemented in. We went swimming -- in November! The water is sixty-some degrees. It felt wonderful.



On another day, in a different part of the park (and river), we went canoeing (actually, it's a reservoir called Lady Bird Lake that was created by another dam). By this point the shutter button had fallen off my camera (I'm hard on these things!), so I didn't take photos. But it was a magnificent day. We paddled in the late afternoon light up the river, toward the downtown skyline. We saw the new, "green" city hall, and slid under a bridge right as a freight train went by.

The rumors are true: Austin is a pretty cool place. (I'll get a new button for my camera soon.)

Summer, We Hardly Knew Ye

OK, I admit I'm only a little sorry summer is over. I was tired of sleeping in my living room -- especially because I recently bought new, soft sheets that I wanted to enjoy on my bed -- and there is nothing I despise more than roaches, which thrive in the heat and humidity. Plus I'm tired of wearing the same thing all the time and I want to start riding my bike to work more, which I refuse to do from about June to September.

But it is a little bittersweet to say goodbye to fresh Silver Queen corn on the cob, field peas, and boiled peanuts, not to mention a quiet college town (the students came back at the end of August).

That said, the past couple of weeks have brought us beautiful weather here. Some kind of cool breeze floated down from Canada, bringing with it clear, crisp skies and mild temperatures (the 70s). As a final farewell to summer, this weekend I went with Rayne to the Ichetucknee Springs State Park, at the north end of the river. It was idyllic. I wasn't in a great mood when we got there, but by the time we left I felt completely, utterly, blissfully happy. Not to sound hokey, but I think there's something really healing in those waters, and I don't mean the nutrient-fed algae.

After we were done swimming, we sat on the ground near the spring, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the trees and the hypnotizing turquoise of the water. I idly noticed a slight rustling in the nearby erosion-exposed, leaf-covered roots of tree on the shoreline. Curious, I kept watching, eventually seeing a snake slide silently into the water. S/he swam rapidly along the bottom toward the spring run. It was so cool! I've only ever seen a snake swim at the surface of water. Two bass chased it, either trying to scare it away or catch scraps from its meals. It was about four feet long and skinny, with dark-gray or brown blotches all down its body. I think it was either a brown water snake or midland water snake.

What I Love about Florida, Pt. 92

I went scalloping for the first time yesterday. It was really, really fun.

We went to a boat ramp just south of Steinhatchee.


The day promised to be beautiful as we motored out toward the Gulf of Mexico.


The captain ran a tight ship. Here he gives the death stare to an unruly mate.


Everyone was out scalloping! Apparently the Florida Bay Scallop comes from "out there" around now to hang out in the shallows. In the photo below you can see the line of boats on the horizon (we got out of town a little late).


Scalloping involves a snorkel and a net bag (and a saltwater fishing license). You swim around, staring into the manatee grass and turtle grass, looking for the mollusks, which are two to three inches in diameter. Then you dive down and grab 'em! In the below photo that white blob is a scallop.


They swim by opening and closing their shells, so they can pinch you if you're not careful. Some of them, when sensing immanent capture, will try to swim away quickly (it's comical!). And although you can't tell in the below photo, the animal itself is actually beautiful. Scallops are filter feeders, so when their shells are open a sort of shaggy filter is visible, ringed with dozens of iridescent purpleish-blue eyes. I've never seen anything like it.


The water was warm and the swimming was ridiculously pleasant. It was a pretty perfect day. Plus, everyone knows boats are my favorite.


But it wasn't over! Then we went to Fanning Springs State Park, which is a new one for me. (Springs being another of my favorites, of course.) It was very crowded (Sunday and a free entry day). And THEN we got boiled peanuts, my favorite food ever!


Another positive about the day is that I only sustained a few minor injuries (re-tore something in my arm, split a toenail, and got a sunburn on my back). I mention this for those of you who know my tendencies.

Thanks, Pally.

p.s. No, I did not eat any of the scallops.

Springs Blog

A few months back I found this awesome springs blog that links to news about Florida's springs, rivers, and other waters. It's a great way to keep up with what's going on all over the state, springs-wise. And you can even subscribe via e-mail -- a feature I'm adding to my site ASAP.

Another Springs Trip

Because he's been helping another friend open a restaurant, I haven't seen my friend Rob in a while. So when he asked if I wanted to take Tuesday off to go canoeing, I of course said yes.

Rob's on restaurant time, so we didn't leave Gainesville till around noon. Ominous skies.


Well, whatever -- I got out of the office and got to go to a new spring, Manatee Springs in Levy County.


It's a state park, so there was lots of interpretative signage around. This one was called "Waterfront Dining for Thousands of Years." It basically said the American Indians/Native Americans who used to live by this spring probably had a pretty sweet life -- plenty of food, a mellow climate, and a beautiful spring to swim and bathe in. I've often thought the same thing.


Manatee Springs is a 1st magnitude spring, which means it flows at a rate of more than 100 cubic feet per second. I can tell you that that's a pretty strong current when you're trying to swim against it. Evidently it is the largest spring flowing directly into the Suwannee River.

The spring is named for the large, slow-moving aquatic mammals that enter it in the winter, when the 72-degree water is warmer than wherever they're coming from. Rob needed to let off a little restaurant stress.

The vegetation around all the springs I've been to is fairly consistent. You have your old-growth oaks.


Cypress trees. (In the middle of a lush lawn, in this case.)


Saw palmetto.


Gotta love the friendly local fauna.


I feel like I'm forgetting something.

OH! The spring! Yeah, that was ok, I guess. If you go in for that sort of thing. Crystal-clear, deep water, few other people ... yawn.

Kayaking on the Santa Fe

Back to the Santa Fe Saturday for some kayaking with friends. It was a gorgeous day and when I jumped into the crisp water at Poe Springs my insides lit up with happiness. There's something to be said for feeling like there's nowhere in the world you'd rather be than where you are.

Springs not located directly in a river follow the path of least resistance to the nearest river -- this is called a spring run. The Poe Springs spring run is short but treacherous with slimy, sharp limestone. Waders must tread carefully. The water is still really low from the current drought. I've been in this spring run when it was a good two feet deeper than it is now.


The Santa Fe River is considered a blackwater river for its high tannin content. (Blackwater rivers also tend to be high in acidity and suspended organic matter.) Poe Springs is a 2nd magnitude spring, spewing over 44 million gallons per day -- 2nd magnitude springs flow at a rate of 10 to 100 cubic feet per second. The water flows forcefully out of the spring, down the spring run, and into the river. The mingling of the two waters can be clearly seen in the below photo.


Pure happiness.