River day

Monday March 26, 2012
Lithia Springs Site #38 

 

I’ve always thought a home on the river would be wonderful.

 

We return from Manatee Springs and take up residence in Lithia Springs site 38 for the next two weeks.
As you’ve heard me say before, the spring at Lithia is really more of an urban swimming pool much to my disappointment.  It is nothing like Manatee Springs.   But it’s still a spring and the water is still 72 degrees all the time.

 

Among the things I dislike is that they lock up the gate at 5:45 every night and don’t open it again until 10:00AM on the week-days and 9:00 AM on week-ends.   That eliminates any possibility for a swim in the full moon light or in the early morning at sun up.   All of which you can do at Manatee Springs.  But, it’s still a spring and the water is still 72 degrees all the time.

 

 

But as much as I like the Manatee campground, this time Lithia gets a gold star for campsites.  Winnona has a site on the Alafia River and I have a river front home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changing your front yard and view whenever you want is one of the very best things about full timing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE sitting on the other side of the fence in my beach chair watching the river go by.   I can even read and write  blogs out here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In honor of our river front site, we take the kayaks out
to see what Winnona looks like from the water.

 

We shove off from the dock in the afternoon.
The weather is perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We round a curve and  there she is.
Looking fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wish could get her reflection in the water.  But I am too close.
Can you see the Earth flag proudly flying?

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is fun paddling by Winnona sitting up on the bank.

 

 

 

The water is black and pretty still at first.  The reflections are wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The river is VERY low so some of that paddle is strenuous trying to go up river through the strong water created by the low water level at what are usually little riffles.

 

 

 

Twice I get out and portage. 

 

David manages to do what I call ‘gorilla arm’ his way through one spot.  But I tow him through the other.

 

 

 

Still it is a beautiful paddle and we go WAY up the river beyond where we have gone before. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We see a great rope swing out over one of the still fairly deep sections of the river.

 

Only problem is that my camera batteries die on the way back and I haven’t brought the case with the extra batteries.  David doesn’t have a camera having dropped #3 in the water a while ago. 

 

We are making mental memories.


But as we get almost back, I do the old rub the batteries on your
pants trick and coax one more picture out of it.
Guess who we see on the bank waiting to welcome us home?

 

 

We come back after 4 hours.
It is a good day all around!!