Monday September 28th 2020

Today went by quickly. A rain shower moved through the area around 7AM. I just rolled over and went back to sleep, By the time I woke up for real it was almost nine. This area of the campground is empty. My nearest neighbor barely visible from my site. The result is a very quiet relaxing environment.

Fall has not arrived in this part of Florida. In the northern part of the state there have already been a few fall weather days. A cold front is due to pass through here tomorrow evening that should bring some fall like conditions. Today was in the upper eighties with lots of humidity. Any outside activity resulted in clothing drenching sweat.

After completing my usual day after arrival setup tasks, I went on an exploration expedition around the park. A few things have changed since my last visit in the spring of last year. It really seems like it has been longer. The water level in Lake Manatee is lower than I’ve seen it. The water level in the reservoir is artificially controlled by a dam on the Manatee river, so it is likely a normal seasonal drop.

It also looks like the state park service has done another prescribed burn in the areas surrounding the campground. There has been evidence of planned fires since I first started coming to this campground in 2016. Today I saw more blacken trees and brush. It may be recently exposed areas from an earlier burn. There is evidence of cutting back brush to open up campsites and walkways all over the park. I’m sure the Gopher Tortoises appreciate the change.