Twin Sightings

The locals in these parts are missing a whole mess of teeth but what they can't afford they make us for in generosity. Today, our guide Tracie took us canoeing on the Chassahowitzka (Land of the Hanging Pumpkins) with canoes donated for an hour by a hotel and rental shop owner. Luckily, he still has all his pearly whites. We paddled around several small bays with fresh water springs and underwater tunnels for exploration. This was the clearest and cleanest water we'd ever traversed and catching sight of pools of mullets and catfish nearly had my Dad in tears for not bringing his fishing pole. We went as far as an old railroad trellice surreptiously hidden behind a crowd of tall grass. Water-soaked logs are all that remain of a busy transportation route that once ran from one side of the state to the other. The best catch of the day was spotting the elusive mother manatee nursing her two twin calves born last September. News of the twin set of manatees was headline news last year and here we were in the backwoods of toothless territory befriending three giant mammoths. Little sis was the only one the new borns allowed to scratch their backs but this tickled us all with delight. Our trip is indeed complete and video of the entire thing should be online at the Citrus County website in a few short weeks!