Thursday October 5th 2023

Today was my last full day at Myakka River State Park. As I have each day of my stay, I made the rounds of the various parking lots and trail heads in search of wildlife. Perhaps because the water level was high once again, the wildlife was in short supply today. I saw a couple of deer along the park road, but they were keeping their distance from the actual road. The birds were not plentiful near the points of easy access. I managed to see a couple of egrets and herons flying along the river, but they didn’t land anywhere near my viewing point.

When I walked over to the river near the water level gauge I was surprised to see how high the water level had reached. One area of the path that had been dry since I arrived was in danger of being under water shortly. When I got to the actual gauge I saw that the level was a 0.1 of a foot higher than it was the day I arrived. Last weekend it was much lower at 0.25 of a foot below the level when I arrived. So the water level has fluctuated over four inches while I’ve been here.

When I wasn’t in search of wildlife I was preparing for travel tomorrow. I have a little less clutter inside to worry about this time. Since I am using my water tank for fresh water, while the parks water is consider non potable, I have been cleaning my dishes quickly and efficiently. The result is no accumulation of dirty dishes to deal with. It is rarely a big issue, but even a few less things to deal with is a help. Sunset beat me to the outside tasks. I hadn’t really noticed how early the sun is now disappearing from the sky. Fall seems to really be here.

I have a little over a hundred miles to travel tomorrow. My destination is a Army Corp of Engineers Park east of LaBelle Florida. Thankfully, the government didn’t shutdown so I have a valid reservation. Checkout time here is 1PM, so I don’t have to worry about rushing in the morning. I will try to leave around noon for two hour or so drive. This will be a trip on Florida state roads rather than interstate highways.