July 12, 2007
We've been stuck in a rut with overcast weather for a few days, so I took advantage of this sunny afternoon. Lynn and I headed to Crystal Lake. Lynn relaxed at the beach area as I paddled my way around the lake. Here's the track.
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Ready to go
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And I'm off
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These houses must have nice views.
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A look back at the beach area
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A passing sailboat
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What a gorgeous day!!
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Homes near the northeast end of the lake
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Through some lilly pads near the north end
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I love how the water sparkles when the sun hits it.
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There was a large rock coming out of the water. I almost didn't paddle over to it. It looked like there might have been something on it. I paddled closer. At first, it just looked like another rock. Then it looked like part of a tree stump. This thing really blended into the rock until I got close. It was a turtle, but no ordinary turtle. I believe this was a SNAPPING turtle. I came around behind him, being careful not to get to close or SNAP!!
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Then I came around the front where I got within a couple yards of him. He lifted his head a little to let me know that I was getting to close. I heeded his warning. Notice his long neck and sharp claws.
He was a pretty good size. I'm guessing his shell had to be about 2 feet long. With his long neck and tail, he was probably 3-4 feet long. I wished that I had something in the picture to give the turtle some scale. I joked with a couple girls in a nearby raft, asking them to come sit by it. They laughed, but weren't interested.
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I didn't want to disturb his nap any more than I already did, so I moved on.
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There was another beach and swimming area on the northwest end of the lake.
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A passing pontoon boat
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Here's something I've never tried: water skiing.
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I made my way back to shore. Behind the picnic area, a small carnival was set up for a few days. I could see a few of the rides whipping around through the trees.
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I met Lynn and went for a quick swim before heading home.
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