Cocktail Cruise

Skies are looking gray but only 20% chance of rain, water is high, warm but a little breezy–let’s go on a cocktail cruise.

Cocktail Cruise
Maggie, guiding us out to Mason Creek
Cocktail Cruise
This house has set empty for years. New owners and lots of activity. Looks like a new dock is going in now.
Cocktail Cruise
The bait lady headed home. Hey, when did she start selling ice cream? And what kind of fish is that going to catch?
Cocktail Cruise
Great Blue Heron
Cocktail Cruise
No eagles, ospreys, or hawks, but here’s a cormorant.

Got home just in time, that 20% chance of rain turned into a thunderstorm which we  watched from the safety of our screened in deck.

Withlacoochee State Trail – Gulf Junction Trailhead

Local Places, Local Faces

Terry, Maggie and I love being outdoors and doing all those fun activities available to us all year long in Citrus County, but between the Al-La-Palooza, the JesAndy Jubilee, and the crazy weather we’ve had so far this year, we haven’t had much time to get out there. Finally this past weekend we had a free day and decent weather!

So we headed to the Withlacoochee State Trail for some bike riding. In the next few months, I want to travel the entire length of the trail–all 46 miles–broken up into several manageable lengths. This ride started on the very northern section of the trail, the Gulf Junction Trailhead, just south of Dunnellon. Our plan was to ride five miles south or until we reached the next trailhead and then ride back. A ten mile round trip seemed reasonable.

While we have used the trail many times over the last several years, we always start in Inverness so I didn’t know what to expect at this trailhead. I was relieved to see that there was a restroom. And like the trailhead in Inverness, there was a picnic pavilion and benches.

Withlacoochee State Trail - Gulf Junction Trailhead
Since this is considered the beginning of the Withlacoochee State Trail, bluebird box number one is there. We saw several bluebirds making use of the boxes.

There were already a few cars parked and people either cooling down or getting ready to start out. They all made a fuss over Maggie which made the pooch very happy. Most of Maggie’s trail experience is from a bike basket since she’s old and has short legs, but she loves getting down and running or walking for short spurts.  Her very favorite thing is definitely all the unusual smells.

Withlacoochee State Trail - Gulf Junction Trailhead

The trail was relatively flat–just a few inclines and only a few roads to cross over. But I was happy to come across the South Citrus Springs trailhead a little short of our 5 mile goal.I was ready to turn around!

I recently read about an attempt to connect several bike trails and create a continuous 200 mile bike trail from St. Petersburg to Titusville. While I don’t think I want to cover that much distance, I would like to do the “Rails to Trails” 19th annual bike ride on the Withalcoochee Trail in October this year. By then I should have visited all of the trail heads and be ready to ride!

Withlacoochee State Trail - Gulf Junction Trailhead
Another trail user asked if we wanted our pictures taken. I kind of said no cause I looked pretty bad, but Terry and he thought that was funny.

If you see us on the trail, stop and say hi! We’d love to meet you!

Just another morning in Perfect

Besides a few biting flies, life is Perfect.

Maggie’s ready to go!

Just another morning in Perfect

Just another morning in Perfect

Just another morning in PerfectFor those of you who went on our pre-wedding walk/run, this is the other side of the property where you turned around.  You should buy this and build a beautiful home here and be my neighbor.  Look!  You already have a dock!

Just another morning in Perfect

And you would live right down the street from these people with their great big house!  Once again for our walkers and runners, this was the house that you couldn’t see behind the little walls.

Just another morning in Perfect

Think about it.  You know you want to come back!