♪♫SATURDAY IN THE PARK – I’m glad it’s not the 4th of July♪♫

Saturday March 22, 2014
Manatee Springs State Park
Chiefland, Florida

 

 

 

The crowds are out by 8am seemingly minutes after the park opens to the public.

 

On my way back from my morning walk the large picnic pavilion is already full.

Scuba lessons are going on in catfish hotel. Remember Catfish Hotel,  from yesterday’s sink hole blog, is connected to the main spring by the under ground cave tunnels.

 

 

 

 

 

Catfish Hotel’s resident gator is out and waiting for the sun.

 

He apparently knows the high for today is predicted to be 80, maybe a little more. Everybody is out early today. A couple of people are already swimming in the springs and the temperature wasn’t even 70 yet. Now those are hardy folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David and I wait until it warms up to go over for a dip in the spring. By that time there are snorkelers, swimmers, rafts, boats. More people than I would normally like but hey it’s 80 degrees. It’s now or never for a swim. Although we reluctantly decide to forego the snorkeling given the crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for a dip in that gorgeous water.

 

The steps down into the water are covered with the timid trying to get up the nerve to get in the 72 degree spring water. I stand for a while waiting to see if they are going to move and when it is apparent they are just going to “eek” and shriek about how cold it is, I say excuse me and dive in. Now that I think about it, I must have gotten them wet. Oh well! I can’t tip toe in, I just get it over with, springs or ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

The water is wonderful. The sun feels terrific.

Those of you who have followed me in Florida for a while know that I love to just get in the springs, lay back and float. It’s like being on a water bed. I could do it for hours. David takes some pictures of me before he gets in but he gets back out before I do so I have no pictures of him in the water. But I swear he was in for a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the pictures he takes  of me makes it look like I’m just about the only person in the spring. Not so, but I was up at the high end and most folks had been slowly pushed down the spring run by the spring waters. 

 

 

 

 

 

There are several little brown water snakes sunning in the bushes along the edge of the spring. Snake picture alert for those who don’t care for them. They are paying us no attention and people seem to be fine with the idea that they are there.

 

 

 

To finish off the afternoon we walk down the boardwalk to the river for possibly the last time.

 

 

 

The water level is higher than it has been at any time since we’ve been here. The No Swimming sign at the canoe launch is nearly completely under water, the height gauge reads 5” more.

We go out on the dock and say good bye to the cormorant who is pretty much always sitting on the buoy just beyond the end of the dock. I suppose he must do some fishing or perhaps there are a number of them who take turns. But every time I’ve been there, one of them has been on that buoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Manatee Springs swollen spring run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so wonderful having the time to get totally distracted by a butterfly.

 

 

 

 

Just before heading home we spend quite a bit of time watching this Spicebush Swallowtail flit and land on the edge of the swollen spring run.  I admit to being one of those who sometimes posts more than one shot of something I really liked.  I know Rick disapproves of that and of too many pictures.  Others probably others do too. (Pretty sure he quit reading). Luckily there are lots of blog readers and writers so there is something for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neighbors are interesting too.

As we walk through the campground loops, we find we have new neighbors with interesting camping set ups and nice music.

 

Home Sweet Home?

 

 

 

Tomorrow is our last day at Manatee Springs and we have a lot of chores to do before we can leave for St. George State Park in Eastpoint. Rain is predicted for Monday when we leave on the 180 mile drive – a long one for us - so I want to get an early start to try and out run the rain. I hate driving in or setting up in the rain. So we think we’ll get everything packed up tomorrow and take Winnona out for a propane and gasoline fuel up, maybe even dump the tanks. Wish us luck. See you in St. George.