Waking up in Wakulla Springs

The layover day in Wakulla Springs was fantastic. Went to sleep to the sounds of frogs and birds, with windows open. Woke up without a headache to the sounds of songbirds. Had a genuine sit-down restaurant breakfast of french toast and scrambled eggs. French toast is my second-favorite breakfast, after the breakfast burrito at the Blue Benn in Bennington. Noplace can beat the Blue Benn!

Decided to do the 2.6-mile nature walk. Was a little concerned that the first sign was a poster of the most common biting insects. Didn't take the insects long to find me, and I had no insect repellent. Walked briskly, wishing my speed-reading skills were more proficient when I approached signs explaining the plants along the way. Forgot about the other bane of early morning woods walks -- spider webs. Walked face-first into a big one that covered my head and glasses. After untangling myself, I found a long stick and waved it in front of me as I walked. After about 2 miles of this, I got tired of feeding the insects and high-tailed it back to the lodge via the paved road.

Took the boat ride again after my walk and saw more birds, incluidng a wood duck with very freshly-hatched ducklings paddling behind her. The guide had to spoil the moment by advising us that many of those cute ducklings will likely become alligator appetizers. The springs was the site of filming some of the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies, "The creature from the black lagoon" movie, and other scary movies. Spent the afternoon plying some yarn I had spun, and spinning another spindle full. Ended the day with a nice fried shrimp with fries and tossed salad dinner.

We begin our last week on the ride. Hooray!