Mostly Martha

Boca Grande

2010-10-03T20:56:00.002-04:00

Between jobs, in July, I drove to Boca Grande to visit Aunt Chris and my cousin Diana and her husband Rick. It was a great visit. They are wonderful -- kind, generous, and incredibly talented and interesting. Here is their house. Diana has some great photos of what it looked like when they bought it, then the various stages of remodeling, including a cistern that Richard rebuilt, and various wonderful old pieces like doors and cabinets, that Diana and Rick collected and incorporated into the new interior.

And here is Aunt Chris. She's the sharpest, best-read person, most interesting person I know. The first photograph was taken outside, off the deck behind the house, at cocktail hour. The second is at the dining table.

And here is the lovely Di.

Diana and I had a great time fixing dinner, including Aunt Chris' ratatouille recipe and crab cakes overseen by telephone by David, for her friends from the bike shop, Windy and her beau. The night before, after dinner, Diana, Rick and I bicycled to feed scraps to the island pot-bellied pigs, then out to the pier to chat up the fishermen. It was so much fun. The next morning Diana and Rick got up early to play tennis, and I bicycled to the beach for a swim.

And this is Rick.

Rick is very quiet, but so interesting. I asked about the metal detector I noticed on the front porch and Rick started telling me about all this very cool Civil War stuff, like belt buckles and buttons, that he found using a metal detector when they were living in Virginia. I had no idea about any of this. It was wonderful to hear him telling these stories, and we were able to look up some examples on the internet -- really a great way to learn about history, and my cousin.

When I think of this visit to Boca Grande, the soundtrack is the Punch Brothers' new album, Antifogmatic, particularly their rendition of the Brandenburg Concerto. It's amazing.

I wish that everyone could have been there -- Sarah, and David, and Robert, and Richard -- but I was lucky to have a chance to visit and I look forward to returning soon.

Surf Kayak Weekend

2010-08-03T21:03:00.000-04:00

Went to Little Talbot Island last weekend to kayak in the surf with Nigel, Kristin, and Nick, of Savannah Canoe and Kayak. On Saturday we played in surf kayaks. Here we are dragging the boats to the water. That's me in the front trying to coax my little boat (actually SC&K's Mega Bullitt S) through the soft sand.

How about the giant wheels the guy behind me has? Pretty cool, huh?

On Sunday we paddled in the surf in sea kayaks. Very different, but still cool. Nigel and Nick are using me to demonstrate a low brace.

I actually got the fellow on the far right back into his boat in a deep water rescue -- twice! I have the bruises to prove it.

It was a great weekend. I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, and can't wait to go back.

Alabama Chanin Weekend Workshop

2010-05-31T11:56:00.012-04:00

I drove to Florence, Alabama May 21, to attend the Weekend Workshop. Here are some photos inside the studio. There are racks and racks of beautiful garments, but the photographs can't convey the feeling of being surrounded by them. We met and decided what we were going to make on Friday evening. We were able to choose from any of the designs on the rack below. After trying on the dress I selected in order to get the fit right, I had to decide what color I would like to make it in.

We were able to select from the many shelves of fabric around the back of the factory. All of the fabrics are organically grown and dyed in the U.S.

On Saturday I got there early to watch master seamstress, Diane Hall, cut out everyone's designs, and talk with Steven Smith while he airbrushed the various pieces.

Below is the table where we worked. You can see Diane (standing on the right) working with Gina, the woman whose skirt won the Burda sewing contest. At the end of the table are Sarah and June, both of whom also work with Natalie.

Here is one from the other end of the worktable. On the left is Helena, who came from Mexico to attend the workshop.

Here's a group picture taken on Sunday morning.

Since I've been home I have thought of a million questions I wish I had asked Natalie and Diane and Steven, but I will just have to make do with my memories and photographs.

A lawyer in the family

2010-05-16T11:54:00.003-04:00

Christopher graduated from the College of Law at Barry University on Saturday. We are very proud of him. Here he is with Marie at the convention center after the ceremony.

And with us.

And in his new shades with his dad.

It was a great day. You can see how happy everyone is. We met Marie's parents for the first time Friday night. We all had a wonderful dinner at the Yellow Dog Cafe on the intercoastal waterway. Saturday after graduation we all went to a Lebanese restaurant where they shepherded us through the menu and helped us order a delicious lunch.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T12:00:00.002-04:00

Here's who I paddled with today. Very friendly group of 5 manatees.

This is where I live.

Where do you live?

2010-04-28T10:28:00.005-04:00

This morning I heard this on NPR, in a story about Dorothea Lange:

In fact, only once did Lange make a self-portrait. When she was teaching photography in the 1950s, Lange liked to assign students to bring in photographs of where they lived, something profound about what their lives were really about. One year, students challenged her to complete the assignment.

"What she brought was a photograph of her twisted foot," Gordon says.

A lot of sewing...

2010-04-11T15:55:00.002-04:00

I have been doing a lot of sewing over the winter. It's about time to take a break and go kayaking!

Journal Cover - October 2009

Rose Scarf - December 2009

Alabama Corset - February 2010

Alabama Sampler Beret - February 2010

Coffee Cozy - March 2010

Pincushion - March 2010

Beaded Applique Swing Skirt - April 2010

Home, and away, for the Holidays

2010-01-30T10:24:00.005-05:00

We had a lovely Christmas at home, with Christopher and Marie coming for the whole week, and Nicholas staying over on Christmas eve and Christmas (so that Santa could find him). We went to church at midnight, an event for which I may be very close to too old, and opened presents in the morning.

Lisa and John called around noon, then we got serious about fixing a big Christmas dinner. Nicholas' friend Caitlyn joined us for dinner, and afterwards we started to watch Inglorious Basterds (something sentimental for the holiday). I fell asleep in my chair almost immediately after it began, which says more about me than the movie. I watched it the next day and loved it.

It was great to have Christopher and Marie at home for the week, then on Thursday we all drove to New Orleans for New Years and the Sugar Bowl. I took a bunch of video, but I have yet to edit it, so for now these photos will have to do.

We stayed at the Chateau Bourbon on Iberville.

There were a lot of Bearcats and Gators everywhere we went.

We went in a really cool "autograph shop" that allowed me to take two pictures, so I got these for Lisa.

There's so much to see just walking around the French Quarter.

And, of course, there's the food! Here's a view of the French Market.

And a photo of my breakfast one morning. See the crawfish in that remoulade? The stuff of dreams.

On our last night we took the St. Charles line up past Loyola and Tulane to dinner at Jacques-Imo's. Dinner wasn't great but the company was. I think everyone had a good vacation.

A visit to Atlanta (and a football game)

2009-12-08T06:34:00.015-05:00

Donny and I went to Atlanta last weekend for the SEC Championship game. We had a good trip up on Friday, both of us still working most of the way up. We checked into the Inn at the Peachtrees, where we ran into a group of Gator fans from Monticello. They warned us that the rooms were very small. They were right. The hotel was well located, but lacked some conveniences. We unpacked, changed, and walked down to Centennial Park and over to Peasant Bistro for a very nice dinner. Then we went up to the Marriott to have a drink, then back to the Inn. Our room hadn't gotten any larger in our absence.

The next morning as I lay in bed I heard drums and thought, "is that a band?" Surely not. But when we went to breakfast we still heard band sounds and on television there was a parade that appeared to be local. Some people were looking out the glass doors and we realized that the parade on television was happening right outside our hotel. I ran up to get my camera (and some warmer clothes!) in time to photograph Kermit the Frog,

and President Obama.

Since we were out and about, we found a shop that sold game related items and bought some more layers of Gator clothing. It was really cold! Donny passed on this fetching hat. I think he thought it may have been a bit too "Bear Bryant" looking for the occasion.

We went back to the room and "suited up," then headed down to the World Congress Center for the FanFare. It was not too exciting, but we did see Danny Wuerffel, and Bobby Bowden and some guy from ESPN!

Finally, it was almost game time. We went to the Dome and found our seats. Here's our view.

Pretty nice, huh? And sitting right in front of us was a former student of mine, Michael Lynn. Quite a coincidence.

Here's the last happy picture from the evening.

We had dinner afterwards with Donny's friend Doug and his aunt Sue at Pittypat's Porch. I had always wanted to eat there but it was a disappointment. Perhaps it's better when you haven't just lost a football game.

It was a long ride home the next day, but all in all I had a great time. However, I don't think Donny will be taking me to any football games again. I am pretty sure he blames this one on me.

Lisa & John's visit, Nov. 6 - 15

2009-11-23T06:08:00.010-05:00

I met Lisa and John in Austin 11/6/09, where we stayed at the Austin Motel. We spent the weekend eating and listening to music and shopping. We had a wonderful time.

On Friday night we listened to a band at the Continental Club, then went to El Sol Y La Luna for dinner, where we dined with music provided by a mariachi band. After that we walked to Antone's and heard, among others, Jimmy Vaughn (below).

Saturday we got up and had breakfast at Guero's, then shopped along South Congress Street. Here are Lisa and John after a productive visit to Allen's Boots.

After a brief rest back at the motel,...

...we took a taxi across town to El Zunzal, a Salvadoran restaurant. Lisa and John declared that it was pretty good (they are experts on Salvadoran cuisine.) We had pupusas and platanos and Suprema beer. I liked that a lot!

We went back downtown and visited the Weird Museum. Then we walked down Congress toward the motel where John took our photo in front of the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue.

From there we walked to the Ann Richards' bridge to await the millions of bats that emerge at twilight.

That evening we went back to Guero's and sat outside and listening to music.

The next morning we said good by to Austin and flew to Tallahassee.

Lisa and John had lots of other adventures, including stops in Las Vegas, Death Valley, Area 51, and a visit to the Kennedy Space Center, but when they returned to Swamp Cottage, we went to Bainbridge and ran a 10K (where they both won first place medals in their age groups) and went paddling on the Wakulla. The manatees didn't let us down, and Lisa spotted a gator!

It was very sad to say goodbye.

Mama's got a brand new boat

2009-09-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

Went to Savannah Sunday, 8/30, to deliver a boat that I sold and pick up my new Tiderace Xcite S. Pretty slick, isn't she?

Women on Waves

2009-08-08T17:00:00.003-04:00

SC&K had a kayak surfing weekend just for women. It was great! I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Doesn't get any better than that. There were 3 students each day, with Nigel teaching/coaching. That's me in the middle in both photos below.

Wanee Festival 2009

2009-06-07T16:48:00.006-04:00

This weekend I went to the Wanee Music Festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. It was wonderful -- great music, camping, a bit of rain, lots of mud. Laura Kate came over on Saturday and stuck it out through the rain. The only other person that I knew that I saw there was Robert McMullen.

Photos aren't great, but they give you and idea of what it was like. If you go to Youtube and enter Wanee 2009, you'll pull up some videos. There's one of Susan Tedeschi playing with the Allmans last night.

2009 Family Vacation

2009-05-26T06:09:00.003-04:00

This year we went to Tybee Island for a week -- all of us -- Christopher and Marie, Nicholas, Bucky, Bryn, and Don. The weather was...well, awful. We arrived in a terrible rainstorm, but that's not unusual, then it got cold, windy, and continued raining for the next couple days. It did warm up into the 70s, and the wind died down, but it never really stopped raining.

However, we still had a good time, and the time went by way too quickly. Christopher and Marie went to Savannah several times, once for a cooking class and once to do a "foody" tour. Very cool, as Marie pronounced them both. Donny worked a lot. I had lunch in Savannah with Kristin, and she and I went paddling on Thursday to Little Tybee. Nicholas played a lot of Grand Theft Auto, ate a ton of shellfish, and pronouced the stromboli at Cousin Vinnies "the best."

We stayed in one of Diane Kaufman's Mermaid Cottages, a beautiful old house that we all just loved.

Here's a collage of the Tybee Turtles (Hey! Is that Johnny Depp?).

For more photos, go here.

Weekend Sewing

2009-05-16T14:43:00.012-04:00

I have finally finished two items from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing. This book is very popular, but like the two other sewing books I've bought, the patterns aren't really that well drafted and the instructions aren't great either. You'd think I'd learn. I really love Heather Ross fabric, which is what I used for both garments.

The tunic is made from "Swim Class" from her Mendocino line. Aren't the fishies cute? This is actually the second one of these I made...not on purpose. When I was planning the pattern layout I made a mental note not to flip any of the pieces or the fish would be upside down. So I flipped all the pieces and it looked like a school of dead fish. I went ahead and finished that one, though, so I could see how I fit (all my mistakes become "muslins.") I'm glad I did because the sleeves were very long, so I adjusted them and the hem. I'm not crazy about how the placket goes in and I played with that a lot but couldn't come up with a better idea. Also, I serged the edges of the placket rather than fold them over, and I'm not crazy about how that came out, but it will do.

I made a LOT of bias binding from the seahorse fabric, so I had plenty left over to bind the sleeves and hem. Even though you can't see the seahorses very well, I know they are there.

The sundress is made from a older line, Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries. I really like the colors. The instructions for this one, though, were really basic, and the drawings weren't much help. For instance, the bodice front piece is curved on top, and the back is curved on the bottom, but in the drawing they are both straight, so it took some figuring to put them together. (Look at the photo of the dress in the book -- the flowers on the straps are upside down, so I'm not the only one who is design challenged.) Also, I didn't like the way she tacks down the back straps after the bodice is sewn, so I fit them and put them in the way I thought they should go. The danger with this is that the back hem may be off if you don't get them right, but I still think this looks better than if I had handsewn the straps on top of the finished bodice.

All in all, I think that the designs in Weekend Sewing are interesting. The patterns are very basic so you will need to add your own markings for center lines and so on, and I have no idea why she uses 3/8" seam allowances, which is annoying (standard is 5/8" and some designers, like Amy Butler, use 4/8", but 3/8" is awkward and too small, I think.) BUT the photography and design of the book are simply beautiful and will make you want to sew, even if you don't use her patterns exactly.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T20:04:00.005-04:00

It was a very nice weekend. Nicholas came down for dinner on Saturday and this morning I went to church, paddled around Lake Hall, and made my first mozzarella...after a few false starts.

On Saturday, we woke up to find this barred owl waiting for Donny to feed the birds so he could pick off some breakfast. He left disappointed.

Kayak Race

2009-02-11T06:48:00.002-05:00

I tried something new on Sunday -- a kayak race on the Wakulla. I did the 6 mile race and was the first solo woman (two women in a canoe zoomed past me!) and the 6th finisher overall. It was pretty fun until the turnaround, then about two miles from the end a big wind picked up from the Gulf and it was tough going. Thanks to Anke and Jack Toth for putting on a fun event!

2008-12-25T12:00:00.004-05:00

Because nothing says Christmas like Coach handbags and Garlic Crabs!

Tybee 9/25 -26

2008-11-01T08:51:00.010-04:00

I had a wonderful weekend on the Georgia Coast Sept. 25-26. Stayed at The Outdoor Inn as always, and paddled with Nigel and Kristin at Savannah Canoe & Kayak. Saturday, Nigel guided at trip to Wassaw Island NWR. We left from Priest's Landing at Skidaway Island (map below).

We landed on the beach and then hiked though the forest. Here are Nigel and Cindy on the beach.

This is what remains of Ft. Morgan, built in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

A shrimp boat off the coast. On the paddle out, we saw dolphins playing in the bow wake or a similar boat.

Much of the day Saturday was kind of overcast, until the very end of the paddle when the sunshine lit up the Atlantic so that it sparkled.

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful, and I met Nigel and Kritin at Tybee Beach for a surf class. Here's the sunrise.

There are no more photos because I was very intent on learning (and also spent much of the time either in the water or climbing back on the sit-on-top kayak after wiping out), but I had a lot of fun and am hopeful that it will translate to being more confident in waves. I was very lucky to have such personal attention, including a private rolling analysis (do it faster and try the sweep roll.) Nigel and Kristin are great teachers -- knowledgeable, patient, and fun. It was a perfect weekend.

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-24T08:38:00.006-04:00

This has been one crazy storm. We started tracking it on Sunday when it was over Cuba. It made landfall in the Keys early Monday. It never did become a hurricane, but it has been dumping water over Florida for a week. We started getting it Friday afternoon. Here's what the yard looked like Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

From the front porch, looking back (like the rain effect?)

The river is not supposed to be here!

When it rains, it pours.

A bit less dramatic than the others, but still a lot of water. Fortunately, the water never made it to the foundation.

Family Vacation 2008

2008-08-17T07:31:00.004-04:00

This year we went to Captiva for a week -- Donny, Christopher, Marie, Marie's brother Tom, and Tom's girlfriend Kim. But no Nicholas -- he went to Bulgaria to dig up a Roman bath and came home via London, where he spent a day with Lisa and John.

Christopher & Marie on the beach (at the end of our lane) at sunset.

And Donny & Martha.

Christopher and Marie rented a boat and everyone (but me and the dogs, who had a lovely day exploring) went fishing. Here's Donny at Cabbage Key, where Jimmy Buffet was reportedly inspired to write Cheeseburger in Paradise.

I brought four kayaks, but paddling wasn't the easiest thing to do. The Gulf was churned up by a strong west wind, and it wasn't even fun to swim until the last day, so putting the boats in from the beach was out. Access to the bay is all private and they want a fortune to let you put in and park. However, we did paddle one day at the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Reserve, and the last day we used a private boat launch and paddled around Pine Island Sound.

Doesn't Marie look pretty in her new boat?

Christopher paddled the open "canoe-yak."

Here's Donny on the last day in front of the house with the doggies (looks like they are ready to take off, doesn't it?) They were a big hit on the island.

It took forever to pack in the heat, but here we are almost ready to say goodbye to Captiva and another family vacation.

Oh, and we can't forget Nicholas! Here he is with Aunt Lisa and Uncle John (not in Captiva)!

Tybee Island: July 2008

2008-07-13T08:19:00.008-04:00

I had a great time at Tybee this weekend. Saturday Nigel was the guide for a trip around Little Tybee. We got into some waves on the front side from the hurricane in Bermuda (Bertha, I think.) The way back was mostly tidal marsh, very peaceful and beautiful.

Here's a photo from lunch -- delicioius salmon sandwiches that Nigel fixed. I'm crazy for Nigel's sandwiches.

On Sunday Nigel was the teacher for three of us who practiced rescues and paddling in surf. I think I am getting a bit better, but it's a slow process! Here's Nigel at Alley 3 after class. It looks so flat from this vantage, but to me the waves were huge.

All in all, a wonderful weekend. The only downside is that I barely got to see Kristin!

A hot summer day on the Wacissa

2008-06-21T10:45:00.006-04:00

Christopher and Marie came home for Father's Day so on Saturday the three of us tagged along on a Wilderness Way trip on the Wacissa.

Here's Christopher.

And mom.

It was hot! (There's Georgia, looking far more professional than some people, behind Christopher, who is hoping no one realizes we are related.)

Unfortunately, no photos of the lovely photograper, Marie. They will just have to come back soon!

Slave Canal 4/6/08

2008-04-06T18:08:00.012-04:00

We had a great trip today. Left for the Slave Canal from Goose Pasture at about 9:45 a.m.

Departing from Goose Pasture

Hang a right here for the Slave Canal

It started out overcast and shortly after we set out there was some thunder, but there was only a 30% chance of rain, right? It started to drizzle, and then a bit more, and as soon as the thunder sounded close Georgia said, "We're getting off the water in two minutes!" Georgia split up the group and we all squatted on the ground until the lightning passed. Georgia says it was about 38 minutes.

Just before the thunderstorm

Where we had lunch (Wacissa to the north, Aucilla to the east)

After the storm passed, we paddled a little bit farther on and found a picnic spot. Lunch was particularly delicious today, even if it was a little wet!

Paddlers Buffet

There were several new trees down this time so we had some additional portages, but everyone seemed to be having a good time. I took some group photos as we entered the Aucilla from the canal.

Intrepid Paddlers

When we got to Nutall Rise I didn't want it to be over, but I was definitely ready for some dry clothes!

Dog Island Trip

2008-03-30T15:10:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, Saturday, I paddled from Lanark Village to Dog Island (about 3.8 miles). The map shows a dotted line for the ferry from Carrabelle, but if you move a bit northeast on the coastline you will see Lanark Village. I put in there (at a very nice spot off the road at Connecticut Avenue) and paddled to the easternmost end of Dog Island.

Put-in at Lanark (Dog Island can barely be seen on the horizon looking from the end of the dock.)

I paddled along the northern coast to the little cut where I found the Dog Island Yacht Club -- basically a marina with a ferry landing from what I could see. I got out there, and walked across to the Gulf.

Landing at the Dog Island Yacht Club

Gulf views

When I returned to the bayside I found a small shelter at the ferry landing and had my lunch. I only saw two fishermen and a family unloading their boat while I was there, but there were a lot of boats moored and an airstrip nearby.

I paddled back to Lanark and then drove to St. George Island, where I camped and had a very nice dinner with Ellen at Eddy Teach's.

Sweetwater Kayak Symposium: 2/22-24

2008-03-26T21:09:00.007-04:00

I spent the weekend in St. Petersburg at the Sweetwater Kayak Symposium. I took the following classes:

Core Paddling: Ben Lawry

Fun with Foster: Nigel & Kristin Foster

Rolling: Ben Lawry

3 Star Assessment: Andy Stamp

The campsite at Ft. Desoto Park was beautiful. I was supposed to be sharing the site with someone named Rudyard Curry but he never showed so I had it all to myself.

Pretty nice, huh?

Core paddling is the same class I took with Ben in October, but I got a lot more out of it this time. Fun with Foster really was. He is very funny and a great teacher. That's Nigel in the blue shirt with his hands in an exasperated gesture. His wife, Kristin, wearing a red hat is talking to the other group.

I actually rolled several times on my own at the end of the rolling class -- at least Ben said I did, but I'm not sure I believe him. I didn't pass the 3 Star assessment, but I know what I need to know if I try it again.

The evening presentations were great -- one by Leon Somme and Shawna Franklin about their trip around the Haida Gwaii and another by Russell Farrow and one of the other fellows going on the "Vacation to Hell" this summer.

I had a good time, and I learned a lot, and even though I was disappointed in myself that I wasn't prepared for the 3 Star assessment, it will be worth that much more to me if I ever do pass.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-02T06:45:00.001-05:00

We had a very good Christmas. Bucky and Bryn ushered it in by not cooperating for their Christmas picture, but that was okay. Here's a shot of them heading home after we gave up.

Christmas morning dawned and it appeared that Santa came once again.
Nicholas seems to like his new robe and hat.

Christopher is plotting some appropriate use for the fireworks Santa left for him.

The boys relax after a tiring morn of opening gifts.

Santa brought Bryn a little something, even though he hasn't been a very good boy lately.

And here's the annual Christmas dinner shot. Oh, my, am I the only one who isn't being silly?

I went over to St. George New Year's Eve eve and paddled with Georgia, her mother, and her aunt. I didn't get any photos that day, but on New Year's Day I went out on the Wakulla. The only wildlife I saw, however, were our neighbors Ronny and Diane.

Happy New Year!

Winter Solstice 2007

2007-12-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

It was billed as the Spring Creek Sunrise Paddle 12/22/2007, but we never saw the sun! Here's a frightening photo one of the guests took of their guide. Getting up at 4:30 for a paddle clearly is not my best look! It's not so much that my hair is a disaster and my face looks 100 years old, but I have a death grip on my paddle! Yikes.

BCU Week: Tybee Island, Oct. 28 - Nov. 31

2007-11-07T05:50:00.000-05:00

Sunday 10/28 2 Star Assessment (passed!) - Phil Eccles

Monday10/29 Forward Stroke Clinic - Ben Lawry

Tuesday 10/30 Core Paddling - Ben Lawry

Wednesday 10/31 Navigation - Nigel Dennis

Thursday 11/01 3 Star Training - Ed Schiller

Lunch break at Flat Bridge, Monday. My boat is second from the right. (Thanks to the Sweetwater folks for the photo!)

And here is a silly looking photo of me on the last and only sunny day. See all my lunch gear rolling about? That's how windy it was!

Birdwatching at St. Mark's NWR

2007-07-22T17:20:00.000-04:00

Today was a great day of paddling and "birding." Early this morning I met a very knowledgeable and generous gentleman named Harry Hooper, our guide, and three others to paddle around the East River Pool at the St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge and look for birds. A front passed through last night so it was markedly cooler than it has been (75 as opposed to 100+ Friday). It looked and felt like an early Fall morning.

We saw plenty of 'gators, of course, and lots of birds, some of which were very well camouflaged in their native habitat. For instance, I swear there is a Least Bittern in the grass here somewhere. I saw it!

I think I can finally now tell you the difference between a Snowy Egret and a Great Egret and an immature Blue Heron. But, just to make things interesting, a lot of birds are "in transition" and they are really hard to discern because they have bits that are characteristic of one kind of bird and parts that are specific to another. Below is a Great Egret on the left, and there are a lot of other things in there, but my lens isn't good enough to show them all. Other wading birds we saw were a Kill Deer and a Semipalmated Plover, and I think I can actually tell them apart too. (The Kill Deer has two black rings on his neck, the Semi only one.)

Yet another Great Egret with a Snowy in the background. The Snowies have "golden slippers." When you see them you'll know why they are called that.

One very cool bird we saw was a Stilt -- they have wonderful pink legs. They are also very protective of their young. One of them gave me a fit and we weren't sure why he was being so unpleasant (he barely knew me!) until we saw a chick nearby. Below is a Forster's Tern. I put him in for Ellen because Lance was in a band called the Terns.

We also so a lot of flying birds -- Ospreys and a Swallow-Tailed Kite -- but the best show was the White Pelicans. When we first saw them, about 50 Pelicans and a couple of Glossy Ibises were swooping around way overhead in an updraft. Suddenly they started to cut back and forth and come down lower and lower until they landed. It was like an old movie when the planes come down and land on the beach. Here are some of them splashing and playing in the pool.

The most exciting thing for me today was to see a Roseate Spoonbill finally. I have been looking for one since I was a very young girl and today we paddled around a small clump of grass and there they were. Pretty cool, huh?

We spent almost five hours paddling and peering through binoculars and I thought twice about staying longer but it was starting to get hot and I had other things to do. So I will end with a pond lily.

Savannah Canoe & Kayak/Tybee Island

2007-04-29T19:35:00.000-04:00

I spent the weekend at Tybee Island to take a kayaking class with Kristin Law of Savannah Canoe and Kayak. I stayed in a great house near the beach, learned a lot, and had a wonderful time. I just didn't take enough photographs!

The lighthouse at Tybee Island near the restaurant where I had dinner Friday night.

Kristin, our teacher, Jill and Daniel at Little Tybee Island after our lunch break.

Stalking the Wild Azalea

2007-03-25T19:57:00.000-04:00

I hiked around the Sopchoppy section of the Florida Trail today looking for wild azaleas. I was first introduced to them a year ago and fell in love with them.I started out trying to follow a spur trail to Monkey Creek but the trail was not blazed at all and soon any sign of a footpath disappeared. Do you see a path or a blue blaze anywhere? Maybe on the other side of that log,.... I did have a map and compass with me and forged ahead for a while. There were no wild azaleas in this area, but a lot of these little yellow flowers. I have searched for them in my wildflower book, so until I can make a positive identification they will remain nameless.
I probably should have turned around sooner, but I thought that surely I would see a sign or the trail if I just kept slogging on. I didn't. I did learn a valuable lesson, though: never wear shorts in the woods, no matter how hot it is. My legs are striped and bloody from the vines and needle palm stalks. Very attractive. I finally turned around and headed back to the car, using my compass and also some information that I learned in one of my classes: a white band painted around the trunk of a longleaf pine tree means that the tree is the home of a red cockaded woodpecker (or RCW, as they are called by the Pecker-ati), and RCWs nest on the southwest side of the tree (the theory is that it sun hits the SW side for the longest period of the day which draws out the pine sap to keep snakes from slithering into the hole.) So, if you are lost in the woods in north Florida and don't have a compass, look for a tree with a white band around it, find the woodpecker hole, and you know which direction is southwest. Pretty neat, huh?

I found another access spot which was much better marked and set off on my quest.
I knew I was close to water, and that the wild azaleas grow close to water, so I was hopeful and was soon rewarded. They are so subtle and beautiful. I also like that they are elusive; it makes seeing them all the more thrilling.
The picture above shows how low the Sopchoppy is. The highwater mark is about 2/3 from the top of the photograph. I doubt you can paddle much of it until we get a whole lot of rain. Below is a photo of the trail that I took from the ground so you can see that it is barely trodden at all. I felt very lucky to be able to traipse around all afternoon and never see or hear another person.
That was my day. It was great.

Okefenokee, March 9-10

2007-03-10T20:23:00.000-05:00

This time the trip was just one night, from Suwannee Canal to Round Top (11.4 miles), with most of it on the Suwannee Canal (9 miles). I went with Chuck and Carrie (he's an ornithologist who works for the Forest Service, so he knows a lot about birds and trees, and I think Carrie is new to birding, but she is learning a lot about recognizing birds) and Alice and Tom (both biologists who know a lot about plants and birds.) I, of course, know nothing but the way to the shelter and that was a little spotty since I arrived late and forgot to bring the map. I did have my gps, but it wasn't very helpful until I remembered to load the Okefenokee map at lunchtime. It was odd to be camping with people I don't know and be such a ditz. They might actually think I am a ditz.

Here are Chuck and Carrie on the Canal Run.
There were alligators everywhere -- on the banks, swimming across the canal -- everywhere. Sometimes you just saw eyes and then they would go down like a submarine. Sometimes you could get pretty close and then they would thrash around and dive. This guy was guarding a pool full of gators. Way behind him you can see a slimy beach were dozens of them had been lounging before I came by. I saw them all lunge in the pool, and then watched them submerge one by one. I was getting a little freaked out after two days of it.
See what I mean? It's like they're always watching you.
Here's a gator.
Now look to her left.Isn't he cute?
Of course, there were also lots of turtles.
They like to dance.
When we finally got out of the canal and into the prairie, the others understood why I am not keen on the canal. This is just so much better. There were lots of birds -- Chuck and Alice id'd a juvenile golden eagle that was swooping overhead. I think that's an ibis in the top of the tree. There were more sandhill cranes than I have ever seen, or heard, in the swamp. They have a very distinctive call and they get up really early in the morning. Really early. I would like to say this is a sandhill crane, but I think it may be a great blue heron flying off. I really need a better camera! I learned to recognize a catbird call and saw a couple of kingfishers and a pileated. Here's where we camped -- Round Top shelter has been renovated since I was here last in November 2005. It was so windy when we arrived that if Chuck hadn't supplied chicken wire staples to hold down our tents I'm sure at least one of them would have blown over. As it was, the only things that went over were a pot (retrieved by me), a water bottle (retrieved by me), and me. The wind died down during the night so that we could hear the frogs serenading. Also the cranes whooping. It was quite a night. We got up around 6:30, had a nice breakfast (coffee cake baked in my new outback oven), and were packed and on the water by 8:30. I was in the lead and was the only one to see the otters. By the time I got my camera out, there was only one who hadn't slinked into the brush. Here are Tom and Alice. He knows a lot about carniverous plants, among other things.
Tom showed me how the pitcher plant catches insects and then uses the nitrogen from their dead bodies. In addition to some insect carcasses, there were larvae in there from some bug that uses the space as a home. Here are some pitcher plants in action. A lily seems like a good way to end.

Christmas 2006

2007-02-25T09:25:00.001-05:00

We had a very good Christmas together. Both the boys came home for the weekend. And Santa came too!
It turned out to be an O.Henry Christmas: Christopher gave Nicholas a bottle of rum from his Caribbean cruise but Nicholas wasn't drinking (hooray) and Nicholas gave Christopher a cigarette holder -- very Hunter Thompson -- but Christopher has quit smoking (hooray). They both liked their Gator posters (on Nicholas' lap and just behind Christopher).

Bucky, of course, likes everything!

Christopher & Marie

2007-02-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

Christopher brought Marie home to Swamp Cottage. We hope she liked it as much as we like her.

My new car for life: Camilla

2006-08-10T08:49:00.000-04:00

My new 2006 Subaru Outback. Isn't she handsome?

RIP 2002 Mazda Protege

2006-08-09T18:21:00.000-04:00

Today, almost exactly three years from the day she became mine, I said goodbye to my Mazda Protege. It wasn't until I had to remove the roof racks that I knew that this was really the end. We had a lot of good times together -- we went to the mountains, and to a lot of rivers, and to the Okefenokee Swamp. We got stuck in mud and sand sometimes, but we always got out, and we had a few accidents, but they were always reparable.

It doesn't really look that bad, does it? I kept walking around it and sat in the driver's seat and thought, "this car isn't gone."

On July 29, at approximately 3 p..m., in a light rain at the corner of Bronough and Gaines, a red Toyota Corolla ran a red light and smashed into us, fore and aft. I remember thinking "What is happening?" and then "This is going to be okay."

She gave her life but kept me safe. That's what I call a really good car. I will miss her.

Archie Days!

2006-07-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

For many years I have wanted to attend a very special party at my Aunt Chris' Mountain Lake Park, Maryland home that she and her family call "Archie Days" and this year we did. It was everything I hoped it would be. Words can't do it justice, but maybe some photos will convey how much fun and food and great love was concentrated in one place at one time.

Archie Days is named after a hamburger stand in Ft. Pierce that is a special place to Chris and her family, so they memorialized it by way of an annual gathering. Below is a recreation of the Archie's sign that hangs on the front porch at Mountain Lake Park.

The centerpiece of Archie Days, of course, is the cheeseburger, but Beer on Ice and wonderful Live Music were also present in abundance.

But it wasn't all food and frivolity; serious sport was a big part of the day, the highlight being an extremely exciting and competitive croquet tourney, won for the Fourth Time by (tah-dah) Diana Haynes Runyon, and runner up Jody, who closely missed winning the previous year. Here is Diana inscribing Jody's name on the covetted (move over Masters Tournament) Archie Days Green Jacket.

Below is an action shot from the second round of play. That's Sarah Haynes Cowan in the lead; Donny, Christopher, Nicholas, Debby and T'or looking on.

I like this one a lot. From Left, clockwise, are Dee, Jody, Debby Haynes, Kyle Haynes, Diana (arbitrating a dicey call), and Christopher. You can see that this is a VERY SERIOUS game!

The porch is where everyone gravitates to eventually. Here, "the children" (as I annoyingly, I'm sure, referred to them incessantly) are playing a dice game as Bruce worked on an oil painting.

Below is a train going by in front of the house. Aunt Chris told us that the only trains that go by now are freight trains, which are unscheduled and come by at all times in the day and night. They are a big part of my memories of this house when Lisa and I were girls and we would stay here in the summers.

While I didn't get any photographs of the egg toss (because Debby H. and I were the first ones out due to my bad catch and I was busy washing egg off of me), here is Donny (who won the egg toss with Nicholas) playing bean bags and wearing his ceremonial Egg Hat. Sarah is looking on.

Below is Nicholas, also wearing his Egg Hat, which he was reluctant to relinquish because it was so fetching.

This was one of my favorite events -- the silent auction of t-shirts! Debby, Sarah, and Bruce are seen here setting minimum bids. We came away with a Simpsons shirt and a Guinness shirt, but I was ROBBED of the Monty Python shirt that I REALLY wanted. In the background you can see the tents of some of the guests who camped out on the lawn. Dignitaries stay in the house, while the Riff Raff either camp or stay at a nearby motel (that would be us). We love being Riff Raff, although I would have preferred to stay in a tent.
I didn't get any good photographs inside the house, which is a huge loss, because that's where much of the cooking and conversation took place. But I do have a pretty good one of the chefs at the hamburger grill, fueled by coals from logs that had been burning since dawn. Here are Sally, Bruce, Rick and Adam giving the Archie-teers salute!

So many people are missing from these photos -- Robert, David (and his new bride), Richard, and others -- but the person who is missing most is the center of it all, Chris Haynes. I did take a picture of her, and we both thought the flash had gone off, but when I went to look there was nothing to be seen. So I take this as a sign that like all Great Souls, her image can't be captured. I sure do have lots of wonderful memories, though. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible, but especially thank you to Aunt Chris.

Finally, there are the wildflowers (and a stray daylily from a neighboring lawn) that flourish along Allegheny Drive leading to Chris' house at Mountain Lake Park. I'm too tired to name them accurately tonight, but I will try to do that soon.

A Fourth of July Paddle

2006-07-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

Mack Lake Landing (or Mack Landing, depending on your map) is about a 40 minute drive from the house. There were only two trucks/boat trailers in the parking lot and no one staying in the campground. The river was pretty low, which gave me pause since my plan was to go up the narrow creek, but it seemed possible. Because it was so low, it was running slow, so I worried more about having to turn back than fighting the current. Here's the start.

The going was fairly easy, with only two portages, and those not bad because they simply involved getting out of the boat and pulling it a short distance -- nothing tricky. The only bright flowers blooming in this heat were some honeysuckle up in the trees.

Here are a few of the thousands of tadpoles swarming in the shallow sandy places. It will be a noisy night when these guys finally grow legs.

I took pictures of, and logged on my gps, a number of likely camping spots, thinking these might be places that I could get to after work on a Friday for an overnight. This one is on the narrow creek (it is called Moriah Creek on the GPS, but I couldn't find a name for it anywhere else).

The ones below are both after I exited the creek and turned back south on the Ochlockonee. You can see that it's much wider, but it's still very isolated. I was expecting motor boats and jet skis!

The most surprising part of the day is that I only saw one other boat, with two fishermen, and they didn't even have their engine turned on! It was not a long paddle, but very peaceful and quiet, and close to home. It is remarkable to me that it's still possible to enjoy wild Florida in relative solitude -- especially on the Fourth of July.

This is not to say that it wasn't blazing hot nor that the yellow flies weren't ferocious, but that's what makes it fun, isn't it? A parting shot of a majestic cypress:

Lafayette Passage Paddling Trail

2006-05-29T08:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I decided to try the Lafayette Passage Paddling Trail. I had been told that it was wonderful, like a little Okefenokee tucked behind the Piney Z development, and while it didn't live up to that description, it was quite nice. It probably would have been more pleasant had I started a bit earlier in the day and the temperature hadn't been in the 90s, but I got a good 3 or so hours paddling in, plus four portages (to and from the boat launch, which is nice because it precludes motorboats, and between two lakes).

I started at Piney Z Lake. The similarity that it bears to the Okefenokee is that it is full of spatterdock and bladderwort. (It really is, it's not simply that I like to say "spatterdock" and "bladderwort.")And there are lots of waterlilies.
The paddle across Piney Z Lake is very scenic and peaceful -- especially considering that you are less than half a mile from U.S.27! The best part was that there were no motorboats and the only other people I saw were one fisherman and two bicyclists. I did hear and see lots of birds, but I didn't see a single alligator. This was surprising, although not entirely disappointing due to all the recent gator hysteria and the fact that I had to get in and out of the water several times in high grasses. While the drama of being hauled off by an alligator appeals to me, yesterday didn't seem to be quite the day for it. As I was pulling my boat up one side of the berm separating Piney Z Lake from Lower Lake Lafayette I did feel my ankles being clawed but discovered that the culprit was nothing more sinister than spiny wild blackberries.On either side of the two lakes I could hear ospreys squawking, and could see one distantly on a platform on the edge of the Piney Z Lake. Almost as soon as I entered Lower Lake Lafayette I sighted a family of birds. See the mother up on the tree and the nest down below to her left? I couldn't get a great picture of Pa because he was too quick for me and he was becoming very disturbed by my presence, but he's in the nest with some chicks. Here's a bit of his wing.He was very happy to see me leave.I paddled all the way around Lower Lake Lafayette (below) but I never could find the passage to Chaires Lake.It might be grown over or I might have been dazed by the heat; regardless, I had had about enough after several hours in the raging heat and was ready to go home. I might start from the Chaires end next time and see how far I get.

No manatees for me

2006-05-14T12:53:00.000-04:00

I took my small kayak out this morning with the single-minded goal of seeing a manatee. Apparently I am the only person in North Florida who hasn't seen one yet this year. And what did I see? Pretty much everything but a manatee.

Lots of turtles. A fisherman with a mullet he caught on a hook, no less. Goldenrod. Wild roses. Two Spider Lilies (tucked in the back right) that survived the heavy rains of the past week. A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. (The stripes on his face are bright yellow, which means it's mating season, but the color doesn't show up well in this picture. He also has two long plumes on his nape. I kept asking him to give me a full profile, but you know how Yellow-Crowned Night Herons can be.) A Tiger Swallowtail. A moccasin ("Caution," my Audubon book says, "bites readily." Good tip.)

And a curious Gator,...
who lead me home.

Lisa and John's visit

2006-05-09T16:52:00.000-04:00

Lisa and John came to visit last Thursday (hooray) and left today (very sad.) Christopher came home for the weekend and we all had a very good time. We showed them all the local attractions, from the Wakulla River to the Bradfordville Blues Club. Lisa has some great photos of their "blues tour" from Memphis to Crawfordville, but you will have to wait until she returns home and updates her blog to see them. In the meantime, here are L&J at Wakulla Springs. John is re-enacting a pivotal moment from The Creature of the Black Lagoon.

L&J at the St. Mark's Lighthouse.

Nicholas and his uncle are plotting the overthrow of....wait, I'm not supposed to tell. Forget I said anything. At the airport. They look almost exactly like Americans, don't they (except for the tell-tale W.H.Smith bag)?
Good bye! Come back soon!

Torreya, Spring '06

2006-04-16T11:33:00.000-04:00

I took Friday off and went to Torreya State Park, about an hour west of here. This time I stayed in the "primitive" backcountry camping area, so I had to severely cut down my "stuff" to fit in a backpack. I still probably took more than I needed, but it was very nice this morning when I could get up, fix breakfast, and pack everything and be ready to go in less than an hour. Here is a picture of my campsite, about a mile from the parking area.
This was my view from where I ate breakfast and dinner.
The west side of Torreya is bound by the Apalachicola River, the largest River in Florida. Here's the Apalachicola at dawn.
And a little later in the morning, when the sun has come up some.
Pretty, huh? It all would have been perfect, but for a houseboat on the other side of the river that ran its generator all night long. It sounded as if someone had left a lawn mower running right outside your tent. It wasn't unbearable, but it was annoying. I tried to convince the college boys camped nearby to swim over and cut the gas line but, kids these days, no sense of adventure.

Yesterday I walked both the Torreya Trail and what is called the "Challenge Trail." What makes Torreya unique in Florida is that it has a lot of elevation -- a topo map of the area actually has contour lines! The west side of the Torreya Trail follows the river and has a very tropical feel to it, like I imagine a rainforest might be. The east side of the Torreya Trail and the Challenge Trail are more like the Southern Appalachians. I started by going from my campsite along the trail (not the shortcut) to this washout area that looks like a canyon.

It's hard to explain to people who haven't been here how amazing it is, and how, about every mile or so, there is an entirely different terrain. Along the trail I saw lots of deer and heard birds and got a photo of two reptiles (although the black snake I encountered was too quick for me to photograph). This guy was one the east side,
and this one on the west.
Two things I was looking for were to see if the Ashe Magnolia was in bloom and tuliptree blossoms. Ashe Magnolias are much larger than Southern Magnolias and the blooms are huge and very high in the upper storey. I didn't think I saw any Ashe Magnolia blossoms, and a young man who was studying botany that I spoke to said he didn't think he had seen any either. That just means I will have to go back soon! I also wanted to see the tuliptrees in bloom since last year there was a carpet of tuliptree blossoms on some parts of the trail. They are really beautiful, palmsized, yellow and orange tulip-shaped flowers. This year I saw a few on the ground but none in the trees. The botanist said that is because the blossoms are cupped in green leaves when they are on the tree so it would be hard to see them except from above.

I did see a few of these trees that were in full bloom. They only grew by the streams and there weren't many of them. I'm not sure what they are, but they may be in the haw family. I'm going to keep looking. Here is one shot from a distance (if you click on it to make it full size you can see the blooming tree better) and one close up. They have waxy leaves, like camellias and magnolias, which are spiky at the ends. Along the river, on the west side of the park, was a carpet of these Indian Pinks. They are in the Strychnos family (sounds like a deadly Greek clan, doesn't it?) and Indians used it to expel worms and parasites from the intestines. Yum.
This is Tread-Softly, a kind of nettle. It was all over the pinewoods on the east side. Here is some Florida Anise. At first I thought it was Rhododendron, like you find in north Georgia, but when you crush the leaves you can tell the difference. They were blooming all over on the east side. Needle palms along the riverbank.
I'm not sure what this is either. See those weird little bulbs on it? I think those are going to bloom. I took this at one of the other primitive campsites, Rock Creek. It is so dry this year that there was only one small creek here. In the past when I have been here there was plenty of water.

The third primitive campsite, below, is on the Challenge Trail. It's about 5 or 6 miles from the parking area and dry as a bone -- no running water of any sort. I can't imagine why anyone would stay here except, maybe, to dissuade Boy Scouts from ever going back in the woods. Here's another as yet unidentified tree, a small one close up, and a larger one. They were everywhere on the east side.
All in all Saturday I think I must have walked about 16 miles -- each loop is 7 miles and the connectors. Here are some shots along the way -- from east back to my campsite on the west. All the riverbeds are typically 6" - 12" deep, but this year they are almost dry except for a few spots where there was flowing water.

I think that what most people remember from Torreya is the Gregory House, an antebellum home that was built on the other side of the river and moved across in 1935 by the CCC when they were building the park. Here is the house seen from the riverbank. Look way up, see the rooftop and chimney?
Here is the river from the house.Here is the house from the backyard.
And the front.This is actually all I've ever seen of the Gregory House. I have never taken the tour. Maybe next time.

Finally, one of my favorite wildflowers, phlox. There was just this one perfect stem. I was glad I had my camera so I could bring it home to share.

Blackwater River

2006-04-02T18:14:00.000-04:00

This weekend I paddled and camped on the Blackwater River, about 180 miles west in Santa Rosa County. This river is known for its dark tannic waters (hence Blackwater or Oka-loosa, Creek for...water-black) and white sand beaches. I didn't put in until about 1 p.m. (my time, but that's another story) because of shuttle doings. Here's my boat at Kennedy Bridge, about 28.6 miles from the take-out at Blackwater River State Park.
I wanted to paddle at least half the total distance Saturday so that I could get home at a reasonable time on Sunday. Time, however, became an issue that I simply had to dimiss because it's confusing enough for me to cross time zones (Santa Rosa is on Central Time), but then with the time change, lose an hour, spring forward -- it was all too much for me and I still don't have a firm grasp of what time it really is.

It was a pretty easy paddle, with a few obstructions -- I had to get out and pull my boat around a downed tree once -- and a lot of very shallow places where I got beached. But other than that, and a bit of wind, it was not very challenging. Here are some high bluffs. You can see that in some places the soil is red clay, rather than white sand.The owner of the outfitter/shuttle service was a very nice fellow who referred to me as a "young lady" (as in, "you're the second young lady this year who was camping by herself"). He told me that the white sand came down from the Appalachians during the Ice Age, pushed by glaciers through the red clay to the Gulf. He also told me that he hated cold weather, noting that "Me, I'm ready for global warming when it will be like Miami here all the time and I can grow orange trees in my back yard." He was, all in all, a very forward-thinking young man.

Along the way I saw, in bloom, titi... and wild azaleas...
as well as their showier cousins, the citified domestic azalea.
I saw and heard a lot of birds, too, including a couple of kingfishers, ducks of some sort, a hawk, and a pileated woodpecker.

The first 10 miles turned out to be kind of a drag because just about every other white sand beach between Kennedy Bridge and Cotton Bridge was a hangout for, as my shuttle driver termed them, "drunks." After Cotton Bridge, though, it got better, which was a good thing, because I was ready to find a place to camp.

I saw one likely spot, but I was just getting out of the boat when I heard voices across the river and promptly lost my balance and fell in the water, along with my camera. (Very amusing to my potential neighbors.) This is why there aren't any pictures of my campsite (a bit farther down the river, away from people, and really quite nice) but here are a few that I took before my impromptu swim.

Cypress trees are so lovely and graceful to me.
A white sand beach -- not where I camped, but very like it.
A typical scene along the way. Sunday I woke up early -- I have no idea at what time because my watch, mobile phone, and gps all said something different, but the sun was just starting to come up -- fixed breakfast, packed up camp, and paddled the remaining 13 or so miles to the take-out. Along the way I saw scarlet morning glory and yellow jessamine; too bad I couldn't take pictures. It was all very nice except the last two miles where there were just too many people for me. I don't know if I would paddle this river again, but if I did, I would either do it on a weekday or put in at Cotton Bridge and forget about the first 10 miles.

A brief walk on the Florida Trail

2006-03-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Today I went for a walk on the Sopchoppy leg of the Florida Trail -- about a 4 mile round trip. The wild azaleas are in bloom.I had lunch at the confluence of Monkey Creek and the Sopchoppy -- this is a view of Monkey Creek. I didn't see any monkeys there, though.Some lichen (I think.)
And a yellow flower I couldn't find in either of my wildflower books. It's probably something so common they don't even list it! But it is pretty.

Okefenokee Trip: March 11 - 13

2006-03-13T17:43:00.000-05:00

Day 1: Kingfisher Landing to Maul Hammock
Departing from Kingfisher Saturday morning. The weather was very good all three days -- cool at night and in the mornings, mostly clear and sunny during the day. Monday morning was a little windy, but that felt good too. We had an almost-full moon both nights which provided enough visibility for moonlight paddles. Along the way -- I think this is a prairie, although I don't always understand the difference between hammocks and prairies. We saw some hawks and mockingbirds in areas like this, and a few prothonotary warblers.
A little blue heron in Maul Hammock Lake. We also heard the resident sandhill cranes squawking every now and then, and in the morning some of us saw a pair in flight.
The Maul Hammock platform. Carol made a valiant effort to explain to me how bladderworts work. Day 2: Maul Hammock to Big Water
Another 10 -11 mile paddle. Steve described one winding stretch as a "chicane," a very good word.
Then we hit "Big Water."
Big Water Shelter.The Big Water Shelter resident gator, dubbed Darth Gator by previous shelter people, hung around the whole time we were there, joined at one point by a pal. At first he was kind of intimidating, but then we realized that he might be the reason why there were no apparent raccoons. In fact, he was more like a panhandler than a threat, which was kind of sad. Day 3: Big Water to Stephen Foster, with a side trip to Billy's Island.
It was a beautiful morning for a paddle.
Phil and Steve paddling the Middle Fork of the Suwannee River.
Carol and Tom, Matt and Wes, and Carey at Billy's Island.
Dick, upon arrival at Stephen Foster.
Nature Bits
Golden Club in bloom.
Spatterdock, just beginning to come out. Their stems, which look like floating logs, have the texture of alligator skin.
Not a great photo of bladderwort, but the reflections are kind of cool. Carol gave us a demonstration of how the little bladders work, which was supplemented by a good explanation in Taylor Schoettle's A Naturalists Guide to the Okefenokee Swamp.
Hurrah Bush in bloom.Climbing Heath. At first I thought this was part of the cypress tree because it appeared to be growing out of it, but Schoettle says that the heath stem is enclosed in the bark of the tree and can climb up to 40 feet high, a tree-climbing method that has no parallel. At this time of year, Climbing Heath has little white bell-shaped flowers. Dahoon Holly. Fernage.
The Gators (Lisa, DON'T GO FARTHER!)
We saw lots of gators, both on logs and cruising around in the water. There was a dearth of turtles for some reason, although we managed to spot a few. They are much more shy than gators and I could never get a photo of one.Here's a cute little guy.Now look behind him!

Craven's Hammock, February 18-19

2006-02-19T20:18:00.000-05:00

Back to the Okefenokee! This time an 11 mile paddle to Craven's Hammock from Stephen Foster State Park. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Here's some local color along the trail at Billy's Lake.
We all enjoyed the sunshine!

It was a pretty uneventful paddle through The Narrows to The Sill, where we stopped to stretch our legs. Then on to the winding North Fork of the Suwannee River to Craven's Hammock,...
where we were greeted by....
These two, apparently still celebrating Valentine's Day, were parked right at the boat landing (the dark rectangle on the left is the walkway to the chemical toilet) and approximately 100 feet directly in front of the campsite. So, after some deliberation and with limited options, we beached the boats a "safe" distance away and shuttled all of our stuff...gingerly...around our new best friends up to the campsite. The larger gator, presumably the male, the one facing away from the water, took off after a few insistent "SHOO!"s and "GET!"s, but Madam was less cooperative and, at one point, hiked herself up on all fours and hissed quite commandingly, leaving no question who was in charge.

It rained overnight and was decidedly colder and overcast this morning -- more like February. The good news, though, was that Mrs. Gator had departed sometime in the night so we were able to move the boats to the landing for packing and launching. We returned to Stephen Foster about two hours quicker than it took us to paddle the same distance the day before! Back through the winding North Fork (see the little sign on the tree that says "Home"?),....

And about 3 cold grey miles down The Sill run....
All told, it was a memorable trip. I just wish it had been longer. Really.

It sure is a beautiful day

2006-02-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

Water is still low, but the river is so clear and beautiful. I have been watching for the return of the swallowtail kites. Susan Cerulean says the first ones come back on February 14, so I'm trying to prove her wrong.

I did see a lot of sparrows, a heron, and one woodpecker.

Bucky is ready to go back to the house.

Kayak for Sale

2006-01-29T14:34:00.000-05:00

Kayak For Sale: Swift Tasman Sea Expedition. Kevlar. Length13'6", Width 25", Weighs 42 Lbs.; Pale Green Deck, Champagne Hull;Contour Rubber Carrying Handles; Bow & Stern Bulkheads; Bow & Stern Sport Hatches; Recessed Deck Fittings; Deck Bungies and Perimeter Lines; Contoured, Padded Low Back Adjustable Seat; Stainless Security Bar; Adjustable Footbraces; Skeg. Originally $2,150, asking $1,800. This is a great boat for an afternoon outing or a multi-day adventure. Contact Martha, martha.haynes@gmail.com or (850) 567-9624.

Is someone having a birthday?

2006-01-25T06:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Nicholas! There's a hat to match (coming soon). Someday we'll be able to afford to BUY you socks!

My visit to Virginia

2006-01-11T06:04:00.000-05:00

I spent a wonderful day yesterday visiting with my Aunt Chris and cousins Sarah and Diana in Fredericksburg, Va. I waited too late to get a very good picture, but you can still see how lovely and happy all three of the girls are. They were so gracious and hospitable to their Florida cousin. We had coffee (twice!) at Hyperion, and a delicious lunch at La Petite Auberge. Fredericksburg is very charming, as are all of their homes. I hope to convince Chris and the girls to visit Swamp Cottage soon so I can show them some north Florida hospitality.

Finally, some knitting!

2006-01-07T22:21:00.000-05:00

I FINALLY finished this sweater for Ellen. I am too embarassed to say how long I have been working on this. It is from Phildar Ete 2004, knit in Phil Ruban, which they don't even make anymore, and I knit and and reknit it so many times that there was serious doubt that I would have enough ribbon to finish. I sure hope it fits!

Here's a detail of the neckline. The color is truer in this one also. It's called cassis.

Torreya, New Year's Eve Day

2006-01-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

I spent 12/30/05 at Torreya State Park and woke up New Year's Eve morning to a have delicious breakfast al fresco.
A small group of Georgia Wilderness Society folks were camped nearby and I invited myself to join them on a hike. There was some confusion about which way was North. Ron and Bonnie had a hearty discussion about it, and finally decided to simply follow the trail markers. A wise decision.
It was a great hike and a fine day.

The morning after

2005-12-26T11:48:00.000-05:00

Enough Christmas. Time to get serious about paddling. I broke my rule and went downriver first, then paddled back up into the wind. I figure if I'm going to be on the Gulf next week I'd better get used to some wind. Yuck. Why, exactly, did I agree to go on that trip?
I don't know how I got these light effects, but they are cool, aren't they? What I was trying to show was how low the river is.

Here are some more river scenes.

Christmas 2005 @ Swamp Cottage

2005-12-25T11:40:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning was beautiful so I took my boat out and paddled while the boys slept. DY went to his mother's so it was just the three of us for pancakes and then presents!

Looks like Santa came!

The boys seem to think that their dashboard hula girls are...interesting. Nicholas went all out and dressed up in his 12-year-old Camp Cherry Lake t-shirt and Space Camp shorts. Very impressive.
Santa brought the boys each Gator sweatshirts. With a bit of luck perhaps at least one of Christopher's teams will win a bowl game (the UCF Golden Knights lost in overtime). Nicholas is sure that this outfit will be a big hit when he goes to FSU.

Christmas Dinner Table. Of course, this is no big deal. We eat like this every night.

The Yule Log.

The view from the dock

2005-12-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

Bucky and I agree that we have never seen the river so low.

The first snow of the season

2005-12-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

It started snowing around 4 p.m. Monday in Washington, D.C., but I wasn't able to get out and take pictures until the next afternoon. In front of the Madison Hotel, the little palms and pansies don't look ready for winter!
A more seasonal view: The Metropolitan AME Church near my hotel. Isn't it pretty?

Bass for Thanksgiving!

2005-11-29T20:08:00.000-05:00

My nephew Daniel caught a 9.5 pound bass on Thanksgiving (with expert advice from his cousin Nicholas, of course.)

Wacissa/Aucilla Slave Canal

2005-11-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

November 27, 2005

I didn't make it all the way to the Aucilla River because I got tired of dragging my boat across trees, but it was a beautiful day and I had a good time. I saw a blue heron, several kingfishers, some anhinga, and a rooster.

A sinkhole on the way to Goose Pasture.

The Wacissa River.

The Aucilla Slave Canal.

Portaging my boat across downed trees.

My only companion at Goose Pasture.

Okefenokee Trip

2005-11-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

November 17, 2005

Launching from Kingfisher Landing.

The "trail" to Bluff Lake.

The view from the Bluff Lake platform.

November 18, 2005

The trail to Floyd's Island.

November 19, 2005

From Floyd's Island to Round Top.

A big gator.

November 20, 2005

Breakfast on the Round Top platform.

The Suwannee Canal.