Happy Valentine's Day

this one was my best ever

first kayaking from my favorite put in by the locks

it is only a few miles from our house, a dirt road that goes to the back of the locks

if you go past  a ways there is one place you can put in

between the mangroves

I found it by searching Google Earth

I like that spot because no one else is there and it is free

also you have lots of options from there

if it is windy, you can stay in the back channels and float wind free

or go out into the Myakka River and south into Port Charlotte Bay

only accessible by water

today we headed south out of the channel, best chance for beaches

we came out of the channel and headed down the shore

the first little beach we saw had lots of vultures

we looked closer and realized they were eating something

a dead dolphin!

wow that was something you don't see everyday

if fact I had never seen it before

Willi got close, I stayed back

it's great place to kayak, lots of little beaches along the shore

it was actually a little windy out there

we tucked into a small beach and decided to go back

to the sheltered bay

at least going back we were going with the wind

inner mangrove bays, out of the wind

I did however make an error in the tides

I thought it would be low tide for lunch with plenty of places to pull in

it was high tide and getting higher

luckily some of these islands are dredged spoils from the locks

and a perfect place to have a picnic

we had a wonderful lunch of chicken salad sandwiches

strawberries, grapes and tangerines

(oh and chocolate cookies....)

Willi won the first game by a lot, see

I managed to barely win the second game

he had a high hand of 24, rare in Cribbage

not rare that he won

here is the spot in the mangroves we have to find to take out

we have it marked with a little orange flagging

a memorable day on the water

the kids came over when we got home and brought us

handmade valentines

and yummy homemade cookies

Emily valentine

Elizabeth and Lucy valentine

and little Mr. Arlo Cruz valentine

my heart is full

I am missing a few people - you know who you are

Love from all of us to all of you