It is now starting to get a little later in the morning. You can hear lawn mowers starting and other things stirring. In the distance, I hear Church bells ringing. It must be about 8 am.

Looking at the banks, there are small culverts dumping water into the river. I wonder, where is the water coming from? We haven’t had rain in days. I guess it is just waste.

Ahead on the right, on a dock are another gentleman and his dog. They are just sitting, the newspaper at his feet still in the bag. What a way to start a morning. Walk out your back door and sit on the riverbank.

Now I am trying to figure how far to paddle. I know there are some rapids ahead so that will be my turn around.

The homes are now getting fewer and fewer. The river is also narrowing a bit. In one spot, a gust of wind hits and I am in a blizzard of leaves. The river bottom features are now starting to show. I know I am getting closer to the fresh water. In the distance I see a radio tower. As far as I figure, my home is probably ¾ mile to my right. Further ahead, I see a creek entering from the right. This must be Bell Creek. I cross this every time I am out bike riding.

The water is getting foamy and I see the rapids ahead. Now you northerner and mountain guys are probably snickering right now. By your ranking, these are probably Class .25 or .5 rapids. But hey, this is Florida and we have to take what we get.

I sit in the eddy for a moment; take a drink of water and head down stream.

Sunday morning and everyone is awake. I pass houses and hear people on their porches talking, televisions on with the political talking heads and the NASCAR pre race shows.

A woman in a red kayak passes me o the left. She is heading upstream. A little later an idling powerboat passes me. Engulfed in blue, two-stroke smoke, I pick up the pace and get some fresh air.

The river is awake.

Behind me, I hear voices and look over my shoulder. I see two kayaks. One, a tandem (father and son), the other a regular kayak. I recognize these guys from last years Alafia Challenge. They pass by me and the man in the tandem compliments my boat. They disappear around the corner.

In the distance, again I hear Church bells. It must be about 10 am.

The rope swing and spring is up ahead. There is already a boat pulled up to the shore. And I continue downstream.

There are more and more signs of civilization and the Civic Center is up ahead.

Here come the Tandem kayak and his buddy again. This time they are heading upstream. I think to myself “Boy, I must really be slow”.

Around the bend, I paddle up to the ramp. About 3 guys walk out to the dock. One shouts across the water “Dude! That is one sweet canoe!” I thank him and he asks if I will be racing this next Saturday. I tell him I am, and he says he is too and will see me there.

Total miles traveled, I have no idea. Total time paddling, 4 hours. It is now 11 am.

I went to go fishing, but never wet a line.

It was a good morning.