Silver River Cruise

Our pontoon boat has been prisoner to the marine shop for much of the summer. Letting it sit for six years was not kind to the engine, wiring and electric components. Lucky for us, we know how to roll with the punches a used boat can throw, so we have just been patient, while all the problems were sorted out and dealt with. We finally were able to take her home from the intensive care unit and get out and enjoy our new-to-us toy.
 One of our first cruises was a trip to the headwaters of the Silver River. Silver Springs is one mile from our home, and the boat basin, where we put in, is three and a half miles to the west of us. As it passes us, the river gets as close as 1/4mile from our home going upstream to the springs. Yes, this is as close as you can get to having this wonderful natural resource in our backyard. The seven mile area is all state owned property, so no houses or development is on the river, and once one leaves the boat basin, it is like going back to prehistoric times all the way to the Park (World Famous Silver Springs) at the spring head.
Over the next few days I will post some slide shows and vids of the trip. To get you started, here is one of the wild rhesus monkeys that make this river home.
Mostly, they stay in the river area. But once in a great while, they foray over to our neighborhood. Lots of wildlife abounds on the river, including birds, gators and turtles. But the monkeys are my favorite, making a sighting like this a special treat.