LDJ Musings ...

As I read your hand written note on the LDJ 2009 homepage, I could hardly contain my excitement when I saw that the new venue will be Plantation Inn in Crystal River. I attended COTS (oops, now LEADAC) earlier this year at Plantation Inn, for the Capital Chordsmen of Tallahassee. Besides the wonderful training sessions, my best memories are of my time spent out by the river behind the Inn. I have to tell you about my magical and even spiritual experience:

I slowly wandered along the Crystal River shoreline behind the Inn at sunset. As I reached the grass peninsula that juts out into the river it was dark enough that I could no longer see down into the river. Next to the Gazebo, right on the bank, there was a light on a pole similar to a street light. It shown down into the water illuminating a circle about 20 feet in diameter clear to the bottom. I stood at the edge gazing down at a non-stop stream of hundreds and hundreds of fish swimming upstream through the lighted area. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more surreal, a manatee slowly lumbered into the circle of light, meandering in the opposite direction as the fish. I hadn’t seen a manatee in years, and I had forgotten how amazing they are. This manatee lingered in the light and drifted right next to the shore. Then it turned on its side to rub its belly on the small concrete retaining wall. It reminded me of when our puppy rolls over on its back to let us rub its belly. I literally could have reached down into the water and touched the manatee, it was that close. But I just watched in wonder as it took its time, and eventually drifted on downstream away from the light. Then, a minute later, as the constant cloud of fish was still rushing upstream, two more manatees drifted slowly through the magic circle of light. One was much smaller than the other, and I can only guess that this pair was a mother and child. It was so exciting that I thought my heart should be racing, but it was also so calming and relaxing that my heart rate probably slowed down instead.

The next morning, before breakfast, I went back out to the river’s edge to try to re-live the magic. But the river was in an entirely different mood. In the dim morning light, a thin layer of morning fog was caressing the water as a gentle breeze nudged it along. I couldn’t see if anything was swimming beneath the surface, but I definitely did not feel alone. Even if there were no fish or manatees around at the time, God was present in everything about the river. I was late for breakfast because I just had to sit and pray for a while on the bank.

After lunch, before we drove back to Tallahassee, I took my roommate and carpool buddy out to the river to show him what I had been telling him about. Of course, the river was in an entirely different mood again. The cool shade of a cypress tree on shore was now the best vantage point. But the action was not in or on the river now, as much as it was above and around it, with birds flying by and other activities on shore.

During the drive home and the whole next day I couldn’t stop thinking about the river. In fact, by the end of the day I had finished writing a song about the river that just flowed out of me. I already had the first verse written during my walk from the river to breakfast that morning. It took a while to find the time, but I have just finished arranging the “Crystal River” song, and I hope my quartet can start learning it soon.

So, as you can see, the Plantation Inn venue has special meaning for me. I really wanted to go to the LDJ 2008, but I just couldn’t make it. I hated missing the amazing talent in the shows, but especially missed supporting the PBQ quartet from Tallahassee who performed. I will do whatever I can to make it this year to a special location that is closer to Tallahassee.

Thanks for all your hard work organizing the LDJ.

Rodney Atherton

baritone for “In A Chord” quartet