The U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings on Feb. 22. It's wonderful to have Florida-themed stamps -- but too bad this one will be out of date soon when the first class mail rate goes up again. Maybe we can hope for a Florida-themed one-cent stamp to put alongside the yearling?
"Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Gets ‘Stamp of Approval’" Press release from USPS.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Toad Hall
While clearing out and cleaning up the flower beds in honor of Spring, I came across this toad, happily ensconced in his own private home. He politely hopped out of my way, waited a bit, then settled in again.
Here are links to some Florida garden blogs:
Hoe and ShovelSimply Susan!
Wicked Gardener
Thursday, February 28, 2008
New Florida Blog
There's a new Florida-themed blog: Genuine Florida. Gotta love the big pink shrimp in a top hat (see their Feb. 2 entry)!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Virginia Key Beach Park Re-Opens
Celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Virginia Key Beach Park, established as a beach for African-American living in Miami in 1945!
"Freedom Beach" (Multi-media report from Miami Herald)
"Historic Virginia Key Beach Park truly is one of the special places..." (Miami Herald, February 17, 2008)
"Virginia Key Beach reopens with a splash" (Miami Herald, February 22, 2008)
"Freedom Beach" (Multi-media report from Miami Herald)
"Historic Virginia Key Beach Park truly is one of the special places..." (Miami Herald, February 17, 2008)
"Virginia Key Beach reopens with a splash" (Miami Herald, February 22, 2008)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Virtual Wanderings Through Florida
Various interesting sites I've happened across lately...
Miami: Reflections on the River. You can watch videos about the Miami River, and even make your own to add to the site.
Florida's Lost Tourist Attractions. 50+ homages to roadside attractions that have passed.
Historical Tampa. A Google Map showing former locations of historic buildings, site, and landmarks in Tampa.
St. Petersburg Times' Special Report on Spring Training in St. Petersburg
Spanish River Papers. Available through the Boca Raton Historical Society's website, pdf copies of their journal, dating from 1973 to 1993.
Miami: Reflections on the River. You can watch videos about the Miami River, and even make your own to add to the site.
Florida's Lost Tourist Attractions. 50+ homages to roadside attractions that have passed.
Historical Tampa. A Google Map showing former locations of historic buildings, site, and landmarks in Tampa.
St. Petersburg Times' Special Report on Spring Training in St. Petersburg
Spanish River Papers. Available through the Boca Raton Historical Society's website, pdf copies of their journal, dating from 1973 to 1993.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Florida News Stories
"What If?" (by Eliot Kleinberg, Palm Beach Post, February 17, 2008) "Florida has been the scene of several near-misses that would have dramatically changed history."
"Mud-spattered tales from the Forgotten Coast of Florida" (St. Catherines Standard, February 9, 2008) "Lash a dead deer or a couple gutted wild boars to the ATVs racks, and you could likely run for sheriff. "
"Miami in June" (Isle of Man Today, February 15, 2008) "After graduating from the University of Kent in June, a friend and I felt we definitely deserved a holiday."
"Vultures Settling Into Urban Areas" (Miami Herald, February 9, 2008) "The winter visitors rest on high-rise balconies and peck at the rubber around automobile windshields. They leave abundant whitewash, and on rare occasions have flown into jets at altitudes greater than 3,500 feet. They roost, and often dine, communally."
"A stylish tradition: Mr. I Got 'Em's spirit lives at the Saturday Morning Market." (St. Petersburg Times, February 9, 2008)
"First lady Laura Bush visits Everglades" (Miami Herald, February 7, 2008) "Airboat rides and snake shows weren't on the itinerary for first lady Laura Bush's maiden trip to the Everglades."
"Mud-spattered tales from the Forgotten Coast of Florida" (St. Catherines Standard, February 9, 2008) "Lash a dead deer or a couple gutted wild boars to the ATVs racks, and you could likely run for sheriff. "
"Miami in June" (Isle of Man Today, February 15, 2008) "After graduating from the University of Kent in June, a friend and I felt we definitely deserved a holiday."
"Vultures Settling Into Urban Areas" (Miami Herald, February 9, 2008) "The winter visitors rest on high-rise balconies and peck at the rubber around automobile windshields. They leave abundant whitewash, and on rare occasions have flown into jets at altitudes greater than 3,500 feet. They roost, and often dine, communally."
"A stylish tradition: Mr. I Got 'Em's spirit lives at the Saturday Morning Market." (St. Petersburg Times, February 9, 2008)
"First lady Laura Bush visits Everglades" (Miami Herald, February 7, 2008) "Airboat rides and snake shows weren't on the itinerary for first lady Laura Bush's maiden trip to the Everglades."
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Our State Fair
For over one hundred years, Tampa has hosted the Florida State Fair. It's not so different from other state fairs, with rides, food on a stick, and 4-H clubs with sheep and steers. There's exotic looking chickens and rabbits, bleating goats, and cow milking demonstrations. Over on the other side, there's a guy carving wood with a chainsaw, just outside the exhibition hall where the Elvis impersonator contest is underway. There are pig races, a giant alligator, and spinning thrill rides. For just a few dollars you can throw a dart/ ball / ring and win an unwieldly stuffed animal.
In 1904 the South Florida Fair was organized to promote Tampa's economic resources and bring tourists to our fair city. For seven decades, the fair was held on the west shore of the Hillsborough River, near the Tampa Bay Hotel, now part of the University of Tampa campus. Eventually anew, larger fairgrounds were built in east Tampa, on Interstate 4, and this is where the fair has been held each February since 1977.
In other months of the year the fairgrounds host craft shows, horse shows, and concerts. Year round, Cracker Country is a popular school fieldtrip destination.
In 1904 the South Florida Fair was organized to promote Tampa's economic resources and bring tourists to our fair city. For seven decades, the fair was held on the west shore of the Hillsborough River, near the Tampa Bay Hotel, now part of the University of Tampa campus. Eventually anew, larger fairgrounds were built in east Tampa, on Interstate 4, and this is where the fair has been held each February since 1977.
In other months of the year the fairgrounds host craft shows, horse shows, and concerts. Year round, Cracker Country is a popular school fieldtrip destination.
If you want to go, you'd better hurry -- Monday is the last day this year!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day, Florida!
What to do in Florida on St. Valentine's Day? If you are going out for a romantic meal, how about a Valentine diner (if they don't have a table, try this one). If your personal life is a bit stormy at the moment, there's the Georges Valentine, which "broke apart on the rocky reefs just offshore from Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge" and is now a State Underwater Archaeological Preserve. Or if you're in a happy place and ready to take the plunge, there's Honeymoon Island State Park.
Ah, love is in the air in the Sunshine State.
Ah, love is in the air in the Sunshine State.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Florida Videos on the Web
Neal Hecker, with Program Services at WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami brought this website to my attention: uVu, described as "uVu is a video sharing website and companion digital broadcast channel powered by WPBT Channel 2, South Florida’s PBS station. The website consists of video content created and submitted to the site by individuals, community groups and cultural/educational institutions, which allows the community to experience, at any time, the important happenings of South Florida."
Here's a few of the videos that caught my attention, but I'm sure you'll find your own favorites.
Roadtrip to Yoder's Restaurant
MiMo Architecture
Palm Beach's Famous Doorways
Florida's Key Deer
Tour of Versailles in Little Havana
Stone Crabs
Miami Bungalows
Here's a few of the videos that caught my attention, but I'm sure you'll find your own favorites.
Roadtrip to Yoder's Restaurant
MiMo Architecture
Palm Beach's Famous Doorways
Florida's Key Deer
Tour of Versailles in Little Havana
Stone Crabs
Miami Bungalows
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Playing Hooky
We took a little time out yesterday afternoon for a round of minature golf, and a stop at Ben T. Davis Beach on Old Tampa Bay. There were plenty of shorebirds at the beach, including these Black Skimmers. (The baby alligators were at the golf course, not the beach.)
What these pictures don't show is that Ben T. Davis Beach is on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, near one of the messiest highway interchanges in Tampa, and close enough to Tampa International Airport that you'll want to wave hello to folks on landing planes.
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