Saturday March 23rd 2024

Yesterday’s storm was over by the time I got up this morning. It was a beautiful sunny day with a high temperature around eighty. The back side of the front brought strong winds, but the bulk of the storms were off to the east.

I spent the day getting settled in at Myakka River State Park. The last time I was here in late September to early October the water level was near flood stage and the park was still working on some damage from hurricane Ian nearly a year before. Now the cabin repairs have been completed and other areas have been reopened. The trails I couldn’t walk because of high water are usable again.

The one issue that continues is a concern with the drinking water. Since last May there has been a don’t drink the water order in place for the state park. I knew about this before I came last fall and this time, so I came with a full tank of water. They are also providing drinking water by the gallon for campers at the ranger station.

The water level is well within the banks of the river now. I think the high water level persisted well into the fall. The grasses along the banks are very high and in some areas it looks like water only receded recently. On one to the trails that I couldn’t walk last fall there are a number of trees down across the path. It is necessary to climb over or under them to follow the trail. The park staff really needs to get out with a chainsaw.

The alligators were out on the river banks today. At one of the popular viewing areas a group was counting them. They seemed to see twenty in that location. I think it may have been some creative counting, but there were a lot of them. At the park road bridge over the river the alligators were harder to count. Many were in the water.

Initially, I did see as many water birds as I expected. Out along the banks of Lake Myakka there are usually lots of birds feeding along the bank. The trees on the far side of the river have been filled with roosting birds in the past. This morning I saw one bird along the lake shore. Later in the day, along some of the trails along the river away from all the tourists I started to see birds. There are probably as many birds around in different areas than I’m used to looking.