Day 266 – at Hontoon Landing Resort, Deland, FL - March 28, 2012

We took another trip to Blue Springs State Park today; however we took a different route.  We went up the Hontoon Dead River and then crossed back to the St. John’s River on a man-made channel.  Having the word “dead” in this river’s name is certainly not accurate – everything was alive on this river – birds, turtles, manatees, fish, trees, water plants and more.  We went back to Blue Springs State Park so that Frank and Carrie’s daughter Carla and her fiancé Evan could swim in the spring.  Carla and Evan arrived this morning from California and will be traveling with Frank and Carrie for a few days.  
            Miles: 0           Bridges: 0        Locks: 0

turtles - sunning themselves on a log

this guy looks like he's stuck on his shell - but just a moment later
he was sliding into the water to get away from us

cypress tree on the shore of Hontoon Dead River

the Hontoon Dead River is absolutely beautiful

little blue heron - not only are his feathers a blue-gray color, but
his bill is a beautiful bluish color

a few American Coots hiding in the water plants

an immature white ibis - when he is a full grown adult, his feathers will
be all white and his legs and bill will be brighter red

a Great Blue Heron

Frank an Carrie ahead of us in the man-made channel

this was a beautiful little canal off the main river