Trekker: January 30, 2005

The Latest Florida Scrutiny

Tomorrow is the big day. The day when one group of people hope to have forever settled in the public's mind that the term "dynasty" should be associated with their club, while another group of people would desparately like to shake off labels such as "chokers," "losers," and the like, and bring home some bling-bling.

Ahhh...the Super Bowl...in one corner we have the New England Patriots with their no-name group of players (can you name any player on their team other than the QB?), in the other corner we have the Philidelphia Eagles, with players such as Freddie Mitchell and Terrell Owens who have been running their mouths for the past two weeks, the latter claiming that God has healed him for the big game. And don't we all know Donovan McNabb's mother who's been trying to convince us that Campbell's Chunky Soup is what should be in our shopping carts.

Since the Super Bowl is back in Florida for the umpteenth time, I decided to do a little reading on the city NNE of me which is hosting the big game for the first time.

Jacksonville? A city that at one time was called Cowford??? With few hotel rooms to try and accommodate over 100,000 guests? The truth, folks, is that you couldn't buy a hotel room within 100 miles of J-ville, with people piling into Southern Georgia, down the coast of Florida, or on one of five cruise ships brought to the area as floating hotels.

A lot of people think Jacksonville in is Georgia, but it really isn't, not that far from the border though. The city government spent close to $100,000 on a campaign to come up with a slogan to celebrate the city's arrival to modern times. And the winner is...."Where Florida Begins." Some of the other contest entrants included, "It's Not That Bad", "Mayberry, Only Bigger", and "Redneck Heaven".

Oh yes, reality check, you live in the South. And although Florida is not considered to be a part of the group of states known as the "South," there are enough transplants here from them-thar states to fool me. Jacksonville locals will tell you there's a bit of redneck in all of them. But they are hoping that the intense spotlight they've subjected themselves to will help convince the rest of the country that not all of them shoot deer, date relatives, or light up three packs of smokes per day while listening to "Free Bird" in their pickup trucks. But there've been plenty of Confederate Flags for sale this past week...Super Bowl special: $15. And there's enough Civil War memorabilia in J-ville to embarrass Savannah. Don't pass up the Waffle Houses. A waffle is to Jacksonville as Cabernet Sauvignon is to Napa Valley.

While you won't find the glitz and glamour of Miami, the Disney characters of Orlando, or the suburbia of Tampa/St. Pete, there's plenty of home-style cooking in places like Famous Amos or Whitey's Fish Camp. You won't find cows crossing the St. John's river any more, but the city's uniqueness is part of what adds to the color and spice of this state.

As for myself, I'll be joining the Super Bowl party tomorrow on the Carnival Fantasy...which reminds me...I still need to pack!

Until next time...

Nature - God's 2nd Book

Yesterday I decided to learn more about God through nature. I took a 30 mile drive to Blue Springs State Park to observe a group of Florida's beleagured residents - manatees. This would be the first time seeing them in their natural environment, so my excitement was reaching uncontainable levels (if you know me well, you're quite aware that it doesn't take much to excite me)!

About manatees...whenever Florida has a "cold snap" they seek warmer water, meaning if the temperature of whatever body of water they reside in dips below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, they go elsewhere. This past week and a half has been a bit cool here in Central Florida, so that's drove them out of the St. John's River into Blue Springs. This spring's temperature is around 72 - 73 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Thus the reason for these docile giants in the St. John's River to congregate here.

About Blue Springs...the spring itself flows up out of the ground and creates an inlet as it flows into the river. The water is crystal clear and you can see all kinds of fish i.e. Longnose Gar, Tilapia, Bass, along with the manatees. A boardwalk with various lookout docks runs the length of the inlet ending at the spring itself, which is a huge limestone cavern where you can dive.

I arrived around 8:30 for two reasons, 1) to have some peace and quiet before the masses of people arrived, and 2) once the river water temperature warms up by mid-day, the manatees head back out to the river. As I approached the boardwalk, I could hear them going to the surface expelling air and intaking air, so I nearly ran to first lookout dock to catch my first glimpse. I've included five pix from my outing on today's posting, which can viewed below (click on any picture to see it in a larger format). The water had manatees everywhere! Fish were jumping out of the water catching the morning's breakfast, turtles were sunning themselves, and these big birds (Claudia, I figured you'd know the names of these birds) were out fishing. And last, but not least, I saw an alligator that was at least eight feet long. With gators, the rule of thumb is that the number of inches from its nostrils to its eyes indicate its lenght. That's what the locals tell me.

Alas, while it was wonderful to gaze upon God's handiwork, I could not help but notice mankind's pollution contribution. There were several cellphones, disposable cameras, and other pieces of junk lying on the inlet floor. I felt quite sad seeing the stuff. I had a major urge to dive into the water and clean up the bottom.

But that aside, it was such a wonderful day. There were a lot of clouds with some sunshine so it wasn't too hot. A gentle breeze was blowing, the temperature was around 73 degrees - an awesome day for picture taking. I had such a wonderful time, stay tuned as I continue to explore Florida's outdoor nooks and crannys, and the great world beyond.