We have just finished a wonderful weekend. Eric and Shawn drove up from St. Petersburg and met us yesterday late morning. At forst the wind was blowing out of the northeast so hard it would have been a challenge to get off the dock, but then it laid down a bit and after they got their gear on board and Eric's new kayak, we were able to take off. Went about an hour up river to a tributary that looked interesting and dropped the anchor for the evening. A beautiful spot out of the wind. I got a paddle in with Eric's new kayak then a happy hour with some of the beer Eric and Shawn brought. Then the fun started. Earlier in the day, Cindy and I had planned dinner, biked to the store, got some things we needed, then stopped at the local seafood place and got a half bushel of crabs and some shrimp. We had never cooked crabs before, but with internet sources and some local help, we took a stab at it.
 

Getting a paddle in

They were still wriggling when we put them in the pot

We cooked them all and ate almost all of them, but the cabin still smells a little crabby. After the crabfest, watched the Wild beat Philidelphia 1-0, they are looking better the last couple of games.

Cooked crabs in a bin

Eating good

Eric and Shawn in the dinghy after taking the dogs to shore

 

This morning the day started flat, and I got another great paddle in , then we went for a putt up the river making a loop, looking for critters. We were rewarded with a look at a bunch of turtles, then a 12 foot allegator on a log. What a prehistoric creature.

A look at old inland Florida

Later in the day we took the kids back to the dock and dropped them off after a really great visit. They were our first visitors on the boat. I think they had a good time.

Our first overnight visitors

  

Sidney photobombing in the access door

After dropping them off we got underway again for a couple of hours to get a little further up the river. We were blocked by this railroad bridge for 20 minutes or so, until the Amtrak train passed.

The bridgemaster opened for us aftr the train passed

Made camp at this really remote spot back between 3-4 islands, nobody around.