Record Heat and Ichetucknee Springs Logjam

The temperatures in north-central Florida, where I live, are off the charts and have been almost unbearable for about a week.  Today the forecast high, as I viewed it on my television screen, was to be a "near-record" 95 degrees.  I looked at this prediction at the same time they were showing the current temperature: 98!  Just stepping out of the door is like stepping into a furnace, it is so hot.  This morning, Melissa and I drove out past Fort White (a few miles northwest of Gainesville) to Ichetucknee Springs, where on the Ichetucknee River, largely shaded, visitors traditionally ride tubes down the slow current.  We were going, however, to attend some river baptisms that our church was holding there.  As we drove through Fort White on our way to the park, we passed, on the right side of the road, business after business renting out the huge inner tubes used at Ichetucknee...and the visiting vehicles were being loaded up.  But when we got to the park's entrance, there was a backup of 70+ vehicles.  As it turned out, Ichetucknee Springs was packed to the hilt and each car had to wait for one to leave in order to enter...an excruciatingly slow process.  Seeing the pointlessness of hanging around, I turned the car around and headed back.  On the way, we passed into High Springs and I stopped at a place, alternately called "The Corner" and "The Talented Cookie" which serves coffee, tea, desserts, sells some antiques, and rents out boating and water sports equipment.  Melissa and I enjoyed our respective tea and coffee along with our sweets.  A nice place to stop by, if you happen to be going in that direction (it's on the left side of US-27 going northwest, just before the US-41 intersection).  Afterward, we continued on home.  I felt sorry for all those people who had gone to all the trouble to rent out those tubes and had expected to soon be enjoying themselves in that river...only to be hopelessly in an endless line just to get into the park to find a parking space.  Some other time, though, I'd like to go there with Melissa and tube down the river...but not on a weekend, especially one when there are baptisms taking place...

In spite of the weather, I had an impulsive urge this afternoon to spring into action and mow the front yard, which was beginning to look like a wheat field.  That being done, I washed up and am now at my favorite Starbucks (at least as I write this) working on iced coffee and iced water...I think a refill is in order.  The main thing, though, is that I'm on the air-conditioned side of the window!