We had company when we drove in to launch our kayaks to do our weekly observations on Womack Creek.  A pair of campers in camp site 1 with their pontoon boat.

A bit cool, but the sun was out and using the dead canes for a bed to sun on was a water snake.   When one does close-ups on Womack Creek, don’t be startled by a snake on a branch nearby — they are harmless and will slither away, unless, they are still cold as this snake was.

And just around the corner, taking advantage of the springy blackberry cane mattress and sun

 

 

another,  curled up.

 

And just around the corner and everywhere there was a log or branch to perch on….

Paddling back, we heard a screeching and caterwauling like we’ve never heard on the creek before.  Both of our heads turned around looking for the source of the sounds.   The one with better hearing saw two racoons mating on a large branch parallel to the river surface.  As we approached, they parted and quickly scrambled down the tree and disappeared into the palmettos.   Earlier we had seen a single racoon on a log in a short branch near the campground.   Keep your foodstuff high or in the car when camping.

And in the narrower creeks of the branches, one will undoubtedly see these long jawed spiders. They are harmless.

 

 

 

With the river down from flood stage, you can actually see the swamp buttercups.

 

The Walters viburnum on the lower 2/3’s of the river and parsley hawthorne throughout are in their peak.

And pinxter azaleas with their scent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And orange cross vine flowers, competing for your eyes — “look up, look up”  to see them blooming.   And yellow swamp jessamine, lower down beginning to bloom in clusters throughout the creek.

And soon, fringe trees or grandpa greybeard, will be festooned with their flowers moving with the breezes.

When we took out, another tent was seen and two campers/bicyclists were setting up camp.