This odd image is not a person in an aquarium or even an elusive merman, but the captain/owner/builder of a little glass-bottomed boat named The Silver River Spirit, in Ocala, FL, on the Silver River. Eric was clowning around during a lunch stop on a pleasure trip in July, 2011, when he swam under the boat and posed briefly for photos. The water is a cool 72°F, which, along with the alligator that we displaced as we tied up the boat along the shore, discouraged most of the passengers from taking a dip. Val, her mother, Evelyn, and friend, Peg, were aboard, along with a few other people. This particular trip, which went up the river into the Silver Springs, included heavy rain for about the first half, but then cleared and we all enjoyed the wildlife sightings, scenery, and cheerful commentary by our guide.