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Continue reading →: Steinhatchee River (06/19/14)The Steinhatchee River had been on my list of rivers to paddle for some time, so I was happy to make the five-hour drive. My attempt to paddle it last year had been throttled due to heavy rains that resulted in closed access at the Falls. Apparently, the waters had gotten so high and so fast…
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Continue reading →: Wekiva River, Lower (12/27/13)I stood at the water’s edge of Katie’s Landing State Park with my paddle buddy, Bill Belleville, looking across the Wekiva River, so glad I had remembered to bring my rain jacket. The wind had picked up, and the cloudy sky promised rain sometime soon. For the first time this…
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Continue reading →: Blackwater Creek (A Return: 11/09/13)We had driven through the gates of the Seminole State Forest just ten minutes earlier and were bouncing along the dusty road in Bill’s SUV, kayaks on the hood. As we chatted about the last time we paddled Blackwater, and we took in our surroundings, Bill brought his car to…
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Continue reading →: Caloosahatchee River and Hickey’s Creek (10/25/13)I paddled away from the bank of the Caloosahatchee River Regional Park, maneuvering around the cow lilies and into the wide river. A bird called out from a large oak behind me. The sky was clear, and I could just feel a touch of fall in the air. I loved…
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Continue reading →: Blackwater River (08/06/13)I began “Day 2”of my summer vacation with a paddle on the Blackwater River in Milton, Florida. I rented a sit-on-top kayak from the Blackwater Canoe Rental and selected the 11-mile paddle from the Bryant Bridge (north of Milton) to Deaton Bridge. The outfitter dropped me at 9:30 a.m. along…
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Continue reading →: Perdido River (08/05/13)Vacation time had arrived at last, and this summer, I planned to return to the Panhandle for three paddles. It was long overdue—I had originally scheduled it for July, but I fractured my wrist (handstands) and had to delay my trip. My cast came off Friday, two days before I…
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Continue reading →: Crystal River: King’s Bay (05/18/13)Admittedly, my favorite rivers are remote, narrow, and twisted with a lush green canopy, lots of wildlife, and little human life. However, a girl can enjoy an occasional frolic in a busy setting from time to time…right? I had just paddled Waccasassa the day before, and this Saturday in May,…
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Continue reading →: Waccasassa River (05/17/13)An hour and a half up the river, and I found myself stuck on a log, disappointed that my swift paddle maneuver didn’t work, after all. It was close to low tide, and even if I could get over the log, chances are, it would be more difficult on the…
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Continue reading →: Withlacoochee River–South (12/28/12)I stood in the close quarters of the tiny outfitter’s office with Jackie, the owner. “We have alligators and snakes here, just so you know,” she warned me, and then she demonstrated how to remove a snake from a paddle. Truthfully, alligators don’t bother me, but I’ve yet to encounter…
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Continue reading →: Sebastian River (11/02/12)Standing on the dock, looking down at the small, winding river, my thoughts drifted to childhood images of summers in Vermont, fishing from the banks of Joe’s Brook with my siblings. We would sit amongst the tall grasses—in the middle of nowhere—where we had moments ago caught grasshoppers and dug…
Footprints and Ripples 