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.

Waves crash upon the shore at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida. And yes, that is Laura out in the waves. During our October 2023 Florida trip, Laura and I spent a day at Cocoa Beach, one of our favorite places to spend a day. For most of the day it was cloudy and slightly cool, but that did not keep us from getting in the water, and it did not keep us from enjoying our day.

A glass-bottom boat glides over the clear spring water at Silver Springs State Park in Florida, as seen during our October 2023 visit. Silver Springs was for many years a popular roadside attraction park, but its fame declined when the big theme parks moved into the state. Fortunately, some years ago the state of Florida took over the park and turned it into a state park, preserving its natural beauty for years to come.

We have done some traveling this year, and those travels have taken us to both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Putting those together, one thought ran through my mind: From Atlantic to Pacific, Gee the traffic is terrific! “Home for the Holidays” by Al Stillman and Robert Allen (Made famous by Perry Como and the Carpenters, among others) Except that we went from Pacific to Atlantic, chronologically speaking.

This lovely girl has another birthday! That’s right, it is Laura’s birthday once again! Happy birthday to my beautiful wife! I won’t say what her age is, but the numbers are sometimes preceded by the name of a tropical island state. But age is not important. It is just a number. What is more important is getting to spend another year with someone special. Here’s hoping this birthday is the start of another great year!

The Walt Disney World Swan hotel is seen across the water in this view from our July 2022 Florida trip. During our trip, we took an afternoon to visit the Epcot Resorts, as we often do. As you might notice from this photo, some clouds came up, and they were rather serious-looking clouds, too. As you might guess, those clouds did bring us some rain, too. We did not get too wet, so it was all good.