Visiting Mom and Dad: Silver Glen Springs, FL

Florida has more springs than any other region in the world. There are over 600 springs in the state - some merely a trickle and others among the largest in the world.

From a sign at Silver Glen Springs
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

I visited my parents at the end of January and, while I loved the whole visit, the two days that we spent at Silver Glen Springs were magical. It dawned on me as I was swimming in this hot spring, chasing the fish around, that I new what the Fountain of Youth that poor Juan Ponce de Leon had looked for, but never found was: a hot spring. I asked Mom and Dad what they thought and they said that there is a hot spring, valued by the Native Americans of the area, that people say is the Fountain of Youth he searched for. According to the trusty Internet that spring is Warm Mineral Springs, located in, yes, you guessed it, Warm Mineral Springs, Florida.

Mom and Dad spend quite a lot of time visiting this and other springs; I suspect this is their secret to eternal youth. Silver Glen Springs is a blast which should be obvious from the photos.

Entrance to Silver Glen Springs

The Springs. The area that is dark blue is the spring, about 15 feet deep before it disappears into a tunnel. The water comes out with some force, but, according to locals, not nearly as much as in the past thanks to golf courses and housing developments in the Ocala area drawing down the aquifer. (According to one of my city planning professors, Ocala is the sprawlingest city in Florida.)

Mom, with her hair pulled back in a bun, prefers to stay on top of the water.

Dad prefers to swim below. Just under him in the picture is the cave/tunnel where the spring water comes from.

I preferred being underwater, too. Here I'm chasing a large school of Jacks.

Ladyfish

A gar. These guys are gnarly looking, with their big, sharp teeth and primordial look. (They are actually a primitive fish, which is found in the fossil record as early as the late Paleozoic Era during the Permian Period.) Dad says they're curious, but I screamed and swam away rather quickly when one approached me. I took it as aggression.

You know those delicious tilapia, the favorite of aquaculuturists for their rapid growth and high protein content that promises to feed the planet? This is one; an invasive and an adult, most likely guarding her nest. Here's an interesting article on fat content in Tilapia - doesn't look good.

Palm fronds

Sand boils seen from a boardwalk on the Sand Boils Trail. See a Youtube video of a sand boil in action.

John Breaux: Beloved Community Hero

Louisville man's simple life, guided by kindness, touched entire community

Boulder Daily Camera
February 1, 2009

What does it take to get a community to discuss erecting a memorial in your honor? Declaring a day of service in your honor?

You might imagine an eloquent speaker, a generous community benefactor with deep pockets, a crew of firemen lost in the line of duty. For our community - Louisville - it takes is a bicycle, a wave, a big and kind smile, a very large heart, and a life dedicated to performing hundreds of acts of kindness and goodwill every day: picking up trash; greeting neighbors; helping with groceries; moving neighbors' daily papers onto their porches; shoveling snow; a kind word.

Even though John only lived five doors down from me, I had no idea he was my neighbor. He would wave and greet me mornings when I was walking Peanut Butter, but then I would see him all around town on his bicycle, picking up trash. I just figured he was doing his rounds when I encountered him in our neighborhood. One day, in front of Lamar's Donuts, he gave me a tip that the Lotto Jackpot was really big. I played that day.

When I first met John, back in August (when we first moved to Louisville), I knew I was living in a "for real" community. A special place.

It wasn't until I heard news that he passed away in a tragic accident late last week, that I learned that he was my neighbor and that he was so beloved by so many people.

I am writing about John Breaux in my blog tonight not because I was close to him, but my life was touched by him. He was a remarkable human being who had an extensive impact on Louisville and neighboring Lafayette and all it took was uncommon, sincere kindness. If you like to contemplate the power of kindness and the human spirit at its best, I urge you to read the Daily Camera stories: He was our goodwill ambassador, He believed in people and Tributes to John Breaux.

Today, I walked a bit in his footsteps and took some pictures of a handful of the many memorials around town. I've always noticed what a very clean community it is that we live in. Thanks to John. When I took pictures at the memorial site where the accident occurred, I noticed an errant bag and two store flyers pinned (by the wind) to a nearby fence. I picked them up and imagined John's big smile at my good deed.

Albertsons was one of John's haunts. This one is about a half mile from my house on McCaslin Blvd.

The memorial inside Albertsons, which includes a bicycle with bags on both handle bars, similar to John's bike.


A memorial on the door at the Conoco service station on McCaslin.

A memorial near a walking path on Pine St. in Louisville. (Click on the picture and read the message, if you can't already.)

A memorial in the window of The Empire, one of Louisville's finer restaurants, located in the downtown.

This gold-painted bicycle is just one aspect of the memorial on US-287 in Lafayette, where the accident took place. There are possibly 100 or more bouquets, banners (including one from an area high school), a white bicycle, a shirt from Louisville Rescue, a sign on the nearby footbridge that reads "St. John Blvd.", a mylar Tigger balloon, and much more. John is missed.

If you see litter, pick it up,
move through your day with a smile,
and be kind.