Smooth Water

Funny how sometimes the breeze blows and yet the water is completely flat. This was a nice summer night and the bay was quiet and peaceful. Went over to the otter home (where I have yet to see an otter since the first time) and found a rather bold gator. When he had his head out of the water he wasn't particularly paying attention to me; something caught his eye just inside the marsh grass.

The water is full of comb jellies. They don't sting. If you let your hands run through the water as you drift along, sooner or later you bump into one. We've discovered recently that they light up at night, too.

The sun competed with the clouds, but burned defiantly through in a sunset blaze.

Solstice Sunset

Mom and I went out this evening to enjoy Graveline on the longest day of the year. We went to the spot where I saw dolphins once... the part of the bayou where you start to breathe in the gulf air, where the mouth of the bayou to the gulf is just around the corner and a little bit farther down. GPS track log says this trip is 4.75 miles. There were a lot of fish but apparently not biting today. The water is full of comb jellies, which apparently have some phosphorescense at night though I didn't see it today. It was almost dark when we got back. It's no problem to kayak in the dark, really, and there aren't any boats to worry about, but I know if I'm in the dark a boat can easily run me down before they saw me. Anyway, the water is nice, the tide is low. There are some oysters along the bayou but not as many as I saw last year. A few fish jumping, lots of red-winged blackbirds singing in the swamp grass, the air temperature perfect... very enjoyable trip.

Longleaf Trace - Epley to Lott Circle

Biking entry -- Did the trace again, and this time started at Epley Station which is as far as we went last time. This portion of the trail goes through more rural countryside, including farms with cows and horses. On the GPS track, the black is last trip, the yellow track is this trip. Although the weather was HOT and humid, quite a bit of the track was shaded, and we got a short thunderstorm and rode through it on the way back. One final treat was the snowcone stand at Sumerall.

Even on a Saturday, hardly anyone out there. You can't beat this for entertainment! Tyler loved it and rode strong the whole way. I keep wondering, who do I pay... Just can't believe you can have this much family fun for free.

Graveline

If I've never said it before, Graveline is pronounced 'Grav-e-leen' (make that an upside-down 'e') and is my favorite kayak spot. Graveline Bayou and Graveline Bay are a most unique and special part of the Mississippi coastline estuary. I got back in the kayak this past week and re-experienced 1) warm water 2) Mississippi birds 3) Mississippi mud 4) low tide 5) high tide 6) the feeling that alligators were close, but not showing themselves 7) the joy of paddling and cruising in this most awesome mode of transport. The kayak has advantages over the bike -- but what a good pair they make! One for the top half, one for the bottom half. I want to start a new bi-athalon sport event of biking and kayaking. Can't decide which should go first though. In tri-athalon they swim first, but I think the water would be more refreshing in the second half.

I don't have much in the way of pictures. Just a heron taking off from a pier. I was just happy to get back out in the water.