Canooed the Peace River in FL - 56k DEATH - lots o pics

AZ_Infantry

AZ_Infantry

Active member
Hey folks!

I got stuck in Florida for a few extra days - the Airline (US Airways) had to change my flight TWICE. They kept booking me on a flight where my bags would not connect at my layover, which is a no-no because I was traveling with a firearm. As a responsible gun owner, I'll not have my .45 floating all over the place until the airline finally returns it to me.

So my flight Saturday was changed to Monday. My wife and I went canoing on Sunday. It was magnificent! Nice and hot, slight breeze, beautiful scenery (and especially Laurie), but no Gators (airboat jumped in front of us and likely scared them all off). It was a perfect day. I haven't had such a day in a very, very long time - and never have I ever felt this way about a woman as I do Laurie. It was just... God surrounding us.

We parked downstream and rented the canoe, they took us 10 miles upstream, but the river was so low that it took us SIX HOURS to traverse the stretch. We floated most of it, and we did some stops, but for the most part we just let the current take us.

We were both sunburned to a CRISP - and I still am!

Saw lots of fish and lots of birds, talked, stopped on some beaches to sunbathe and hunt fossils (river is famous for its fossils), and just had the greatest of days. We will definitely be doing this again!

So, following this post, are a LOT of pictures I snapped (and some of Laurie's). I know it's long, but I want y'all to experience it as I did. I have captioned each picture above it where needed, so read what the picture is about if you'd like.

Stay tuned while I get the next series of posts fired up!

Love you guys and gals,

Richard
 
Heading out. I quickly lost the boots! Like I said, it was HOT (80's) and I was in jeans and boots. But here's some scenery. Magnificent scenery, even if my photography leaves much to be desired.



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Big, old Cypress tree. The Tanic acid from these trees is what makes the water brownish in color:



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Sand Cranes watching us watch them:



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(more in next post)
 
Then we stopped at a small rock cropping, beached, and she hunted fossils while I had a beer.

Be VERY glad I put my shirt back on for this picture! LOL! I'd blind the form, heh.

Me just chillin in the sun watching my wife find fossils:



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And here is what she found. These are ribs and vertebrae of the ancestor to the Manatee or Stingray, and they are easily distinguishable from the surrounding rock. They are heavier, much different texture, and they have pockets where the calcium ate through.

I've never found a dinosaur fossil before, so that was really neat:



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(more next post)
 
Other fossils found there before. I put my hand there just to give an idea of the size. I had no idea Sloths were that large (that's just ONE claw) and that Megalodon tooth floored me. Wish we'd have found something that cool:



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Yes, this is a TOOTH:



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(more next post)
 
So we changed ends (of the CANOE, get yer minds out of the gutter, LOL) and I steered for a bit.

We found this really neat beach where we stopped for a potty break, beer, and to sit in the sun a bit more:



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My incredibly beautiful wife, Laurie:



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Then we left there and paddled for a bit, so a bit more scenery:



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(more next post)
 
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After a bit, lookee what we found! Another beach! Well, you guessed it: Beer break!



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We followed that little sandy trail, and there was a really cool, private, secluded picnic area at the top:



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(more next post)
 
After a bit, we headed out again.

Notice how tanic-tainted the river got in some shallow spots:



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Great Blue Herron:



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HUGE Cypress:



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Cool palm tree dropped years ago by Hurricane Charlie:



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I just thought this was a neat picture:



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(more next post)
 
Sadly, we reached the Rail Road tresses that meant the trip was almost over. We beached again to get dressed and just sit for a few - and BEER BREAK! By this time, we were both burnt to a crisp and ready to head out for some food:



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(more next post)
 
Canoe, anyone?



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And one leashed big ol lizard!



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Neat old Rail Road station in Arcadia:



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And, finally, just for grins, these are what I work on: 50kv Lines that feed the 600V transformers that feed the 240 to your home:



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Hope you enjoyed the post!
 
Looked like an awesome trip, I've canoed the Buffalo river for the last 6-7 years, can't wait to go again in two weeks. Scenery is a lot like here in LA, I've been to FLA every year for the past 14 years and haven't really seen the Everglades or any of the inland wetland areas. Thanks for sharing.
 
That was a really great days entertainment. I was really taken with the fossils, I probably wouldn't have realized what they were. (Dumb as dog "do")

Thanks for taking the time to share your photos with us, I enjoyed it immensely.
 
@ Pixy

In my line of work, industrial construction, sunburns are inevitable. But I admit, we simply weren't thinking this time. Thank you for the reminder - we can all use to protect ourselves from skin cancer!



@ Fox

Thanks, glad you enjoyed them! My photography "skills" (lack thereof) leave MUCH to be desired.



@ DelBoy

Thanks! We do indeed have beautiful country out there, but Hurricane Charley from all those years ago just tore everything up, and everything still hasn't recovered yet. It's funny - ALL the homes and businesses are old, but all have brand new metal roofs. I wish I could have seen the area before Charley tore it to pieces. How people can stand in area where it's still snowing is beyond me - to each his own, but I'd rather be canoing in 85 degree weather than shoveling my car out of a snowbank any day!



@ Seno

You're welcome - thanks for taking the time to wander through so many pictures. I had no idea about the fossils, either. Laurie found one and brought it over to me and showed me what makes them different than the surrounding rocks (color, size, texture, weight, smoothness).



@ Deerslayer

This was my first canoe trip, and I admit, it's addicting. Where abouts do you visit in Florida? If you're anywhere near the southern part of the state (Ft Myers area), shoot me a PM and we'll hook up for a beer, talk us some old soldier talk. I'd suggest tearing up the town, but I don't think the wife would approve of me banging strange women and getting arrested for bar fights... But a beer at Applebees will suffice, if you're interested.



@ 13th_Redneck

Thanks, Dale! I knew you'd like them. It really was one of the best days ever - the weather, the scenery, the company... It all came together.

Where you be, bro? Hit me up on IM or shoot me a call when you get off work?



Again, thanks all for the nice sentiments and good thoughts! I hope everyone gets the opportunity to experience a day like that Sunday in your own way. That was my church, my time with God, quality time with my beloved and beautiful wife, and a relaxing float surrounded by wildlife and magnificent surroundings. Amazing.

:jump::drunkb::jump:
 
AZ_Infantry said:
@ Pixy


@ Deerslayer

This was my first canoe trip, and I admit, it's addicting. Where abouts do you visit in Florida? If you're anywhere near the southern part of the state (Ft Myers area), shoot me a PM and we'll hook up for a beer, talk us some old soldier talk. I'd suggest tearing up the town, but I don't think the wife would approve of me banging strange women and getting arrested for bar fights... But a beer at Applebees will suffice, if you're interested.



:jump::drunkb::jump:
Click to expand...

I'm 18, and I'm not going to FL this year because I'll be visiting my bro in St. Kitts. However, I want to go to Miami next year to the SHOT Show, but that's probably going to be on ice because I'm going to Colorado in the summer. Damn gas money.
 
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