DEWEY IN FLORIDA

  We went for a short ride in a Glass Bottom Boat at Silver Springs state park today. It was very nice, very much like snorkeling. There were some fish, but many have been eaten by an influx of tilapia that clean out native species. Most of what we saw was small. The guide had very little to say about the fish and more about movies shot on the River or bird life. It was interesting, but I'd prefer to know more about the fish. There was a little discovery center with fish in a tank, including two fine bluegill. There were very tiny bluegill like fish in the river, but I could not tell exactly what they were. The park was very pretty. Afterwards we went to the Ocala Long Horn for early supper. I always liked that. I order the Outlaw steak.

  We went to Kelly's Pub tonight. Happy hour oysters and a fine lobster bisque. Elizabeth had a cobb salad and french fries topped with a lobster cheese sause. All was very good. This is the only place I've even been to that serves Guiness NA. That was my one complaint for our visit last week to St. Simon's Island. Very little NA beer and most of it O'Doule's which I won't drink. Kelly's is a grand spot. Packed, but we go early. It is also a place where we can pay with credit card and not incur a 3% added fee. More and more are doing that

We started our trip to St Simon's Island, Georgia to  celebrate our first date, 30 years ago.   However, we planned the trip before we remembered the anniversary.   We are old now, and that is the way the old function. It did not matter.  We enjoyed celebrating our first date.  It was a grand place to visit for a few days. DAY ONE  We got on the road in good time.  So much easier to pack a car than pack for an airplane. We skipped I-95 and added a few minutes to the trip by going back roads.  Well worth the longer trip.  Sometimes the road cut through dense forest.  Sometimes farms showed up with beef cattle.  Most were Black Angus, but one field was scattered with an assortment of colors and included some calves. There was no traffic and the surroundings were more accessible from these two lane roads than they ever seem from an expressway. We seemed to have plenty to talk about. There is something very nice about conversation in the car with no distractions, no constant phones, no

 We stopped for a night in Gainesville and visited the Art Museum on the campus there. It was a grand experience.  The art was ecclectic and all around us were young college students, some dressed up for the fashion show that was to happen later that night.   The museum is always free.  This night even the $4 parking was free. I enjoyed the jutxtaposed attitude in people, the contrast between those selling fish and the rich, well dressed looking on the sales. This really reminded me of scenes of my childhood.  It all was more vivid than the camera catches. There was an entire room dedicated to Budhist themed works.  Some of it did not appeal much to me, but this one was grand. I am not much for abstract sculpture, but this seemed very different.  The crab and and musical score were all very well constructed. We thought Cory would like this one with all the bicycles.