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As always, my yearly Florida trip report will be picture heavy and cover a multitude of activities, some of the story line may be embellished with a few (actually many) exaggerations. To begin with, why would any sane person want to leave this countryside behind for the lush greenery that Florida provides? My yearly trip to Florida blessed me in many ways, most importantly, uniting me with our son for a few weeks. My son lives in Bradenton and we had a wonderful time together. Unfortunately, he had to work during much of this period, which left me with ample opportunities to explore what Florida has to offer a fossil enthusiast. Upon arrival, we started our vacation by meeting up with Jack @Shellseeker and his wife for a delightful lunch at a very nice restaurant on Sanibel Island. Jack even presented me with dessert (some wonderful fossils that he had recently found). From there we proceeded northward to Bradenton. The following morning, my wife and I had a shopping list to take care of. I am not a shopper, so when we arrived at Costco, I was ecstatic to see the grounds surrounding the building were not finished and talked Jeanette into leaving me mosey around outside while she shopped. As with most exposures in this area of Florida, fossils abound. In fact, I did find a Megalodon tooth next to the building. (true!) Beat up, but what a way to start this vacation!! In the mornings to come, I took the opportunity to explore various areas in Bradenton where digging had occurred. As always plentiful shells from the Tamiami Formation were discovered. MikeR has graciously agreed to ID them before I post my finds. So, it may be a few weeks before this can be accomplished. But on with the most exciting part of my trip. Jeff @jcbshark and Jack, two guys that I used to call “guides” but now call good friends, allowed me once again to join them in an adventurous Kayak trip deep into the heart of Florida’s interior. We met at the launch just as the sun could be seen shining through the old moss covered oak trees. The beach was beautifully white, the water calm and clear. All indications pointed towards a fun day ahead of us. Jeff on the left, Jack on the right led the way to a secret fossil site. My paddling skills are not anywhere near their level and I headed up the rear. Truth be told, they often had to wait for me to catch up. After having traversed a mile or so, the river began to NARROW.