All's well that ...

...ends with a bath?

Ok, here's from the beginning:  Gizzy and I are on our "summer schedule" now, where we get out of the house by dawn and return home around 9:30 am and hibernate pretty much for the rest of the day.

This morning we watched Bank's Lake wake up ... The refuge contains a variety of habitat types including 1,500 acres of marsh, 1,549 acres of cypress swamp, and 1,000 acres of open water.

We observed a friendly couple heading out onto the lake in hopes of catching some fish!

YES, we did! You tell it, mama!







Weedbeds of coontail, milfoil, spatterdock, and water lilies are everywhere. Banks Lake is a combination of the natural and the manmade. The natural part is the pocosin, or Carolina bay, a natural low-lying area that collects and holds rainwater. The manmade part is the earthen levee that was built in the 1840s.

Banks Lake averages around 5 feet deep, although a few holes go down to 15 feet. Banks Lake is less acidic than most blackwater systems, which allows largemouth bass and other sport fish to thrive in its waters. A fertile system with good water quality, plenty of forage, and a long growing-season make Banks Lake a great place to fish.

After talking to a friend at the Outpost, we moseyed on the boardwalk and back to the car just as the sun was peeking through the trees.

I have never been to "the river" and when people here talk about "the river" it's understood that it's the Alapaha river. This 190 mile long river is a popular place for fishing, boating and recreational activities. It's only about two miles from here, yet, I've never stopped to really look at it. Nice to know that I don't have to drive to the beach to walk barefoot in the sand, because there is plenty. Gizzy blends right in.

We didn't stay long, because I don't fish and the mosquitoes were attacking me...but it was interesting to see. I still want to find another location though, to look at it some more. This one was off the side of the road right under a bridge and it wasn't my favorite spot. The Alapaha is a tributary of the Suwannee River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

Then off to a quick stop at Roquemore Park where the Hydrangeas bloom.

My Hydrangea Boy (L). This Boulder on the right should be called "Gizzy's Rock" or "Gizzy Magnet" because he goes straight towards it as soon as we exit the car. If they ever relocate it, he'll be lost! We met a nice young man and his German Shepherd named Sarah, who ran towards us, but Gizzy (not liking big dogs) had a conniption, so we had to keep our encounter brief.

When we arrived back home around 9:30, I took a shower with the boy and spread some big towels on the floor for him to rub, roll and scoot himself dry. He was pretty "ripe" and all that sand from the river needed to go too. Now he feels much better!

Thanks for coming along!

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