Silver River at Silver Springs in Florida
Kayakers paddle down the Silver River at Silver Springs State Park in Florida, as seen during our October 2023 Florida Trip.
We saw lots of kayakers while we were at Silver Springs. But we also saw signs warning of alligators and snakes in the area, and there is not much in a kayak to protect you from either of those. So maybe kayaking is not for us. There were also lots of stand-up paddleboarders, and that looked like fun, too. Except for the same reasons as above. So on this day we decided to let the others have all the fun, and we just enjoyed the views from the safety of the bank, or in this case from the footbridge that spanned the river.
I always enjoy seeing the “Old Florida”, which to me is the natural Florida. The Florida flora and fauna are much different than what we have in Tennessee. And Laura and I enjoy just being out in nature, too. So this kind of thing was perfect for us.
Along the Trail
Laura stands by a fence near the Silver River. This sums up most of our day. Walk along the trails, stop and enjoy the views, take photos. We were not very fast walkers that day, because we were always stopping to have a look around. But we were not out to set any speed records, so that was just fine.
Go with the Flow
As we walked along the river, it often looked like the water was pretty still. However, if you know about springs and how much water they release each day (over 550 million gallons a day from Silver Springs!), you know that water has to go somewhere. And many of the people we saw in kayaks and on paddleboards could mostly just float down the river with the current of the water. They were just going with the flow. Literally.
However, those people did have to do some paddling here and there when the current took them where they did not want to go. Sometimes the flow was about to run them under a low branch or off to the shore.
We do the same in life. We go with the flow until it takes us where we don’t want to go. Sometimes that is good. But other times, those who really accomplish things are those who put in more work, not just to stay on course, but to choose their own direction.
Sometimes good things come your way when you go with the flow, sometimes better things come your way when you put in extra effort and go your own way. Which one is better? That depends on the situation.
Know when to float and when to paddle. And be ready to put in some effort when the right time comes.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2
About the Photos
I put in a little work on both of these photos. For the first, I wanted to get just the right blend of colors. For the way I see things, greens and yellows can sometimes get a little out of control, and I tried to rein them in here.
For the photo of Laura, I worked a bit to get the right blend of lighting both on Laura and on the background. Because Laura was slightly in the shadows, it would have been ideal to have a flash. But since I did not, I did a little lightening on her in processing.
Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: October 7, 2023
Location: Silver Springs State Park, Florida
