This year sure did go by fast. Sometimes I think that time is actually speeding up, then at other times it seems to slow down.

In this holiday season of giving Thanks in November durning one of America’s favorite holidays I was reminded of all the people I have met over the past year that have helped. All the people who have donated both financially and their time and skills in helping move the One Rake at a Time project forward since it’s beginning. Kings Bay, Homosassa Springs, Weekie Wachee and now with our Rainbow River Restoration Project. A special thanks to all of them.

I am just so grateful for the success the One Rake at a Time project has delivered on. That is my gift to our Kids. Starting in Hunter Springs Park on Kings Bay in Crystal River, the goal was to give the gift of a clean swimming area to the kids in the neighborhood, and anyone else lucky to discover the beautiful spring of crystal clear water that was 72 degrees year round attracting kids in the summer and manatees in the winter. And we did it.

As I have said many times before, I may have gotten things started, but I did not do it alone. I remember one time around Christmas I scheduled a clean up at Hunter Springs Park in Crystal River. A couple of people advised me that I should cancel it because nobody was going to show up because of the holiday.

Most cleanups had been attracting between 15 to 25 people coming out to help.
I figured I would go ahead do it anyway because I knew if I was there and just one or two other people we could still get something done.

I posted it on Facebook and in the newspaper and guess what? Over 50 people showed up that day eager to help remove the lyngbya algae from the swimming area.

That day we got tons of mucky Lyngbya algae removed and unclogged a spring vent that allowed more clean clear “warm water” to bubble up. The next day it got really cold so I was really glad we had done the clean up the day before.

I returned to the park to inspect our work from the day before, and to my joy, I saw at least a dozen Manatees basking in the warm water on that cold winters day, right where we had just cleaned. They seemed to be smiling at me and saying, thank you for the very best possible Christmas present you could have given us.

Many on that work day just before Christmas said that they loved the opportunity to give back to the community’s well being and loved the great spirit of giving out of love for our fellow human beings, animals and the environment. I remember it was a great day that really had that feeling of Christmas.

I could feel that spirit in my heart and soul. Sometimes when we truly give unselfishly to others and do something physical like to improve a city park for all to enjoy in the future I think there is no better way to celebrate the Christmas spirit.

As the years have gone by, the incremental improvements that started to occur in Kings Bay by the constant removal of the toxic Lyngbya algae began to be noticed more and more. It got to the point where we were taking out more nutrient pollution every week than was coming in. That is how we turn around a declining waterway into an improving waterway.

This holiday season I wanted to share my vision of hope and good will. I see things getting better every year for our springs and rivers. There seems to be a better awareness now than there was before.

This area is so special, remember the old real estate saying, location, location, location. The more you look at our location the realization sets in that there is no other place like on earth like what we have here. We have our own special unique environment. I am not saying that there are not a lot of other equally beautiful places to live, but our springs and communities are certainly where I want to live.

So let us rejoice this holiday season in the people we have in our lives that share our joys and sorrows together. We share the joy of cleaning up our springs and the sorrow that they need to be cleaned up.

Thanks again for all the people who have shared the joy of giving to the One Rake at a Time project in so many ways that have helped us produce results in cleaning up and restoring our springs.

Merry Christmas , Happy Holidays and God Bless everyone, Art Jones