first surfing adventure of the year

I can’t really say that our surfing adventure was anything really grand, but we have made it to the beach twice in the past few days.  I guess a more appropriate title would be the first sun tan of the year.  Not bad for February in Florida.

I have to admit that getting to the beach is a lot more of a hassle with kids, but it is worth it.  Now I have to load and unload all of the gear usually by myself, while hoping my little one doesn’t wander off…longboards, kayak, paddles, life jackets, food, drinks, extra sunscreen.  Anyways, the beach was basically flat, so the view from the kayak was really cool.  We paddled over the reef and saw all sorts of fish and a few sharks.  We even caught a few waves.  I let the kids each paddle the kayak by themselves.  Wyatt didn’t get very far, but I give him credit.  He’s only 1 1/2.  Croix goes a bit further.  She liked to use the paddle with the longboard gondola style. 

I found a dead crab and the kids gave it a proper funeral.

Okeechobee Waterway, Feb.1-2

Gary decided he wanted to take the Okeechobee Waterway from our house on the South Fork, through the Lake, all the way to Sanibel Island and back in two days.  He was going to do it in our little john boat.  So he recruited his friend, Tom, to tag along…to have an extra boat, just in case.  We camouflaged the boat and Gary put a palm roof on it.  He had a comfy seat and even had a special steering system rigged. 

They left our dock Friday afternoon and had to make it through the St. Lucie Locks by 3 and the Port Mayaca Locks by 10.  They entered lake Okeechobee in total darkness.  He said the Lake was so low that if they got out of the channel they would immediately run aground.  They made it to Clewiston in the middle of the night and tried to sleep on metal docks they found, but the cold and safety factors kept them awake.

Because the trip was taking too long, they decided to turn around.  Gary left Tom behind in order to make it through the locks before they closed for the day.  Timing was everything.  On the way back, he saw hundreds of prehistoric like alligators, some so big they could barely move.

The trip will be attempted again, next time with more people and faster boats.