I've just turned 54. When I started this blog about 10 years ago, my intent was to create a list of 45 things to accomplish before turning 45. Well, I'm 54 now and this blog has turned in to a series of ramblings. We haven't been doing family trips with my folks for a few years. I have come to ADORE Tampa and basically no longer feel the need to vacation too far from where I live 365.
Over the years, I have become a kayaker and last summer I made it my mission to kayak all of Hillsborough Bay including the Hillsborough River up to the Rowlett Dam and McKay Bay and the Palm River up to the dam. I've taken tons of phots but mostly just kept my experiences to myself and my family.
I am no longer a Writing Specialist for the school system and I don't write/teach writing for a living. So, I've let my writing brain get a little rusty. But, I miss it. I miss having an electronic scrapbook detailing my adventures. 2024 is the year of blogging my Tampa staycation. The following pictures are from my first Saturday (May 25th) of being off of school for the summer break.
I woke EARLY...maybe 6:00ish, made my coffee to go, grabbed my kayaking supplies, and headed to Cypress Point Park.
Websites for more info:
Early morning calm winds, mid afternoon (my approximate return time) the wind was sort of strong, and a rising tide meant that I was able to plan for a nice drift back to the beach...an especially welcomed respite after about 6 hours of paddling (semi-non-stop-ish).
My plan was to put in at the beach at Cypress Point Park, go as far south down the western shore to where I most recently stopped. (Previously, I had explored from the Gandy Bridge Boat Ramp north, covering all of the canals and the former Georgetown Apartments acreage.). The reason why I launched from Cypress Point is because there is only a very sketchy quasi-water access point. (I used that as a point of embarkation last year and felt like I was traipsing through someone's yard. It was verrrrrry weird feeling!)
The only other option (that I know of) was to use the West Shore Marina. However, it is fenced off on all sides and their website hasn't been updated since 2021. So...Cypress Point it is.
| Float Plan: May 25, 2024 |
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| The Welcoming Committee was busy foraging for their breakfast. |
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| 7:00 am sunny halo. |
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| I "love" me some messages from the universe. |
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| Look closely at my left Croc, the dried remains from being "pied" at school. (The students who improved their scores and/or scored in the 5 and 6 range on the PM3 earned the right to throw a pie in the face of their chosen staff member.) |
Click here to learn more about the Howard Franklin Bridge's future. The gist is that there is going to be a new span and one of the old ones will be demolished. I ADORE kayaking under things like bridges and docks. I'm certain that I was a troll in my former life! The current rips through these pilings but if you snug up to the base in the "shade from the wind" it makes for a wonderful resting spot with loads of fish and dolphin action.
Over the years as I have photographed my vacations, I usually find myself drawn to a unique and yet reoccurring subject matter. One year it was tangled boat lines, another year of lost shoes, intact lightbulbs on the beach, etc. I think this year I'm going to focus on derelict docks and left out ladders. Wait! What? Yes. As I was on my last couple of outings, I have noticed myself pondering all of the ways I've seen ladders "displayed". My intent is to create a final blog post with a summer's worth of ladders. My dear friend photographs murals from March to May and I'm going to have her collection serve as an exemplar. I don't have a cute name for my project though. Lingering/Left-Out/Listing Ladders? Liquid Ladders? June and July: Step up? I definitely like the alliteration! Regardless of the hashtag, I love examining these while singing Jimmy Buffet's, "The stories they could tell..."
Talkin' to myself again
Wonderin' if this travellin' is good
Is there somethin' else a' doin'
We'd be doin' if we could
[Chorus]
But ah, the stories we could tell
And if it all blows up and goes to Hell
I wish that we could sit upon a bed in some
Listen to the stories we could tell
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| Hello fellow troll! You've got quite a nice smile. |
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| Murky and silty. But, a good hiding spot! |
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| My kayak draws just inches of water. I floated up without disturbing the school. |
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| ¿cómo se llama? |
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| A sneak peak at the ladder project. I'm fascinated by the ladders! If you have gazillions of dollars and live/build on Culbreath Isles, why an old ladder? My guess is...because it's cheap, effective, and easy to come by. These neighbors/buildders have clearly collaborated and shared their life hack. |
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| What a grande dame! She has certainly hosted glamorous parties in her day! I image the inside to look like a scene from "Auntie Mame". |
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| See what I mean about the ladders? |
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| Be careful on that upper deck! |
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| Venice? Tampa? |
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| This might become a future photography subject... The number of rafts, inner tubes, and floats I find tangled up in the mangroves could definitely fill a blog post! I also really like monitoring them over time. I know I have photos of a pink inner tube that has been lurking near my house for YEARS. |
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| No actual dock any longer. But... Check out the chandelier and the... LADDER! |
Back home. A successful trip. No tragedies. No scrapes/cuts. Relaxing after a dip in the pool. There's no place like home. 💖
