Hanging around the park

Sunday January 18 & Monday January 19, 2014
E.G. Simmons Park
Ruskin, Florida

 

 

 

SUNDAY

 

Sunday dawned cool and breezy again dashing our plans to go kayaking  But luckily our friends Bill and Nancy wanted to see the park so they came by and we hopped on our bikes for a ride. 

We took them around to all the spots including panther point, where there are no more panthers, and bobcat point, where there are seldom if ever bobcats.   We stopped by the power boat ramp and the beach.   The entire park is on Tampa Bay and all the canals and mangrove trails lead out to it.

 

 

The day had started out sunny but then the clouds rolled in and we had a short shower.  We ducked under a pavilion until that ended but the wind picked up and I don’t think it ever got over 56 degrees which with the wind chill felt more like 46.

 

 

I actually put up the hood on my hoodie to keep the wind off of my neck and ears.  Is this really just across the bay from Tampa, Florida?   The people from the frozen north coming down here in January for a beach break are sure going to be disappointed.

 

 

 

I had made a big pot of vegetable barley soup for dinner and invited them to stay but Nancy had also made a big pot of potato soup.  She brought us some but wouldn’t take part of ours home with her.  She claims they can’t eat even all of their own soup since most days their coach is in the bays at Lazy Days and they eat at the Crown Club.  Hmmmm……wish I’d thought to insist she take it and freeze it.  That works very well.  So for dinner we had a soup bar declared them both delicious.  

Much better than the dinners fish and trashcan dinners of these three regular park residents whom we saw today.  But I suppose they don’t think so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

 

Today 56 wasn’t the high it is the temperature when we go out running/walking 10,000 steps worth.  By the time we come back it was clear it will be a gorgeous day.   David has a big bowl of cereal, banana, raisins and nuts.  I have a green smoothie (kale, spinach, banana, blueberries).  We call it breakfast, get our gear and launch our kayaks right off the back of our site.  LOVE IT!

 

 

 

 

From the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Down the canal

 

 

 

Into the waters on the edge of Tampa Bay

 

 

Just look at the clarity of the water all along the edge of the park.  It’s a beautiful day but just a tad too chilly to be in the swimming area so we figure we can paddle right through and we do.

 

 

We paddle along the edges of the park in the bay and later go into the mangroves which surround the park

 

 

Ruddy Turnstones and white ibis are along the edges.

 

Look Ma, one leg.

 

 

This is David’s picture and one of my favorites of the day.  Such clear water.  I had no idea Tampa Bay was so clean.  Just makes me smile!

 

 

 

We paddle all along the western end of the park and beyond where we find this compound and I think, well if I had to live near a big city, this might be just fine.   It appears to occupy an entire peninsula and other than the landscaping around the house, the rest is entirely natural and native.

 

 

At this point around the back side of the peninsula with the house, we turn around to go back and check out the mangroves.   As we are paddling along, all of a sudden there is a huge splash and a pelican lands almost close enough to David that he can touch it with his paddle.   He gets a great picture.  Lots of fishing going on among the pelicans today but we don’t see anything but a ray in these clear waters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The shore line of the park is also totally natural.  There are little private nooks and crannies for fishermen, swimmers, families, book readers all around.

 

 

 

We turn into the mangroves.   Their roots reaching far down into the water always delight me.

 

 

 

We sit for a while and watch mergansers playing and splashing around.   A group of ducks is also in the area and again I am not sure who they are.  The sun is quite bright today and the colors my camera picks up are not great.  If you can identify them, please let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s pretty amazing how close the birds will let us get before they panic.  We always try to swing wide around them but sometimes when I am taking their pictures, I drift much closer than I mean to.  David caught me in the act.

 

 

A quartet of Snowy Egrets.  They weren’t singing barbershop.

 

 

 

We’ve been on the water nearly 3 hours.  As we turn the corner to head back I hear a motor behind us.  Until now, we have not seen one other boat in the park area on the water.  When I turn around to look, I see another kayak between us and the motor boat.  I say “we’ve got company” and paddle on.  But when I get around the corner and move over to the side, the other boat has Howard and Linda Payne in it.  What a surprise.  We knew they would be coming back to the park from their time at the Tampa RV Show today but had no idea they would be back and in the water right away.

They are testing out their new FastTrack 385.  It looks like a great boat to us and they seem to think so too.

 

 

We gather up paddle along a bit, talking some, photographing the tri colored heron and the yellow crowned night heron who are both on the edges of the water in the mangroves.   And then…………….

 

 

 

 

It’s BREAKING NEWS!  
And I have a picture of it……Linda Payne is paddling!! 
Remember you saw it here first and perhaps only. 

 

 

It’s always great talking with them.  I learn something of importance to me every single time. They are a wealth of information.  No wonder their rallies and seminars are so popular.

 

 

Time to be heading back.  They are actually just down the channel from us about 6 sites.  Perhaps we’ll see them again tomorrow on the water.  It’s supposed to be another good temperature day although not as sunny.   We leave on Wednesday to head down to the Everglades and they leave as well but for Grand Rapids Michigan to do a show.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

 

 

Back home, David whipped up a salad and some delicious wraps.   They were so pretty I had him pose with one before rolling it up.

 

 

And they taste as good as they look. 
That’s a replay for sure!  
Don’t you just love a man who likes to cook??

 

 

Then the sun set on a mighty nice day.