Sunday April 3rd 2022

It rained off and on all night. This morning it slowly transitioned to a cloudy day that threatened to turn to rain at any minute. The temperature stayed in the sixties most of the morning and only reached the low seventies by the end of the day. The weather wanted to remind me I’m not in South Florida anymore.

It addition to finishing most of the setup tasks for a two week stay, I got in one long walk to the Myakka River and back. The water level is definitely lower than it was in December. Areas that were underwater are now vast fields of tall green grass. The lower water level defines the main channel of the river clearly. It is a different location that I thought.

This morning there the wind wasn’t blowing keeping the surface of the water still and reflective. With the temperature in the sixties the alligators were still in the water with only their heads above water. From the bridge I counted twelve on one side and eight on the other. I don’t recall seeing that many from the bridge before. Some of the other places the alligators hand out during higher water levels are probably dry now.

The birds weren’t plentiful, but a few heron were around and one solitary turkey wadered in one of the dry river bed areas. I’m not used to seeing a turkey all alone. Usually when you see one, you see many.

I am looking forward to walking the trails along the river when the sun is out. The birds should be out of the trees and the gators should be taking the sun on the bank. The forecast calls for gradual improvement over the next couple of days with another cold front arriving on Thursday.