Ocala Boat Basin

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 75 degrees, high 98 degrees, partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies

We thought Carolyn was over her stomach ailment from yesterday, but she wasn't. So, she stayed at home all day, while I made a trip to the WalMart Mall to pick up a few groceries.

On my way to the Mall, I made a little detour to a place that we used to have picnics in. Before we left Ocala, the Ocala Boat Basin, located east of Silver Springs on State Road 40, was popular with families having picnics and people fishing from the bank of the canal leading from the boat basin. Boaters putting their boats in could go down a canal to the Silver River, and from there could go left to the Oklawaha River or right and up the Silver River to the headwaters at Silver Springs. The Silver River was not open for fishing, but that didn't stop some people from fishing the river. It was loaded with fish, including big bass and catfish, and they would strike just about anything that hit the water.

The boat basin has been fixed up compared to when we were living here, but it isn't as attractive to me now. Why is it not as attractive? Well, the county in their infinite wisdom, has decided to start charging admission to the basin, including people who want to just sit at the picnic tables. It's not worth $5.00 to me to go into something that used to be free, since the few improvements don't do that much for me. It's a shame, since I would have liked to walk down the canal to the Silver River, where we used to see monkeys swinging from branch to branch in the trees. The monkeys escaped when the old Tarzan movies were being filmed at Silver Springs.

My stop at the Mall didn't take long, as the store was not crowded. Maybe I've found a new day to buy groceries.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Montgomery, Alabama: Gumptown

Not all who wander are lost.