Paddling to Pecks

One of the really fun adventures we have here at The Islands is a group paddle to Pecks, a seafood restaurant that is a bit south of Crystal River.  Pecks is in Ozello, about 17 miles by car from our place.  By kayak, it's about  4.5 miles.  Finally the weather is warm enough to paddle (it's been a long winter here in sunny Florida).  So, this morning eight of us set off in kayaks.  Five others planned to travel by car and meet us there.  It was a bit breezy which gave us some headwind, but it wasn't a difficult paddle.

I always find the hardest part of the trip to be getting into the kayak.  Using a kayak when it's on a beach is really easy.  Getting into a kayak from a dock is another story.  It always makes me anxious.  You have to go down the ladder, stand in the tippy kayak and then plop your tush into the seat.  I hate it.  The photo above shows me smiling in relief because I made it into the kayak without tipping it over and falling into the canal.  Once I'm in, paddling is no big deal.  This kayak belongs to another Islands resident who wanted to paddle one way rather than round trip.  That worked for me so I took her boat to Pecks and she paddled it back.

Here we are starting to form up in the canal that leads out to Dixie Bay.  I'm in the red kayak with my back to the camera.

Soon there were even more of us ready to start out.

This is the group arriving at Pecks.  I'm that tiny dot in the upper center of the photo.  It's a good thing I only committed to kayaking one way.  I'm not sure I would have managed the return trip.  Although, I will point out that we paddled into a headwind almost the whole way.  If the wind did not change, the trip back would be easy sailing with the wind behind the group.

Here I am relieved to beach the kayak and get into the restaurant.  Remember I said it's much easier to access a kayak when it's beached?  Well, I misspoke.  I had a lot of trouble standing up.  One of the guys offered to give me a hand but I wanted to do it myself.  Well, I lost my balance and luckily fell back into the kayak rather than into the water.  The second try I was successful.

And here I am ready to go into the restaurant.  Did I mention that Pecks specialty is grouper in an almond crust?  It's fabulous.  And, you don't need to worry about the calories when you've paddled there.  Once we ate and saw everyone back off, Dick and I drove back to The Islands.  This is what Florida is supposed to be.  We've waited for it a long time this year.

The Last Kayak

Four of us went for a paddle today planning to go to Peck's, the seafood restaurant in Ozella. Peck's is about four miles from The Islands by kayak and 17 miles by car. Since the forecast was for possible thunderstorms this afternoon, we decided we would make a decision about completing the trip once we were out on the water. Here we are just setting off from Sue's dock.



It was windier that we expected once we were out on the bay but it was manageable. We moved right along through the twists and turns the route takes through the sawgrass. There wasn't a lot of wild life today, just American Anhingas and Cormorants. I want to note, for my sister's sake, that there were no alligators in view. Once we spotted the buildings that make up Ozella, Abby called to reserve a table. We were told there would be a wait. After a brief conference, we decided that waiting to get a table and the subsequent time it would take to get served would not be conducive to getting home before 4 PM to beat any thunderstorms. None of us wanted to be out on the water in severe weather. We turned around and headed back to The Islands. The wind was behind us allowing Doris and Sue to use their kayak sails. They were really moving along. It wasn't very difficult for Abby and me to paddle with that great tail wind. Before long Dixie Shores, particularly the pink house that is our landmark were in view. I estimate our total trip at about six miles.


Just because we couldn't get a table at Peck's didn't mean we were going to miss our chance to have lunch out. We drove to Cravings on the Water in Crystal River and had a delightful lunch there. Cravings serves seafood and Cuban inspired dishes and is located right on Kings Bay. We snagged an outdoor table with a view of the water. Dick came with us and served as the photographer.

I'm going to miss these women, kayaking and the Florida sunshine. It's hard to believe we will be boarding the Autotrain on Wednesday and arriving back in NJ on Thursday. It seems like only yesterday that we got here. We'll be carrying many wonderful memories back with us.

Update

It's been nearly a week since I last posted and the time has flown.

We had a day visitor last Saturday, a good friend from FUSP (First Unitarian Society of Plainfield). It was a warm, sunny day and we were able to have lunch on the screened porch for the first time in weeks.

Sunday we made our usual trip over to Citrus Springs to attend services at NCUU (Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists). Following the service there was a pot luck with a wide selection of delicious offerings. Dick and I had picked up a spiral sliced ham to bring and it was well received. We have been touched by the warm, friendly atmosphere at NCUU. The members encourage us to participate in many aspects of the congregation's life despite being snow birds and we are grateful.

Monday our friend, Maryann, also a member of FUSP, arrived to spend a few days with us. Maryann is an active outdoor person and we spent time biking, walking and kayaking. Here we are in Floral City taking an ice cream break during our ride on the Withlacoochie Trail.

Dick was with us (he took this photo) and we all rode about 17 miles, from Inverness to a spot south of Floral City and back. It was a beautiful day and the trail was getting some use. We saw quite a few people on recumbent bicycles and tricycles. We also saw this fellow, who was not riding a bike.


He was moving along at a brisk pace.

Progress continues on Decimal. I've finished both sleeves and am in the midst of the border pattern on the body. Knitting across 205 stitches for each row is a slow process. The pattern is easy to memorize with just enough challenge to keep it interesting.

Kayaking in Crystal River

We've been in Florida for more than six weeks now and for the most part the weather has been very cold. Some mornings we've awakened to heavy frost and the tender plants in front of our condo unit have really suffered. We haven't complained about the weather because in spite of the cold, it's almost always 20 to 25 degrees warmer than NJ. I check every day!

Sunday, February 8, the weather finally turned warmer and we're told it will stay warm for at least the next 10 days. Monday Dick and I rode our bikes along the dedicated bike path on the road to the beach near our condo.

And, today, some of the women in the community went kayaking. It was my first time in a kayak in two years and I was a bit anxious about my stamina. My cousin, Sue, has been gracious about allowing me to use one of her kayaks.

This time of year the water tends to be rather low, particularly when the tide is out. We set out from Sue's dock (specially designed to adjust to the water level) planning to kayak to Lake Louisa. It was a beautiful day, the mullets were jumping and we watched a pelican catch his dinner. About an hour out we began to encounter low water and to get stuck from time to time in the mud. When it became apparent we were going to have to portage over an oyster shell shelf, I decided to turn back. Abby was kind enough to join me while the two Sue's forged ahead.

Abby and I were back home about two hours after we set out. For the first kayak of the season, it was enough for me. I'm looking forward to going out again soon, preferably when the tide is in.