13 Protestors

On Thursday July 02, 2020, 13 Protestors from the Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society assembled in front of the residence of the universities president to protest a lack of black student enrollment, more black faculty, and more financial aide for black students. After a handful of speeches and chanting from the 13 people who were in attendance, the protestors drove their vehicles back and forth along the driveway of the residence, beeping their horns for about ten minutes before vacating the premises.

Reannin

Reannin.

Caregiver.

Animal lover.

Olympic weightlifter.

CrossFit coach

and overall badass.

Counter-Protest

On a hot, muggy June evening in the small town of Brooksville, Florida about 250 people gathered under the canopy of two large Oak Trees, on the steps of the county courthouse. They gathered peacefully to protest the killing of George Floyd, a man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis Minnesota just over a week earlier.

As I walked up a barricaded Main Street and watched the scene unfold, I observed a group of about two dozen counter-protestors. They were gathered in the street, armed with sheath knives, and one specifically was draped in a confederate flag. I listened to them shout “All Lives Matter” and “White Is Right”! They waved the confederate flag, yelled obscenities at the crowd of protestors, and taunted them, daring them to cross the police line.

Uniformed deputy sheriffs lined the sidewalk between the protestors and counter-protestors. They ordered the counter-protestors to stay behind the double yellow line on Main Street, and not to approach the sidewalk.  A few of the protestors attempted to engage the group lining Main Street in words of love, but they continued to taunt the frustrated protestors to cross the police line and “talk” with them.

This peaceful protest was made up of a diverse crowd of men, women, and children. As each speaker addressed the crowd, the counter-protestors were persistent with their jeering. Shouting from Main Street across the courthouse lawn, a counter-protestor threatened a white speaker with violence. He threatened, not only the speaker with violence, but also threatened his mother. He threatened him because, in his words, he was a traitor for “switching sides”.

After the event, one of the counter-protestors was arrested for resisting arrest without violence and exhibition of a dangerous weapon. He allegedly pulled a machete from his pants and threatened a protestor with it.

I spent a lifelong career as a law enforcement officer and I’ve seen some pretty horrific scenes, but never have I witnessed such absolute hate, because of the color of someone’s skin, like I witnessed on Friday, June 5, 2020.

22.5 Miles

I rode my Specialized AWOL Bicycle 22.5 miles through my community today. There was not one stretch of that 22.5 miles that was not literally littered with discarded rubber gloves and antiseptic wipes. They were strewn along the roadway, in the right of way, and along the sidewalks. To say I’m disappointed with humanity is an understatement.

Open For Business

Yesterday, I went for a short bicycle ride just after lunch to stretch a bit, and this handmade sign at the corner of Deltona Blvd. and Philatelic Drive caught my eye. I struck up a conversation with the owner, Jodi Parresol, of Turnpike’s Rest Stop and asked how business has been since the governor shut down the ability to have people dine in. She said that orders had slowed to about 25% of their normal business, and further noted that they have only been open for 6 months. Turnpike’s Rest Stop officially opened September 05th, 2019. “It’s just been rough trying to keep our employees employed” Jodi stated. But, they have not had to lay anyone off. She noted that a couple of employees made the determination themselves that they did not want to risk coming into work, they delayed a few new hires, but they were keeping their employees busy with take out and delivery orders. I asked how she has been advertising to the public that they were still open, and she noted the handmade sign her husband and co-owner had created when the situation first started and place by the roadside. The verbiage “Dine In” has since been scratched out, and she also said that they have a Facebook page and Instagram account that she keeps active.

“It’s just been rough trying to keep our employees employed”

While I was in the parking lot, a couple of families stopped in to place orders, one couple with kayaks atop of their SUV had just returned from Jenkins Creek where they had been out on the water. They went inside to place and order and then waited outside on the bench for it to be complete. Inside the restaurant, the chairs were stacked on top of the tables and in the kitchen, the head chef and general manager, Melissa (Jodi’s daughter) was hard at work filling tickets and pushing the orders out.

I didn’t stay very long, as I didn’t want to get in the way of Jodi and her staff feeding their customers. Plus, social distancing and all. But, as I pedaled off I was thankful that the community was supporting local businesses like Turnpike’s Rest Stop. It will take a community supporting each other to get through a time like this. If you are tired of cooking, Turn Pike’s Rest Stop is located at 3429 Deltona Blvd. in Spring Hill, Florida. Give them a call at (352) 701-2009 as they are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. I can attest that they make one of the best Reuben Sandwiches I have ever eaten.

Support your local restaurants, as many are still open for take out and delivery. If you enjoy my content, please give it a “Like”, and I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below. Make it your absolute Intent to better today than you were yesterday. I hope you all have a blessed week. Peace.

Safe Measures Discarded

Trash and debris along our roadways here in Hernando County is pretty common. You cant really look anywhere and not see people’s discarded trash. Most of the trash you find is substance related, alcohol containers, cigarette packaging, smokeless tobacco containers, as well as lots of plastic bottles, but recently while out for an early morning bicycle ride to get a little fresh air and exercise, I found this discarded glove.

During this time where the majority of the public is worried about contracting COVID-19, I’ve seen people wearing gloves in public to pump gas, or open public doors. I’m guessing they do not want to transfer an illness to themselves or their family, and I applaud you for taking protective measures. I’m wondering though, does this mean that we will now see protective gloves discarded as litter? I certainly hope not.

Gas stations typically have trash bins located between the gas pumps and most stores will have trash bins located in front of the store. I would hope that when someone takes precautions to keep themselves healthy, they would also take precautions to keep the rest of us healthy by using a proper trash receptacle to deposit their used gloves.

For the sake of argument, we’ll assume this is a clean glove that just got away from someone with a gust of wind, and hope this is not a sign that we will see discarded gloves along with our current substance related trash here in Hernando County. Please protect yourself, but also please protect your fellow man too by discarding your trash in it’s proper place, a trash can.

If you enjoy my content please give it a thumbs up, or a share and I would enjoy reading your thoughts in the comments below. Make it your absolute intent to be better today than you were yesterday. I hope you all have a blessed day. Peace.

A discarded glove litters the right-of-way along U.S. Highway 19 in Hernando County, Florida.

Business As Usual

This morning I was awakened from a dead sleep at 0300 hrs from a not so desirable dream. Sometimes memories from my career just seem to include themselves in my life for no reason at all. I laid in bed for almost an hour trying to go back to sleep, but alas I could not get rid of the thoughts. So, I got up, had coffee, breakfast, looked at the daily news, grabbed my camera, added a 40mm pancake lens to make it compact, and then decided to ride my bike.

I have not been on my bike in about four months. I injured my knee on a gravel ride in Citrus County back in November and I literally have not been able to ride since. Today was my first ride back on S.I.R. 2.0. S.I.R. 2.0 (Suffering Is Real) is what I affectionately call my gravel bike, and it was pretty obvious that I had not ridden in four months and need more time in the saddle. I really enjoyed myself though and I’m quite happy that I had no knee pain during or after my 13 mile ride this morning. I had only planned to ride 7 miles but with no knee pain and my desire to make a few pictures this morning, I just kept on riding until I decided I was over my saddle. And 13 miles did it.

I noticed more traffic out than I thought there might be. I was on the road around 0615 hrs. In the local shopping center, a few miles from my house, Starbucks employees were serving coffee through the drive through, Publix employees were arriving to prep for the day. The air was filled with the smell of bread baking, and THE Bus was making rounds looking for early morning riders. It was quiet. And cool. So cool I wished I had worn a long sleeve pull over, but it was great to get out of the house and get a little exercise with no worries of running into people. A few people had lined up early in front of Publix. I can assume they were waiting for the store to open, but they had isolated themselves in their cars away from each other and were waiting patiently for the doors to open. Large trucks, 18 wheelers, were traveling U.S. Hwy. 19 and some were even delivering goods behind local stores.

Bayfront Health Spring Hill had no wait, according to their sign. I chuckled a bit when I saw the sign, because I was listening to The Daily Podcast talk about politics and the Corona Virus and about how we are all doomed. No matter your side on the issue ( I really do not care, so please don’t share it) we are definitely witnessing history.

Stay tuned to reputable news sources on the virus, don’t allow yourself to get sucked into political opinions and agendas, practice measures recommended by the CDC, and trust in God. When this crisis is all over, there will be beauty.

I’d love to read what you are doing to stay healthy in the comments below, and if you enjoy the content please give it a Like. Make it your Absolute Intent to be better today than you were yesterday. I hope you all have a blessed day. Peace.

Service and Leadership

Yesterday morning I woke up, made coffee and sat down in front of my computer like I do every morning. I pulled up my digital subscription to the Tampa Bay Times. I clicked on “NEWS” and then I clicked on “Hernando” to see if there were any new news articles which might effect us all living in this little pocket of Florida, just North of Tampa. As I started reading through the articles I found that the Hernando County School District were continuing to feed their children. For the families of school aged children in Hernando County, who also attend Hernando County schools, the district has developed a system to provide approximately 3500 meals a day. They use buses which are deployed to designated school bus stops, apartment complexes, and Delta Woods Park. They also serve meals at a number of schools in the district.

I thought about the logistics of feeding at all of those locations and decided to grab my camera and drive over to Delta Woods Park to see what I could find. I had questions in my head; How many people would show up? Would there be a long line of students waiting for meals with their parents? The Times photograph by Michelle Miller showed a small line of people waiting for food and happy children all seated inside of a car, hamming it up for the camera.

I arrived at Delta Woods Park on Deltona Blvd, in Spring Hill, Florida to find a Hernando County School bus parked in the middle of the parking lot, a Hernando County Sheriff’s deputy standing nearby, and a line of traffic (10-15 cars) snaked through the parking lot, waiting in a line to receive a meal from school personnel. I pulled into a parking space to observe how the situation would unfold in front of me and with my windows down on this cool morning, I just sat, observed, and listened.

The situation was calm with zero tension. A Hernando County deputy sheriff, with a smile on his face, spoke to the driver of each vehicle, providing instruction of what would occur as they pulled forward in line. Everyone complied, and the effort was flawless. School personnel wearing gloves and a face mask would open the hatch or trunk of the vehicle next in line and place a box with food inside of the vehicle, close the trunk or hatch and the vehicle would slowly pull away revealing the next person in line. While another school employee, also wearing gloves and a face mask would greet the driver. The effort was flawless and what unfolded in front of me was simply people caring for people. School district leadership continuing to ensure that our children’s needs were met. As you often hear in the news, the only meals many children receive are at school. Breakfast and lunch are served here in Hernando County for those that need it daily, and with the recent school closures how do the children who need it continue to eat… They eat through forward thinking by school leadership.

During this time of crisis and need, we’ve all seen the photographs or experienced first hand bare shelves in the grocery stores because people are hoarding. If you pay attention to social media, all you see is negativity. You see each side of politics accusing the other of being a part of the problem, to include friends and family. Recently, I deleted anything from my Facebook page that could be construed as negative or political, not because I can’t have discussion about it, but because “discussion” cannot simply be had. The current state of politics is polarizing. Posts turn to people bickering, lobbing accusations, and just plain mean spiritedness. So, I deleted any post that could be political in nature and decided to go create positive content. I’ll get my information from reputable sites, and decrease my social media screen time. Everyone sharing their frustrations on social media, simply transfers their frustrations to others and we become our own worst enemies.

I worked in public service my entire life. I retired last year after 25 years in law enforcement and I continue to work in the community through community coalitions and volunteer work. God placed me here to serve people, so I won’t stop until I breathe no more. I never thought I’d see something like this and I’ve seen a lot of craziness during my career. I’m thankful though for the people like our dedicated school employees who come to work to ensure children will not go hungry. Thank you.

Now let’s briefly discuss the deputy sheriff present during this situation. Nothing was out of hand, but the fact that someone chose to place this specific deputy sheriff, in this situation, is nothing but kind. I know him. His name is Brian Timothy, and he is a school resource deputy. I worked hand in hand with him, and there is no better deputy to be present during a situation like this than Deputy Timothy. The approximate 23,000 children in our school district see these same deputy sheriffs daily (School Resource Deputies), the kids know them, and therefore they become a symbol of comfort for our children. They have earned the trust of the kids, and there is no one better to be present for these kids during this time of crisis than Deputy Brain Timothy. To all of those people on the front lines, especially the ones working behind the scenes, like our school food service workers… my hat is off to you. Thank you for your dedication; it does not go unnoticed.

Make it your Absolute intent to be better today than you were yesterday. I hope you all have a blessed day.

School personnel ensure children are fed during the March 2020 COVID-19 crisis.

Eagle's Nest

Eagle’s Nest is a pond on the South edge of the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area. I have so many photos of it that sometimes I wonder why I’m making another, as I set up to photograph it. To me it’s a place to unwind. A pond in the middle of a Florida swamp. These days it’s quite easy to get to with a quick Google search because the Florida Wildlife Commission has opened gates, improved the roads leading to it, and even created a boardwalk and steps leading down into the depths of the pond for exploration.

Eric Reick of Clearwater prepares to free dive Eagle’s Nest, a popular cave diving location.

Why all of the improvements you might ask? It’s a popular diving location. Since the early 1980’s close to a dozen people have died in the caves beneath Eagle’s Nest. It was difficult to find Eagle’s Nest and navigate to it’s shore line for divers and first responders alike. Before the improvements, the way into Eagle’s Nest was basically a trail through the swamp. Diver’s would pack their gear in and walk from the hard road. When there was an emergency, it was also difficult for first responders to gain the access needed to it. Beneath Eagle’s Nest is a passage way to the Florida Aquifer, the Mount Everest of cave diving, as they call it. But for me it’s simply a peaceful place to reflect, destress, and just be quiet.

Eric Reick of Clearwater, Florida prepares to free dive Eagle’s Nest, a popular cave diving location.

Today images have started a series of photographs I plan to use to create a photo book project. I plan to document the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area. It’s a place I’ve sought refuge off and on my entire life. I’ve hiked, biked, fished, and photographed these woods made up of thousands of acres of hardwood swamps, forests, and springs. I intend to photograph it until I feel as though I’ve documented what I need to also take you to this beautiful piece of paradise that I call home. I hope you will tag along with me on these adventures.