Three RIvers Lake/ Gray Bayou

[Riley Smith]

Some of the most impenetrable jungle in the northern hemisphere is just a few miles to the west of me in the Pascagoula River swamp. It's bad in there and nobody in their right mind would walk in if they could boat. Every critter known to man and few that aren't live there. The place is filled with game in that jungle and the locals hunt it thoroughly during season. Most of the critters are bugs but there is the assorted alligator, bear, cottonmouth, panther, and hog, and all of 'em dangerous. And the bugs can be FEARSOME! But it was the heat on this trip that was the enemy. With my professional planning skills, I had managed to seal midday for the excursion and it was 90F.

It was shady at the ramp though, and I met a nice young man and yakked a little while he pulled out. There was only one slip but it did have a small pier. The ramp is at the site of Jack Hudson's old fishing camp, and the old residents still call it that. IF they even know about it, because it isn't on the beaten path. It is owned by the state with an adjacent stall for about fifteen small skiffs that is owned by a former work companion, now himself gone. Very scenic with cypress everywhere. The swamp, after almost a century, is showing signs of what this area looked like when it was ALL pristine river bottom. The slow growing cypress and juniper are getting to be nice sized after being logged out at the early part of the last century.

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The trip was proof of concept that I could haul and launch/ retrieve the Duroboat on the utility trailer with minimal difficulty. After removing the tailgate to the trailer, it was a breeze. So I had a boat in the water and the motor running and I headed out. The old Nissan would plane the boat off in glassy water but the Honda can't do it. I was content to motor out slowly and took a couple of pictures, missing the money shot of a turtle. It was too hot to be out here with nothing to drink, so I headed back and yanked the boat back on the trailer. Worked like a champ. It's a good boat, heavy duty.

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[Norm L.]

Thanks for the "spring" photos. Like you I've been seeing those type photos for around 50 years along the length of the eastern Gulf and what can be found inland up the Mississippi at least Yazoo City. Trees can be beautiful. A few of the things around the trees not so beautiful.

[Riley Smith]

There are definitely some critters in that place. One of my favorites is the scissor-tailed kite and if you've never seen one, you don't know what "poetry in motion" MEANS. They're like ghosts as they fly just below the top of the canopy and swerve through the trees, and their white and black paint job is one of the best. I just recently got this pic of one and have been trying to get THE one of them for years without success. Maybe I'll get lucky on the boat in this area. Heck, with her beam, I could prolly set the tripod 

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[Doug SC]

They are masters of flight and starkly beautiful. Here are a few photos I managed to take as they were migrating back to FL while at Rock Springs Run.

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[Chris Muthig]

Those pictures remind me of Lake Santa Fe here in central Florida.  Great place to Kayak, may sail there soon.  Tons of cypress trees out to about 15' of water, you can kayak through the cypress trees and not even see the lake.  There's a tiny creek that's exactly the width of my kayak that you can push through, about 6-10" deep depending on the recent rainfall or lack thereof.  It's a tiny enough creek that it keeps the bass fishermen out, and there's not shore access to the small pond on the other side of the creek.  The pond is about 3-5 acres, and it's loaded along the edges with lily pads.  To this day, I've never caught a fish in either the lake or pond, but it's absolutely gorgeous there.  We have the swallowtail kites over our yard in Ocklawaha, we live on a 5 acre pond and also across the street from Lake Bryant.  Big lake, but not quite big enough to sail.  We have so much birdlife on that land, from the kites, to many kinds of hawks (ospreys, red shoulder, and kestrels are the main ones), bald eagles soar over our pond often, sandhill cranes, pretty much every wading bird known to man, and some huge great horned owls that love to argue late at night right outside the windows.  We have bears every day, and I even had a huge 500# plus male rear up on me Thursday night while I was walking the dogs.  I've seen bobcats, foxes, coyotes, gopher tortoises, armadillos, possums, raccoons, and all manner of bugs I've never known existed.  I love living in the country, and less than half an hour from tons of different springs.

[Riley Smith]

Chris we live on a ridge through the swamp and the oaks live here too. The raptors and kites sail through on a regular basis. Hovering just at the top of the canopy and peering in for a snack. Sailing, not flapping. Hopefully this summer I can get some decent pics on the river but the birds are here and gone before I can grab the camera. Gotta get closer to their home 20. Hence the photo platform for the swamp.

I couldn't live in a city again. It's been too long and my blood pressure wouldn't take it.

[Doug SC]

I have lived in Hollywood, Riviera Beach, Tampa, Longwood, Lake Wales, Gainesville, and Welaka FL. People think beaches when they think FL but there is considerable wildlife habitat and wild places. Paddled many places there over the years. I have a number of bear stories. My Dad saw 9 one day come down to a pond he was hunting on in Ocala National Forest. We now live in a small town in the countryside of the piedmont of SC.