By Peter Clayton

An old favorite gave us another great experience today while christening one of our new members – Max Kiefer earned his initial “Dunk Club” sticker while trying to lean back to get under a low tree forgetting that his seat got in the way. A good recovery with an assist from Marty and a short paddle to the ramp saved the day. Steve Moody displayed his sympathy for Max with a nicely executed slip and fall as he disembarked during pull-out (no photo unfortunately).

We had glorious weather for our 8:55 launch, but soon found reminders of Nicole with many downed trees including whole bases of soil and roots (see photos). Wildlife was sparse but the natural setting made up for it. Two fishermen were angling from the Rails-to-Trails bridge – the only people we saw until pull-out. We had a few deadfalls to contend with but managed to clear. 

A surprise awaited us at pull-out as a group of about 10-12 using kayaks and canoes were launching – tourists led by a guide, plus two power boats manned by USGS personnel who were replacing the innards of the gauge just upstream from the ramp. Lunch at Norma D’s provided the usual mix of good food and great people watching. The latter included a group of older bikers, a variety of workers and a number of local farmers. We were home by 1:00 – thanks to Stan and Marty for the photos which follow.

Next Wednesday we’re organizing a lunch at St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Company (formerly Creekside Diner) to include Clyde – probably an 11:30 meet-up – let me know if you’re interested.