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In East Texas, A Photo Essay

April 17, 2021 by · 2 Comments

In East Texas, A Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this week’s In East Texas post. Hope you like the photos!

In Martin Dies Jr. State Park.

Our week started at Martin Dies Jr. State Park, on the shores of Lake Steinhagen. The lake was once the Neches River. A dam took care of that, making a large lake, and on one side of that lake you find the state park.

Butterflies worked the thistles.

In Texas, people fishing from shore in a state park do not need a fishing license. I went fishing with the spin rod, and caught the first fish of the trip on a red shad Culprit worm. It was a largemouth black bass that tipped the scales at about five ounces. It was the only bite I got.

We found some jack-in-the-pulpit.

We spent most of a day on the hiking paths. I hugged a big old loblolly pine and had a religious experience. Really.

View from a boardwalk along the trail.

Swallowtail butterflies were working thistles. I shot a couple hundred frames!

Cindy, riding Buca.

We spent most of the week on Ten Metre Circle Ranch, with our friends Ken and Cindy. They are amazing hosts! With them we visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Grimes County Court House in Anderson, and Washington on the Brazos. We learned a lot about Texas history, Pompeii, and butterflies! And we learned a lot about dressage, because Cindy rides!

 

Cindy photographs a butterfly.

 

There were all kinds of exotic butterflies.

 

There was a sizable reptile too- an iguana.

 

Roman sculpture was less sophisticated than the Greek, but it wasn’t shabby, either.

 

Classic Rock Coffee in Navasota. Don’t get the croissants.

 

The interior was awesome!

 

Grimes County Courthouse in Anderson, a great place to visit. Ask for Al.

I was not expecting the profusion of beautiful wildflowers along the roads and in the fields, or the rolling hills. We find this part of Texas surprisingly lovely.

Bluebells, the Texas state flower.

 

Primrose, common along roadsides.

 

The east Texas version of Indian Paintbrush.

Thank you for reading this week’s In East Texas post!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or take a trip!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

In Cajun Country, A Photo Essay

April 10, 2021 by · 2 Comments

In Cajun Country, A Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this week’s In Cajun Country post. Hope you like the photos!

I’m writing a travelogue for GlobalOutdoors.com. They post a new installment every Monday. You can see the first one here…

North shore, Lake Pontchartrain

Our week started at Fontainebleu State Park, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. At one time, the property was a sugar cane plantation, with slaves providing the manpower. Now it’s a state park where those slave’s descendants can recreate. Maybe we are making progress as a race.

Sugar mill ruins.

 

A hummingbird moth works a thistle near the ruins.

 

Happy couple, giant live oak.

 

The surrounding communities have some interesting attractions, although many are still closed due to COVID. Travel during a pandemic has some drawbacks.

When we got there it was closed, saving us ten dollars.

 

Susan strikes a pose in front of the Catholic cathedral in Lafayette.

From there we went to Palmetto Island State Park, in the heart of Cajun country. We learned to eat crawfish, and learned about the Abbeville Omelette Festival, where they make a gigantic omelette by using more than 5000 eggs!

Crawfish, yum!

 

Wash the ‘dads down with cold Abita!

 

Mural in New Iberia, Bearing Gifts.

 

 

 

 

The state park had a large concrete alligator to welcome visitors.

 

It also had red irises!

 

The old train depot is now a gift shop.

 

A mural of the Omelette Festival!

After two nights there we headed to Texas, where we are currently. Big Thicket National Preserve is the coolest place I’d never heard of! We stayed two nights in Village Creek State Park, outside Beaumont. But we’re moving again!

There’s a place in the Big Thicket called Pitcher Plant Trail.

 

Snack time for the pitcher?

 

Pitcher plant blossoms.

 

Cypress slough along the Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket.

 

There were magnificent old trees.

Thank you for reading this week’s In Cajun Country post!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or take a trip!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On the Road Narrative and Photo Essay

April 2, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

On the Road Narrative and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this week’s on the road narrative.

At Gainesville’s Burrito Famous.

Last week I ended the post by saying we were ready to pack it up and go. We packed it up and went!

FLORIDA

Could Vanna do it better?

Our first night was spent at O’Leno State Park, in High Springs. The Sante Fe River disappears into a sinkhole here, after which it flows underground for three miles before popping to the surface again and continuing its way to the Suwannee River. I recommend a visit to O’Leno State Park– it’s nice!

Swamp azaleas along the trail at O’Leno Park.

 

On the O’Leno suspension bridge.

 

River Sink. The Santa Fe River disappears here.

From there we went to Florida Caverns State Park, in Marianna. We took a tour of the caverns, which was a great thing to do! The tour took an hour, during which time we were more than 60 feet below the surface, surrounded by fantastically sculpted line rock. Electric lights kept us from multiple toe jams, or head jams, depending which end would have struck. Fantastic place.

The tour guide does her thing.

 

Stalactites.

 

Colored lights add an eerie ambiance.

We spent that night and the next at Moonpie Farm, where we got a full dose of farm animals. Elizabeth, the owner, was super nice and except for the no showers part it was a great place to camp.

Elizabeth and Ivan, of Moonpie Farm.

 

Elizabeth makes several goat’s milk cheeses.

 

Unlike most geese, these were almost nice!

We also visited Falling Waters State Park, the location of Florida’s highest waterfall! It’s a lovely little falls, where the water drops deep into a sinkhole. It was cool to see, but, it was then, OK, what else ya got? We took a short hike around a lovely landscape, but short was the operative word.

Florida’s highest waterfall!

 

An unusual type of thistle along the trail.

ALABAMA

We drove to Spanish Fort, Alabama, the next morning, to camp at Meaher State Park. It’s little more than an RV park- I would not go there again. A cold front with accompanying rain and lightning spiced up our stay.

Approaching front at Meaher.

MISSISSIPPI

We had breakfast in downtown Mobile the following morning, totally forgettable. Then we crossed another state line, into Mississippi. As I write this we’re at the Davis Bayou Campground in Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Walter Anderson’s personal room, now at the museum.

We visited the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs. This guy, like so many artists, was simply amazing. He was compelled to create, working with watercolors, oil paints, wood, clay, found materials- the medium didn’t matter. He rowed a little dingy 12 miles out into the Gulf all the time to get inspired by nature on uninhabited Horn Island, a barrier island off the coast. He had some fantastic work on display, easily a trip highlight for us.

A section of an Anderson mural at the museum.

 

Same mural, different section.

That cold front I mentioned? It meant business. When I woke up this morning, the air temperature was 39 degrees. The Sienna doesn’t have an auxiliary heater. We were not in a hurry to roll out of bed.

Pitcher plant blossom at the wildlife refuge.

When we did, we visited the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. Like all federal properties these days, the visitor center was closed. We took a lovely, too-short hike through a pine savannah filled with pitcher and sundew plants. The pitcher plants were blooming, large yellow flowers, lots of them.

Random shot in Ocean Springs. Maynard G. Krebs, prop.

Tomorrow another state line awaits, I gar-on-tee!

Thank you for reading this week’s On the Road narrative!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or take a trip!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Virtual Tour of Sienna Van Build

March 27, 2021 by · 2 Comments

Virtual Tour of Sienna Van Build

The beast.

Thank you for reading this week’s Virtual Tour of Sienna Van Build.

Anyone who reads these posts on a regular basis knows that I have been working on a camper van conversion since purchasing the Sienna. I’m finished! thank you for your patience!

The solar panel supplies the power.

As you peruse the photos, keep in mind that I don’t have any sort of shop. I do have a rickety folding table and a couple of c-clamps, as well as a skil-saw, an electric jig saw, and an electric sander. And an electric drill, that was real important.

The power feeds into a charge controller.

On the roof is mounted a 200 watt, 12 volt solar panel from Rich Solar. Wires feed the generated current into a Rich Solar charge controller. From there a steady 12V current feeds into a positive busbar, which routes the energy to whatever circuits might be active (lights, fans, refrigerator, 12V sockets) or charges the auxiliary battery, or both. Or it might go into a Renogy inverter and get changed from 12V DC to 120V AC, for charging computers and i-pads, running an electric shaver, or what-have-you.

The positive busbar feeds power to the battery and to the 12V circuits, including the Dometic refrigerator. The inverter is under the busbars, hidden from view by the fridge.

There’s also a cable from the battery to a Renogy DC to DC charger, so I can charge my auxiliary battery from the car’s alternator.

The electrical distribution panel, full of fuses and two circuit breakers. We’re under the bed here. The yellow plug is the shore power line. There is an LED strip under here, too!

Again, I used a wiring diagram I got from ExploristLife.com. The only difference is that Nate uses his panels to charge four auxiliary batteries. He’s got a beefier vehicle than I, however. My thoughts were, if he uses these gauges of wire for a 400 watt system, they are way more than adequate for mine.

The rear cabinet, passenger side. Light strip underneath.

I have lots of fuses and circuit breakers in that wiring. And a fire extinguisher in the van!

The rear cabinet, driver side. Light strip underneath.

Lights- I have seven separate light circuits. Five of them are LED strips, two are LED reading lamps.

Switches and 12V plug, driver side. Top switch for under cabinet light, middle switch for under bed light, bottom switch controls inverter.To the right of the switches find the battery gauge. Above that is the reading lamp base. Below the gauge is a power strip, but I took the photo before installing the strip.

12 Volt plugs. There are five separate circuits for 12V plugs. Two of them are dedicated to our fans. The other three are for charging devices with a USB adapter plug.

Battery monitor.

There’s a battery monitor, analogous to a fuel gauge on a vehicle.

Looking in from the rear.

Under the rear bumper is a plug for plugging into the grid. I carry an extension cord.

Looking back from the sliding door.

Mounted inside the vehicle at the back of the driver side sliding door is a power strip that either plugs into the grid power or the inverter, for using devices requiring 120 volt AC power.

A headboard makes use of formerly unusable space, with lots of hooks for hanging things. At each end are our fans, those black things. And another light strip.

There are four small cabinets. There are plenty of hooks for hanging things.

The water box, filled with odds and ends. The front end of the bed is folded up.

I built a wooden box, for carrying bottles of water. It holds four one-gallon bottles and a five-gallon jug.

Of course there’s the bed, but the mattress is not in the van in these photos.

There’s also a little port-a-potty for buggy night-time urges.

We’re ready to pack it up and go.

Thank you for reading this week’s Virtual Tour of Sienna Van Build!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, Sienna Van conversion · Tagged: , , ,

Went to Cape Coral

March 19, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Went to Cape Coral

Thank you for reading this week’s Went to Cape Coral post.

Saturday found Susan and I in the Sienna, going to Cape Coral on a bit of a shake-down, and to visit Alex and Allison. We went to Cape Coral!

We arrived around supper time, and after dining on Susan’s chili, we watched Coming 2 America. As could be expected, it was silly. It was also well-done and pretty entertaining. I’m glad we watched it!

Went went to the Six-Mile Slough.

Sunday morning, Susan, Allison, and I went to the Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, someplace I had always wanted to visit. The boardwalk wanders through the slough for about a mile-and-a-half loop. We took it slow, barely strolling. There were only a few flowers, and not a lot of wildlife, but the walk is pleasant. It was a good thing to do.

The boardwalk…

 

…a blue flag iris…

 

…a reflection of an old cypress tree…

 

…the woods…

 

…and a white ibis. Good walk!

Afterwards we went to Cafe Brasil for lunch. We all split the muqueca- yum! There may have been a caipirinha involved as well…

Alex and Allison’s neighbors, the burrowing owls.

That evening I went and photographed the owls, little burrowers that live down the street from Alex and Allison.

Their eyes! Pretty amazing!

Monday Alex and I went kayak fishing off Bunche Beach. He used spin, I used fly. He got more trout than me, I got more fish then him. My take, all on Clouser Minnows, included 2 small gag grouper, five mangrove snapper, a dozen or so trout to about 24 inches, and more ladyfish than all three of those others, combined. I stayed pretty busy, and was glad I had a de-hooker! Nothing very exciting, but it sure was nice getting bite after bite.

Didn’t bother taking pictures of fish. This is what was left of the first two flies, mangulated by the fishies. Yes, I did make up that word.

Tuesday morning I went out and shot a few photos of a Plumeria tree.

Frangipangi!

Then we drove home. On the way we got hungry, and stopped in Winter Haven at a dive called Tacos My Friend. Oh, my, for eight bucks we had plenty of belly-filling deliciousness. I recommend the Gorditas!

Tacos, My Friend

 

The menu.

The rest of the week was spent cleaning the van and the house, and testing the electrical systems in the van. So far, so good. It’s almost ready!

Thank you for reading this week’s Went to Cape Coral post!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail! or eat tacos!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Southwest Florida Travel Post

March 6, 2021 by · 1 Comment

Southwest Florida Travel Post and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this week’s Southwest Florida Travel post.

Yours truly was a guest on the Fish Untamed podcast. I listened to it half expecting to be embarrassed and was pleasantly surprised that I came off as well-informed and perhaps even thoughtful.

Thanks for having me on the show, Katie!    https://fishuntamed.com

——————————————————-

Monday morning found me driving to Everglades City in the wee hours of the morning. I wanted to catch the outgoing tide all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, and low tide was at 11 AM. I mostly made it.

The kayak on the return trip, after eating and drinking for a couple days.

Paddlers need to know how to time the tides. Paddling against the current isn’t hard if the current doesn’t run fast. The moon phases where the highest volume of water moves are the new moon, closely followed by the full moon. Much less water is moving on quarter moons.

Another good thing to know is that 1/12th the total water volume moves during the first hour of the tide. One-sixth the volume moves during the second hour. During the third and fourth hours, half the total volume that’s moving does so. During the fifth hour the flow slows again, with 1/6th the total volume moving. And during the last hour, 1/12th, all that’s left, moves.

So if you must paddle against tidal flow, the best time to do it is on a quarter moon, near the top or bottom of the tide. If only the wind speed were so predictable.

I got out to Jewell Key near mid-day. Other campers were there, but there was plenty of room for me. After setting up camp I tried fishing. At my favorite spot the water was too deep to wade, and too rough to fish from the boat. So I tried other areas.

My favorite spot at low tide. These rocks usually hold fish. Not this time…

It was slow. I managed a couple each of jacks and ladyfish and one small snook, all on plastic shad.

Same area, same tide, different angle.

By the time sunset came around, I was ready to get horizontal. It had been a long day!

Sunset, into the Gulf.

Tuesday morning’s low tide found me in my favorite place. I worked it hard, both on foot and from the boat. The fish were not there. I managed four trout in four hours, and it’s not like they were big ones. I tried several other spots, and got nothing. By then it was high tide, when I typically don’t do well anyway. So I returned to camp and took a nap.

Did some stargazing and star photography.

That evening I stayed up and did some stargazing, always an enjoyable pastime. The wind was sufficient that the bugs were near non-existent.

Praise the Lord for a new day!

Wednesday the wind was blowing hard, and the sky looked like rain. After the previous day I figured fishing would be a wash. Bag it, John! Go see something new! I paddled back to Everglades City, then drove to Fakahatchee Strand, where I had never been.

Lots of clouds around for the sunrise.

The Big Cypress boardwalk was a tremendous one-mile walk. Most cypress in Florida are second-growth. But this place has massive, virgin cypress trees. My regret was the walk wasn’t longer.

The boardwalk.

 

Beautiful, big cypress trees.

 

The strangler fig killed this cypress.

 

Little blue? tri-color? heron along the trail.

From there I went to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, another place I had long wanted to visit. I got there and the gate was chained. Oops!

I ended up in Cape Coral, camping in son Alex’s driveway.

Getting ready for the tour.

Thursday I took an three hour ecotour with Kayak-Excursions. It was fun and educational, and the mangrove tunnel at the end was one of the nicest I’ve seen, just awesome. I highly recommend their services, https://kayak-excursions.com.

Launching!

 

Paddling amongst the pelicans.

 

In the mangrove tunnel.

Friday? Clean-up on aisle 4. After that trip the van was trashed. Now it’s nice and clean, as is all my gear.

Thank you for reading this week’s Southwest Florida Travel post!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or take a kayak ecotour!!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Nice Weather, Not Many Fish

February 27, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Nice Weather, Not Many Fish Post

Thank you for reading this week’s Nice Weather, Not Many Fish post. Spring is breaking in central Florida!

Monday I took care of honey-do’s, like repairing the clothes dryer (again!) and buying a new refrigerator. Ah, how I enjoy the minutia of day-to-day existence!

Except for the catching, everything about the day was fantastic.

Trying not to give up too easily, Tuesday I tried the Econlockhatchee again. I went to the most remote section of the river that I know how to access. The water was higher than I like, if I had a choice in such things as water levels. The wind was blowing, but where I was that mattered not.

The gum and maple trees are leafing out.

The day was spectacular.

Even the alligators seemed happy.

I worked it pretty hard. Got two smallish bass on a Culprit red shad worm. Got nothing on the 3″ plastic shad. Got some decent photos of the woods and river. Did not see another hominid.

HERE ARE THE LEAVES!

Catching might have been better, but I enjoyed the day, like totally, man!

Wednesday, after getting COVID shot #2, I finished up wiring the van.*

Thursday I dropped the auxiliary battery in, hooked it up, and turned on the power.

NO SMOKE! Hurray!

I tested all six 12V sockets. Power to all!

I tested the reading lights. Power to both!

I tested the five LED light strips, all which worked when tested before installation. Not one worked. I spent the rest of the day messing with one of those circuits. At day’s end, none of them worked. As I type this none of them work. Clearly, more work needs to be done there.

It looks ready to go to me!

Friday Tammy Wilson took me out on the Atlantic out of Port Canaveral, on an absolutely stunning day. She said (and I paraphrase), “Wanna go look for tarpon and cobia?” I asked, “What’s the water temperature?” “Sixty-three degrees.” “We won’t see a thing.”

I was wrong. We found a school of small bluefish. We saw three small tripletail. I took a picture of the rocket scheduled to go up Sunday night.

*I have not put the solar panel on the roof yet. The panel and carrying a kayak are mutually exclusive, so the panel will be installed as soon as I know I won’t be carrying a kayak for a while.

I’m going fishing next week. So I should have an actual fishing report.

Thank you for reading this week’s Nice Weather, Not Many Fish post!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, Sienna Van conversion, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , , ,

Wetlands Park Post

February 21, 2021 by · 4 Comments

Wetlands Park Post

Thank you for reading this week’s Wetlands Park post. Lots of pictures this week!

The Wetlands Park visit happened Monday. The winds, like today’s, made it too hard to fish. So I took a couple cameras and went for a walk, about two miles, and a little more.

It was Gatorama.

Surprise! There were lots of cars there when I got there- President’s Day. Didn’t bother the wildlife at all.

It was Gator-ama. And of course there were birds there. Saw a mudfish and some gar, no bass, although I’m sure they are there. Perfect place for them, protected from human predation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday afternoon, another blowy day, I visited the Econ on foot. Got one redbelly on a crappie jig. Then I lost that on some lumber. Tried the plastic shad and plastic worm, cast for about two hours, for a couple gar bites.

Friday afternoon I fished another section of the Econ, again it was blowy (it was blowy all week), and again I was on foot. Again tried the shad and the worm. Did not touch a fish.

So I put five hours or so into the Econ with a single redbelly to show for it. Not very good catching there.

Van update- wired the fans and the inside lights, and finished wiring the DC side of the distribution panel. Ran a wire from the battery to the DC-DC charger. The prediction, and goal, was to have the wiring completed by month’s end. It looks like that will happen. Hopefully nothing will catch fire when I flip the power switch to “ON”!

Thank you for reading this week’s Wetlands Park post!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Photo Essays · Tagged: , ,

Ode to Cabbage Palms Report and photo essay

January 23, 2021 by · 4 Comments

Ode to Cabbage Palms Report and photo essay

Thank you for reading this Ode to Cabbage Palms Report. There may be a couple fishy mentions in here too!

Monday and Tuesday must have been pretty dull, for I don’t remember what was done. I did repair our clothes dryer in there. My brain must have blotted out that terrible memory! On the other hand, the dryer does get hot and dries our clothes now.

Wednesday afternoon found me in the Bang-O-Craft, launching at CS Lee Park. Target, shad! Went to the mouth of the Econ, where casting commenced. The weather was fantastic. There were some signs of life in the water, and before long I had a fat crappie. A while later I got another. Shortly after I got a little one. And finally, the first shad (for me) of 2021, a little buck, which took a pink crappie jig, right next to the boat. All fish were released.

The noble sabal palm photographs beautifully.

I had been wanting to photograph some palm trees against the setting sun. The sky was spectacular, the light was golden, and I had my cameras.

They’re so Florida!

I went to a stand of sabal palm (Sabal palmetto) trees. Out came the camera. I may have gotten carried away, even trying imitate a palm tree myself.

Silly John, you can’t photosynthesize!

Would life be easier for us if we could photosynthesize? Imagine if we were green and could stand in the sun and make sugar!

Palms at sunset.

You can eat the heart of the sabal palm tree. Only once, though, as removing it kills the tree. Sabal palms are also called cabbage palm because of this edible heart.

Reflections of palms. It’s an ode to cabbage palms!

The Bang-O-Craft lacks lights, so I left before I wanted to, but got some more shots of the sky as I made my way back to the boat ramp.

St. Johns sunset, fantastic.

 

SR 46

Thursday played out in similar fashion, except I went to Mosquito Lagoon, and the photos happened at Black Point Wildlife Drive.

Note the brown slider. Eyes are bead chain.

Two black drum ignored my flies, and a redfish did not. I’m still using the brown slider. The water was quite low, and dare I say it looked a little cleaner? Some green stuff, that exotic algae from the Pacific Ocean (I can’t find the name right now), is starting to grow on the bottom of the lagoon. When that gets established we can be sure we’ll never see manatee grass there again.

The Release!

Friday began the process of installing the solar electrical system in the Sienna, which is probably how much of next week will be spent. At the moment I’m trying to figure out where all the components will go, and how to best mount the solar panel on top of the van.

The spoonbills are still at the wildlife drive.

 

Telephoto sunset.

 

Wide angle sunset.

Thank you for reading this Ode to Cabbage Palms Report blog!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Photo Essays, St. Johns River Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

MINWR Fishing and Hiking Report

December 18, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

MINWR Fishing and Hiking Report- with some Florida Trail, too

Thank you for reading this MINWR Fishing and Hiking Report! Tried to keep busy this week!

Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Monday– Worked on some mini-mags for my Magma Now account. If you’re looking for something to do while you’re at work, please visit my page at https://magmanow.com/@spottedtail/

Fish on the first cast, not often a good thing.

Tuesday– Took the kayak to Mosquito Lagoon. You know, I like to think I’m all 21st century and past superstitions, but when I catch a fish on the first cast I just feel kind of jinxed, ya know what I mean? Then I didn’t see another fish until mid-afternoon. Got one more bite, pooched it. Still tossing the slider. Note to self- make some more.

I’ve been getting my fish on these sliders. I’ve been pressing the barbs down before using them.

Wednesday– A front came through, mostly stayed home.

The woods were dark, and lovely.

Thursday– Went to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Visitor Center is closed, because of COVID I suspect. Fished with a spin rod along Gator Creek road for about an hour, did not touch one.

The resurrection ferns were happy because of Wednesday’s rain.

Went hiking on the Palm and Oak Hammock trails, on which I had never been. It was cold and overcast, so there were no bugs. The woods were lovely and dark. I saw an otter, but did not get a photo.

The maple leaves have changed colors and the trees are mostly bare.

Went hiking on the Scrub Ridge trail. Did not see much there.

Lots of birds on the Black Point Wildlife Drive!

Drove the Black Point Wildlife Drive. There were SO MANY birds there, just awesome. All kinds, even pink ones. Very worth going.

FT trail head.

Friday– Took a hike on the section of the Florida Trail from the Flagler Trail head on Snow Hill Road to Brumley Road. It was chilly and nice for hiking! Started about 0900, got home 1330. A lovely walk it was!

The trail looked great!

 

Got to cross this bridge.

 

Found some pitcher plants, in bloom no less.

Thank you for reading this MINWR Fishing and Hiking Report blog!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , , , ,
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