Category: Uncategorized

Spring Break Kayaking 2025

Published on by oboesax1 Comment

This year, for spring break, I took 4 days off of work. I wanted to spend one day with each of the boys and what better way than outside where there’s no cell service?!

I have fond memories from my childhood of canoeing with my grandpa. There are a few lakes nearby connected by canals that provide for a nice trip. If you’re in the area, I recommend booking a seat on the scenic boat tour. It’s an inexpensive diversion and the captains always provide some entertaining facts about the area. For example, one of the houses on the lake is where Mister Rogers lived while he attended the local college.

Jamie, at 4 years old, riding in the canoe with Mom, Grandpa, and cousin on the Winter Park chain of lakes

I still have the canoe from the picture above. It hangs in my garage and still works great! Paddling on the lakes is fun, but the place I have the fondest memories of is the Rock Springs Run. A short 45-minute drive from our house, this 8 mile long spring-fed river through protected forest area is part of the “first congressionally designated National Wild and Scenic River basin in Florida.” https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/rock-springs-run-state-reserve/history. It’s on this river that I remember learning how to properly pilot a canoe.

The plan for spring break was to paddle the Rock Springs Run, from King’s Landing to Wekiva Island, maybe with a side quest to swim in Wekiva Springs.

Understanding the waterway

Starting at King’s Landing (green marker below), there’s a 1 mile upstream paddle named the “emerald cut” that takes you as far as Kelly Park (white marker below). You can’t paddle into the park but if you could, you’d end up at the start of the river, where the spring water is flowing out of the ground. Kelly Park offers tubing and swimming. Downstream from King’s Landing is a 7.5-mile paddle down the Rock Springs Run through wilderness (with barely any cell service) where it finally joins the Wekiwa Springs Run (pink marker below) to form the Wekiva River. The Wekiwa Springs Run is about a 3/4 mile run starting at the Wekiva Springs (red marker below) and ending when it joins with the Rock Springs Run. The final leg is from where the two runs meet (pink marker below) to Wekiva Island (blue marker below) Official map here. The Wekiva River continues for another 14 miles before it joins the St. John’s river, but we stop at Wekiva Island.

  • King’s Landing – green
  • Emerald Cut – white to green
  • Rock Springs Run – green to pink
  • Wekiwa Springs Run – red to pink
  • Wekiwa Springs – red
  • Wekiva River – pink to blue (and beyond)
  • Wekiva Island – blue

Remy’s trip

The first to make the trip with me was Remy (age 9) and Kristen. Remy rode on Kristen’s kayak. We started at King’s Landing and paddled through to Wekiwa Springs where we swam for a while before continuing on to Wekiva Island for our shuttle back to King’s Landing

Kristen made a video of our trip and posted it on Instagram. Her account is private so if you follow her, you can see it here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHO2MNyR1gBf1jhMnuyTkPO-CZYpE5WzLeTSIE0/

At the end of our trip, we saw a manatee! The Wekiva River is deep enough that manatees can hang out when it gets too cold and the week before our trip, it was cold enough that Wekiva Island had a few large visitors. (It’s the gray lump in this next photo)

We saw a lot of wildlife! The highlights were the shy limpkins, herons, the water snake, manatee, and 23 alligators.

Jay’s Trip

Jay (age 15) accepted the challenge of paddling upstream on the Rock Springs Run starting from Wekiva Island. His goal was to paddle farther than any of his brothers, meaning he had to make it to at least mile marker 4 which would be a 9-mile round trip.

He ended up paddling the full 7.5 miles all the way to King’s Landing! It took about 4.5 hours of steady paddling and if you account for the current, it comes to around 24 miles of water paddled just on the upstream (according to my apple watch)!

Possibly because we arrived at the main alligator habitat later in the day compared to the other paddlers or possibly just due to luck, we saw a combined 40 to 50 alligators between our upstream and downstream paddle. The most unique sighting was probably this turtle, who apparently agreed to share their premium sunning location with a gator.

Once at King’s Landing, we got out of our boats, had lunch, and stretched our legs for a few minutes. After the short break, we got back in our boats and paddled the return 7.5 mile trip in a leisurely 3 hours.

Taking a break half-way at King’s Landing

Most of the gators we see are between mile markers 2 and 5 and on this day, it seemed like there was a gator around every bend of that 3 mile stretch of river.

This gator in this last video apparently has a favorite spot to warm up, as I saw him again with Luc later in the week.

I’m so proud of Jay for tackling such a long trip. 15 miles traveled in about 7 hours! It was a great day to be out on the run.

Charlie’s Trip

Charlie (age 13) and I started our morning by launching at King’s Landing. The morning was cold with the temperature in the high 40’s as the sun was coming up. However, the spring water is around 72 degrees all year long which meant that at the start of our paddle, it looked like we were paddling through a river out of a fantasy novel, with cool steam rising all around us.

From King’s Landing, we headed upstream to paddle the Emerald Cut. The above video is from that early morning upstream paddle and if you watch the bank of the river in the above video, you might see the deer that we spotted.

Charlie’s trip wasn’t without a few gator sightings. Being a chilly morning, we think most of them were waiting in the water for the sun to get up a bit higher.

Earlier, when Remy made the trip, he amazingly spotted a brown water snake in the cattails. When Jay and I paddled by that spot, the snake was nowhere to be found but when Charlie and I went by, it was back. See if you can spot the snake in the grass like Remy did.

At the end of Rock Springs Run, Charlie and I paddled upstream to Wekiva Springs where we met Kristen, the rest of the boys, and a few of their friends for a swim.

When it got close to 2:30, Charlie and I got back in our boats and headed to Wekiva Island to catch the shuttle.

Luc’s Trip

By the time Luc’s turn came around, he had listened to his brothers recount their various trips, including long lists of animal sightings (see table below). The pressure was on for him to have a great trip. Luc, at 11 years old, was the youngest to paddle the river on his own. We spent an hour the day before trying out the various kayak options to see which one would fit him the best and settled on the yellow kayak favored by Kristen.

We started our morning on the river at King’s Landing shortly after 8am and the temperature was low enough that we got to paddle through the morning steam.

We took our time paddling downstream, knowing we had all day ahead of us.

Luc paddled through the gator habitat earlier in the day than any of his brothers, likely the reason we saw the fewest gators on this day, but that’s not to say we didn’t see plenty of big ones. Imagine seeing this ahead of you in the river:

We also saw some (probably) repeat residents, like this one

And as mentioned earlier with Jay, we saw this resident in their favorite spot, right where nobody will miss seeing their large frame

We paddled through to Wekiva Springs where we swam for an hour before heading down to Wekiva Island to catch our shuttle

All four days were very special. I got to spend dedicated time with each of the boys, everyone had a great time, nobody lost any fingers, and – not that it’s a competition – everyone saw something unique.

I’d do it all again (and hopefully will)!

Animal Sightings

These are the ones we noted and wrote down. It’s a fun list, not an exhaustive one.

The only animal we consistently counted was alligators. To count birds and turtles would require a calculator and a notebook, there were so many seen

Animal SightingsJayCharlieLucRemy (and Mom)
Alligators✅ 40-50-ish✅ 17✅ 11✅ 23
Turtles✅✅✅✅
Softshell Turtle✅✅
Gopher Tortoise (threatened / endangered)✅ (seen from the truck)
Water Snake (non-venemous)✅✅
Otter✅ (seen from the shuttle bus)
Deer✅✅ (seen from the truck)
Raccoon✅
Manatee✅
Wild Turkey✅ (seen from the truck)
Great Blue Heron✅✅✅✅
Little Blue Heron✅✅✅✅
Tricolor Heron✅✅
Green Heron✅✅✅✅
Kingfisher✅✅✅✅
“Shy” Limpkin✅✅✅✅
Great Egret✅✅✅✅
Snowy Egret✅✅✅✅
White Ibis✅✅✅✅
Swallow Tailed Kite✅✅✅✅
Anhinga✅✅✅✅
Pileated Woodpecker✅
Osprey✅
Night Heron✅
Kayaks in a row

I dream of kayaks

Published on by oboesaxLeave a comment

I’ve wanted a kayak at least since I was a teenager. In the early 2000’s a Feathercraft kayak was at the top of my wish list. They made premium kayaks that would pack down into a bag for storage and travel. Priced at a premium, this was my dream kayak. I never could justify the high price tag and now they appear to be out of business.

Many years later, I started drooling over the Hobie mirage drive kayaks. The pedal system seemed like it’d be a dream to pilot. Specifically, I lusted after the Hobie Adventure Island with its removable dual amas (outriggers) and removable sail it seemed ideal since I could use it as a paddle kayak, pedal kayak, or trimaran sailboat. Unfortunately, it’s 185lbs when fully assembled (seating a single person) and it’s long and large enough that storage and transport plus setup and teardown all combine to make a boat that’s unlikely to be used often and on limited locations. A base price tag of around $5k made it hard to justify, especially since it would only carry one person.

I did eventually get to try one out, as a family friend brought the tandem (two-seater) version to the beach in 2018. His version, with the trailer and all accessories was probably worth upwards of $15k. With a hull weight of 130lbs (240lbs fully assembled) and 18.5′ length, it took multiple grown men to carry the hull over the boardwalk to the beach where it was assembled for use. But once assembled, we were able to fit all 6 of us on the boat at once and had an absolute blast pedaling and sailing around in the ocean. I got to live that dream for a few days, and hauling it around, assembling, and disassembling it reinforced that it wasn’t a practical boat to own… but it was a ton of fun!

In March of 2021, I bought my first Kayak, a 6′ lifetime kayak for kids that I’d been looking at since 2016. With a weight limit of 120lbs, this wasn’t for me, but it was small, easy to store, and the boys could use it at the beach. But since one boat couldn’t hold all of us, so we got a second kids’ kayak… and two inflatable paddle boards!

These boats got a lot of use but I still didn’t own a “real” kayak. Our house was getting smaller by the day with 4 growing boys and I could never figure out where to keep a full-sized kayak.

I started watching the oru kayaks that came out in 2019. Reminiscent of the feathercrafts, they fold up fairly small. Unlike the feathercraft, instead of a skin stretched over a skeleton, these are made to unfold like an origami model and claim to be very sturdy but the price is still a little high. I’m still watching these and maybe one day will add one to my collection.

Things came to a head during covid (specifically the 2020-2021 school year) when I was working from home and we had three boys doing school from home as well. We wished for more space to spread out.

I drafted up an amateur floor plan and we found a contractor in early 2022. Construction finally started in November of 2022 and finished in March of 2023, adding a new master bedroom & bathroom, office, studio, and a garage with – importantly – slightly higher ceilings than before. The new garage ceiling was perfect for kayaks since my dad brilliantly suggested that we use a garage door opener that didn’t require a track in the middle of the ceiling. I now had room for boats!

Later that year, in November of 2023, I finally became the owner of not just one, but two kayaks. They aren’t new, but two for less than the price of one was a deal I couldn’t resist.

Three months later, in February of 2024, a neighbor let me know that they were moving out of state and couldn’t take their two kayaks with them. These being sit-on-top kayaks, in contrast to the two I already had, how could I say “no” to another two kayaks for less than the price of one? I now owned 4 full-sized kayaks, two kayaks for kids, and two paddle boards. We could finally go out on the water as a full family! Especially when combined with the two Canoes I inherited, we could put a lot of people on the water!

Incredibly, one month later in March of 2024, a family friend offered to give away his two older hobie mirage kayaks. Space on the ceiling of the garage was getting tight, but I was able to find room for one more boat up there :)

Oops

Published on by oboesaxLeave a comment

It’s been over 6 years since our last post and 2 years between that and the previous post. 8 years ago, in 2016, things apparently got busier than we realized. We added a 4th child to the family and Jay was in Kindergarten (he’s now 15 years old and in High School!!). It’s safe to say that we got busy enough that updating the blog became a low priority. Maybe we’ll post more now, maybe we won’t, but I’m keeping the site around just in case :)

letter to my 7 year old

Published on by kristenperreaultLeave a comment

Jay Bird- 7 years old

Jay Bird,

Last Friday you were seven. You got up, read through some stories (on your own!!), got dressed like a 100 year old man for school, ate cinnamon rolls (affectionately named birthday breakfast in our house) and gave me a smirk while we sang to you and I took pictures. A smirk, kiddo, a smirk and it just about killed me. I’ve seen it a few times lately; it’s a half smile to show that you are still acknowledging me but it’s the smile of an older boy. It’s the start of the “cool” older kid attitude, the full release of the baby/toddler and little kid you were once were. You are growing before my eyes sweet boy. You are growing out of your clothing seemingly overnight, you are almost just a foot shorter than I am and can’t get enough to eat at the supper table, constantly asking what else you can have. You don’t stop moving, EVER, unless your head hits the pillow and you are a sleep for the night or there is a book in your hands or your being read to you. This last year your reading skills have grown in leaps and bounds and lately we can’t seem to have enough books around the house because you devour them! I frequently find you around the house with your nose stuck in the middle of one, turning page after page until you find a spot to stop and tell me about what you read. You aren’t disturbed by your loud brothers but rather tucked away in your own little world. If they do happen to bother you, you simply move to another spot nose still firmly routed in the pages of your book and settle back in. You read chapter books, pictures books, magazines, street signs, food labels etc you name it, you read it! I love watching you discover these new things you are constantly learning and soaking up everything around you like a sponge. You want to know about everything. How it works, what it does, where it lives etc. One of the things Mrs Behl, your first grade teacher says about you, is that she loves how you LOVE to learn. Your Daddy does too, I see so much of him in you because of this.

I wish it was possible to bottle your energy though sweet boy. When I say you start moving as soon as your feet hit the floor it’s no exaggeration. You run, walk, jump everywhere you go. You are constantly running and falling while playing out back and racing to see how fast you can go. The constant movement has taken a little getting used to and even then it’s occasionally hard to not be overwhelmed by it. You pace while you talk; circling the trunk while you tell me about your day, or walking back and forth while telling me a story. Even while reading with us at night you fidget. You sit on your hands to begin with but it usually doesn’t last long, they pop out not after too long we start and you pick at the pillows or fingers or sometimes even play with your belly button. Reading with you at night has been one of my favorite things to do lately. I LOVED reading Harry Potter with you! I loved seeing the story come to life in your eyes and the excitement of the wizardry and magic as you turn the story over and over in your head. I was sad that we finished the book but am looking forward already to reading the next one with you. We still haven’t decided what we will pick up next, maybe The Chronicles of Narnia, whatever we choose I hope you enjoy it just as much.

Jay Bird, I will call you that probably for as long as I am around so get used to it ;), I adore the person you are becoming. The inquisitive learner, the rambunctious boy, the dotting older brother, the kind friend, the giver of ridiculously large hugs. You are so many things sweet boy and all of them are so wonderful. You love BIG sweet boy and with your whole heart, you enjoy the world and things around you and I seriously can’t wait to see what you continue to do with all of this. I love you more than I ever thought possible and am incredible grateful to be on this journey with you, thanks for taking me along!

Happy Birthday Bird!!! I love you!!!!
Love,
Momma

letter to my 5 year old

Published on by kristenperreaultLeave a comment

Charlie Tuna,
Last fall you turned 5, one whole hands worth sweet boy, and that always trips me up!! How is it possible that it has been so long since they first laid you on my chest and I heard your sweet little baby cries. You laid on my chest, heart to heart, and while you have continued to grow your whole self still fits easily within my arms and you are still firmly routed in my heart. You are my company keeper, my sweet errand runner, the little guy who doesn’t leave my side. Probably one of my favorite things that you have ever said to me is… “Momma, I love keeping you company. I love when you keep me company. I just love being company and having company!!” and it’s so true. You LOVE when other people are around. You love learning about them, playing with them, hearing about them. You are the first to remember peoples names, what they do, what they did, who belongs to whom. It’s such an incredible talent to be able to relate to and to truly see people and I think you have it. I love having our afternoons together while Jay is still at school and your other brothers nap. You follow me around the house helping with projects, working on stuff with me or just talking to me about stuff. It’s so much fun and probably my favorite thing about you. I am really going to miss you next year when you are in kindergarten and I don’t have as much time with you. Although, you are SO ready to start school. You love preK and constantly ask when you get to start at Brookshire. You are so ready to be one of the big boys just like your older brother

Charlie you mean the world to me. I love watching as you and your brothers grow and become the people the you were always meant to be. Thank you for loving big and with your whole heart. I’m so excited to see what the next year brings for you.

I love you sweet boy!
Love,
Momma

Charlie- 5 years

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Charlie- 5 years old

Family Circles

Published on by oboesax10 Comments

Kristen and I have wanted to make a printable family tree for a while and what better motivation than Christmas gifts? We looked at a few ideas and the inspiration for the design we ultimately landed on is now nowhere to be found so we can’t link to them. Anyway, below are the three family “trees” that we created. And by “we” I mean that Kristen did all the design concept work and I clicked the mouse a few times in a graphics program with her supervision. We gave these to the grandparents and any other family members whose names we happened to draw and we’re happy to print more for other family members.

Houghton family circle

Vickers family circle

Perreault Family Circle

I will also point out that my very compulsive wife insisted that all photos be chronological by birth. Whether the aesthetics worked best clockwise or counter-clockwise, the second generation is in age order and then the third generation is in age order while staying within the bounds of their parents, etc.

Unfortunately, we didn’t do a circle for Kristen’s Dad’s family, the Westlakes. We don’t get to see that extended family often and obtaining all the required pictures would have been exceedingly difficult.

projects

Published on by kristenperreault4 Comments

It’s safe to say that I usually have a project (or two or three) underway at any given time.  I like to create, I like to make things with my own two hands and I really enjoy making gifts for others.  Creating has a way of recharging me that is SO, SO necessary to me these days!  So it works out well for me that fall is here (well almost if you are being technical about it) and the holidays are coming!!  I am so excited to get our fall decorations down and to begin working full tilt on some of my holiday preparations and homemade gifts.  Would you be jealous if I told you that I have already started on my Christmas shopping? Well I have, so be jealous ;)

Holiday prep aside most recently my projects have been centered on updating our home; however, in-between painting and reupholstering furniture I was able to make a few gifts for some sweet little people.  I am lucky enough to have dear friends that have either just had babies or have little ones on the way. And I, like many others, am a sucker for all things tiny.  Here’s a taste of some things I have been working on.

Some sweet headbands for baby Elise. I mailed them to Mississippi right before hurricane Ivan :( here’s hoping they arrived ok. And if they haven’t arrived yet, sorry Nan for the spoiler…

My models… Charlie had no choice but Jay begged me to be able to wear the headband too and who am I to refuse ;) Heaven help me if we ever have a little girl because the list of sweet baby girl projects I have in my head is ever growing.

A hand stitched mustache onesie for a little one that has yet to make his appearance. Really looking forward to December when I can cuddle with this one.

I have a few other things in the works that I will show soon, that is if I can remember to get photos of them. I am going to try my hand at quilting and I have a few crochet projects in the works too- yay for fall and cool weather projects!