Withlacoochee South

I started at the gazebo in Floral City this morning, on heels of an early morning rain shower that had flooded the area. A puddle bridged the trail right in front of the gazebo and the pavement was wet all the way down to I-75. After that the surface was dry and the sun came out and warmed up the butterflies who busily lined the trip. Click this photo to see the rest of them, or go to the photo gallery.

There are always surprises waiting out on the trail, but you never know just what to expect. Today I saw the largest bald eagle I've ever seen, then remembered my camera when it was too late. Also watched in awe as a bare-footed, helmet-less, cyclist with a fresh head injury performed craftsman quality, wheel truing using nothing but a pair of small trees that had the decency to have grown close together alongside the trail. A little while later down the trail, I was actually overtaken by this athlete as he safely returned to his vehicle.

Made it to the south end, just below Trilby, FL and back without rain. 46.6 miles for the day.

GoogleGeekers: I noticed on Google Earth you can count up to 26 cyclists on the Withlacoochee Trail, south of FL 50.

See you back in Floral City on Monday.

O\vo~