Haulover Creek--Again!

This morning Richard woke me up before dawn to drive north of Jacksonville for a kayaking trip down Haulover Creek, a place we visit frequently. It's also the same place we went two weeks ago for the Coastal Clean Up. This time we were dismayed to find new trash littering the spot upon our arrival. Vowing to pick it up upon our return, I sprayed myself with bug repellent and pushed off while the sun was still peeking up over the horizon. What a beautiful morning it was, and well worth leaving our comfortable bed so early in the morning on a day off!

I led the way as Richard usually lags behind for the most part, casting his line out every few minutes. Actually, he usually has a minimum of two fishing poles along and he keeps busy with baiting up and casting while keeping his kayaking from coasting into the reeds. I paddle slowly but steadily and I end up for the most part on my own with only a whistle or cell phone to call him in case of trouble. I take countless pictures and watch for birds, stopping only to change lenses or take a sip of refreshing water. It was very quiet and peaceful that morning and I watched as the sky change colors as the sun rose higher in the sky. I saw a large blue crab swimming along beside my kayak and osprey and egret flying overhead as well as a large turkey vulture watching me from high in a tree, on his perch. To those of you viewing my blog from time to time, this is probably getting a little redundant but this is what I love most, being outdoors, preferably on my kayak with my husband nearby and the quiet of nature around me and birds singing and flying overhead. It's simply the best way to spend a morning away from all the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. We were back home shortly after the kids got up, and after a refreshing shower I read the Sunday paper while my pictures downloaded from the camera to this laptop. I hope you enjoy today's pictures.

Oh, and I did remember to pick up the trash at the landing site at Haulover Creekupon our return. It was yucky and stinky but we put it in the truck and hauled it home. Haulover Creek's landing was much prettier when we left than when we arrived. I wish people that visit that site would be more responsible and leave it the way it was when they came instead of throwing their beer bottles and empty Doritos bags on the ground! Shame on you whoever you are.