Internet Dating Works for the Geezers

Well not dating exactly, but we made a good connection through the internet. Geezer Al posted a note on Paddling.net asking about renting or borrowing kayaks in Florida (we need two more boats when the ladies join us next week). An immediate response came from Andy Lundberg in Tallahassee, offering the loan of a plastic kayak and inviting us to paddle with him somewhere in his area.

Friday, we met up with Andy at a boat launch on the Wicassa River today and had a nice paddle trip, exploring the passages to several springs along the river.
Now a “spring” in the Northeast brings up visions of a clear trickle running from a hillside. Along rivers in north Florida, a spring may put out millions of gallons of clear 72 degree water per day!

Our trip from the St. Joseph’s Peninsula to meet Andy was punctuated with sightings of 9 separate Bald Eagles and a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites (Geezer Al’s all-time favorite bird). Florida’s “Forgotten Coast” is well named as far as human development, but it’s great for finding critters! Our paddle turned up a Barred Owl, Little Blue Herons, Common Moorhens and Greater Yellowlegs sandpipers.

Booty was exchanged – we gave Andy a Geezer shirt and he generously bestowed each of us with a Boatabag – a nice water carrier with a sturdy cover that he developed and markets for kayak campers. http://www.boatabag.com/

One of the great things about Geezer trips, the way we have been doing them, is the friends we have made and renewed over the years. These FOGS (New Geezer term for Friends of Geezers) add a richness and depth to our travels. Andy, thank you and we hope you will allow us to reciprocate sometime soon.