way cool
my favorite thing to do is go to itchetucknee, period.
before we had kids, c and i went almost every week in the summer. we’d be hangin’ out and it’d be hot, and we worked nights, so we’d say, “hey, let’s go to itchetucknee…” and we did. we had our own tubes of course. i’d boil peanuts and bring along a huge sweet tea, and with no doors on the ford falcon van, we’d drive on up. the lady at the gate knew us, we’d give her some of the last peanuts… it was like being on permanent vacation, going to itchetucknee every week.
then we had kid #1. we still went the first year, once; silas was about 8 months old, and sat in the boat with caroline and screamed because he didn’t want to wear a life jacket… and then we went one more time when he was 2, and it was a little easier. and then kid #2 came, and we went one time last year and she screamed and c and cada only went down 30 minutes of the river before getting out and waiting for us at the parking lot…
and i have been just dying to go, just dying to… because when i go it feels like a revival to me. somehow that cold water and that peaceful float make me whole again. it doesn’t matter if there are 50 people around me or not, i just love it more than anything, and no other spring can give me the same renewal.
i went today. c couldn’t face taking cada. cada is 2 but would probably not like the cold water, or wearing her floaty swim suit in the boat for over an hour… so i took silas. it was the perfect time to go because the trams aren’t running yet which means 2 great things; 1. no crowds and 2. getting to walk back to the parking lot.
silas was pretty excited to go and when we got down to the river, i threw in the tubes and he jumped right on in like it was his job or something. it was amazing. we saw 2 snakes, over 20 turtles and lots of fish. one log had 10 turtles on it. and we didn’t have anyone around us at all so it was like it was our river.
everywhere we ever go, silas wants to walk to the next place. but you know how it is in life, it’s hard to walk from lowe’s to sweet dreams… but after that float we just walked on back, holding hands and he was rambling on about the turtle he saw under water with his goggles, and asking why i wasn’t looking when the turtle swam by on the river floor, and he was as excited as a 5 year old could be…
i had such a good time i would go back tomorrow if i could.
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