Thursday, January 15, 2009

Hillsborough River Kayak Trip 1/14/08

The 1st Kayak trip of the season...1/14/09 .........Hillisborough River from Sergeant Park to Trout Creek...about 11-12/miles, ...ROD-NANCY-CHUCK-HAZEL-TERRY-ERIKA-MIKE-FREDDY-RUTH-BILL-SUSAN-DON..
Heading down river...temps a little cool in the low 60's (F)..sun will warm it up later...........

The vulcher's are n watch.there must have been about 25-30 f them watching us........

Terry on the move.............

Susan on the lead.....nice current reported at about 2-3/mph

Chuck digging in for some speed.............

Turtle population was pretty thick in the AM..out sunning themselves

Lots of birds feeding along the shore...............
Kayakers on an easy float down stream enjoying the sights......

Whats for breakfast............

Nanny Nancy not knitting..............
Susan & Terry digging in ...
Hazel on her 1st kayak trip and enjoying it..........

Bill & Ruth & Don rolling w/the current.......
Drying off in the breeze and sun.........
Ruth & Bill enjoy the tandem ride..solid relationship needed to do this..special permits required!
PS: Bill is from my home town area Utica NY...

Nice view of the river....
Erika waking up from her lunch time snooze............

Nanny Nancy takes a break to float downstream and knit..... Hazel & Terry take a moment during the lunch break..............
Our 1st Gator encounter...there have been a few estimates on it's length..8 -12 feet..no one would measure....
Terry passes the gator w/caution.....
Hazel follows barley touching the water w/her paddles.....
Mike on watch as he glides by...
Chuck as well.......
Erika paddle ready for possible battle maybe!
Bill & Ruth w/paddles on the ready...........

Freddy eyes on the gator and tries to be stealth.....
Susan gliding by and being wary..........
Don gives thought to going over to measure the gator ...but remembers he forgot his yardstick...

Have you noticed that most everyone is now in short sleeve's...temps have risen a bit..nice and warm...
A kayak back up...careful of snakes and spiders on the close branches........
Another Gator that everyone thought was larger than the 1st.again no one measured.....
I understand Gators like their bellies rubbed..(OK ..a little lame....but this is supposed to look like I'm rubbing it's belly)


Can you see the gator? He can see you!

Bird of prey looking for lunch.........
Feeding along the swampy shoreline............
Roseate Spoonbill (Scientific name: Ajaia ajaja)....





1 comment:

Jim Verzino said...

Wow, what a great trip that must have been. Great shots of the gator, although I would have liked to see one with you standing next to it shaking hands or something.

That looks like lots more fun than the cold front in the northeast.