Does anyone know a list of locations and times in Duval county?
Did anyone participate?
Wanting to be ALL In, Making a Scene, and ALL fired up for Downtown I showed up at the Alfred I. DuPont location on Riverside Ave. and launched my kayak at the Sydney Geffen kayak launch. The event time was 9-11.
I arrived at 9:30 and at the same time I am unloading my kayak out of my van another van pulls up and now there are two vans parked "Down by the River" in the nearly empty parking lot. Two guys exited there van carrying fishing poles and were going to throw some lures and see if the fish were biting. The one guy when seeing my kayak commented that "If we weren't working today we would right now be in a kayak fishing tournament benefiting HOW (Heros on the Water)". The site captain was a lady named Katie and she informed me that no one else had shown up. I told her that I planned on going to McCoys Creek and clean up there. I had two of the Vivian Harrell KJB (Keep Jacksonville Beautiful) blue bags and was ready to go.
The conditions were Jax Chamber, DIA Chillin and OED Spacin. I launched in the cove and took it under the bridge and into the open water of our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new CRA/DIA 2014-560 zone. I was catching the last of the incoming tide. There was a time crunch. I told Katie I'd be back before 11.
The paddle to McCoys creek was fun. I'm hugging the shore and immediately feel like I'm on the interstate and staying even with a couple that are walking briskly on the paved Riverwalk in contrast to the open water against an incoming tide. The casual glances and smiles shared as they appeared on cruise control and in contrast to my powering against the current and being in the slow lane. This was short lived because there exit came up and for me it was still Onward (Howard Solamon) to McCoys creek.
Once to the TU it was a brief rest and cool off as we enter via the Waterway the cavernous tunnel that is McCoys Creek. It's an incoming tide and now the hard work of the paddle is behind us. Again with a time crunch I wanted to take it back to 200 Riverside which was built next to the creek. The bird activity was strong and the creek was also very clean as it relates to floating garbage. Also the trees that had fallen have been cut back and it has created a narrower path if you will but has also created a unique tree canopy that continues to hold the birds. Very cool.
So there wasn't a lot of garbage in this part of McCoys Creek to fill my KJB Vivian Harrell blue bags. But on my way to McCoys Creek when I passed the Haskell building I noticed a lot of garbage along the bank. The paddle out of McCoys Creek was a period where you just stop in the bend where there is a tree canopy supported by steel rising from the water and then on the other side of you are clusters of bamboo thick and everyone should pause and just take it in at this spot. It is special. But Onward we go. The exit now is just clearing the red pipes that are a horizontal brace to keep the sides from collapsing in on you and if that's not enough then catch the 1929 that is centered above the curvature of the tunnell that you are now entering. When I hear or see 1929 I think of the Crash.
Back in the river it is now to the shoreline of the Haskell building that is a jackpot for garbage. I filled my two KJB Vivian Harrell bluebags easily. And actually could have filled up more. I also extricated a BBB - Bob's Barricade Barrel. Kind of like a PPP- Public, Private, Partnership I digress. Anyway with two bags and the barrel it was time to take it back to the Sydney Geffen kayak launch. Katie was there and we celebrated in making a Positive dent as we left our Downtown a little bit cleaner.
Who's next?
I am Downtown and why you aren't.
Visit Jacksonville! Mr. Paul Astleford