Foss Lake - 3

To begin with, Joe and Ruth Kliment sent me this from Florida, and I'll pass it along to perhaps add to your Christmas enjoyment.  It is the 23rd Annual Punta Gorda Harbor Christmas Boat Parade.  I like the boat with the tree and Santa train, complete with smoke.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQF9bg0v9q4&feature=youtu.be

It’s vital to be a light sleeper when camping, especially in primitive or isolated areas. This morning, light sleeping wasn’t needed to know what was going on. At 4:48 a.m., I was jolted awake by a pack of coyotes erupting into a screaming kie-yieing frenzy close to the tent. I have no doubt it was the same pack I had heard down the shore when I turned in hours before. It sounded like they were in the grove of trees I had camped close to while trying to escape the wind. It was the only thicket of trees and undergrowth that close. It lasted only a matter of seconds, less than a minute, just the time needed to tear apart the prey they had flushed from the brush, most likely a rabbit. After looking at my watch, I lay there awhile to listen, but the next thing I heard was a donkey braying excitedly maybe a hundred yards or so further down the road. They had apparently stressed it as they ran through or by its pasture.

Silhouettes in the sunrise.

 

This was as good an alarm clock as any, and I was wanting an early start, so I rolled out and put water on the stove for coffee and oatmeal. While the water heated, I pulled everything from the tent and started to break everything down and get it packed. Just as breakfast and packing were done, sunrise started to put on a show as nice as the sunset from the evening before.

 

As I was leaving the state park, I stopped by the marina to see what kind of shape it was in.  Nearly half of the marina is non-marine as the first six slips sit high and dry on the lake bottom.  

 

 

 

A female mallard uses the early morning light to cruise the shallow water looking for breakfast.

 

 

 

The pickings seem a little slim, but appear to be what she's looking for.