Inviting Guest Florida Bloggers

Okey dokey, all you Florida bloggers.  Here's your chance to do something a little elicit.  That's right.  Do something down right naughty.  Cross pollinization.

So, if you have something you would like to write about Florida (history, culture, nature, etc.), feel free to drop reply to this blog post.  I'll give you my email address then.  No need to put it out there, because there are some crazies out there.  You know who you are.

Looking forward to see how many guest bloggers Suwannee Refugee can get.

Back in Florida

Its early Sunday morning and I am having trouble adjusting to the new time schedule.  I should never be up this early.  But it is what it is.

I am back on this side of the pond and even happier to be in God's country.  And no I'm not talking about North Carolina.  Florida is as beautiful as when I left it.

And I am reminded that Florida does have change of colors on its trees and bushes.  Take for example the Crape Myrtle.  Those leaves are changing colors as pretty as a North Carolina birch.

Anyway, glad to be back.  Looking forward to many Florida--not African--adventures to come.

Grits: A Weapon

If you're from the South you have to love grits.  Grits for breakfast.  Grits for lunch.  Grits for dinner.

But I've never been the one to use grits as a weapon.  I guess I'm always too hungry to pour my grits on someone else.  But not this woman in New Orleans.  She decided that her grits were perishable, so she dumped them all over her man.

Now, I wonder what the real story is.  Did he complain about her grits?  Did the grits go bad in the cupboard so she just decided "What the hell?" and poured them on the first person she saw?

Either way, the coppers arrested her for battery.  I would add a charge about ruining good grits.  Tragedy!

Florida Sunrail: A Great Joke

Look, I've never been one to jabber endlessly about the ills of politics.  But today I'd thought I'd share my buffalo nickel's worth with you.

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the oft talked about Sun Rail has been approved and is just waiting a perfunctory signature from the governor.

Why oh why would a Sun Rail be a good thing for Florida?  It will create jobs and lower the unemployment rate making the politicians look good in the short run. (Isn't that what government always looks at.)  But where is the infrastructure in these towns to support such a grand pompous idea?  It won't take the place of Amtrak.  They want it to take the place of cars. Not so fast my slick politician friend.

I'm a skeptic by nature (see I did mention "nature" in this blog post), so I'm waiting to see how this puppy pans out.  We'll see...

Any thoughts out there on the Sun Rail?  Pass 'em along.

Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels

I don't know about you, but growing up in Florida has allowed me to see a bevy of wildlife.  Wildlife that is sometimes teeming, while other times are are silent as rat snake.  One member of the wildlife race that I see a lot of (other those animals on I-4) are squirrels.

Squirrels are a site to behold.  When I was out in Colorado a few years back, there were squirrels out there that were big enough to take my lunch all while holding a stogie in their mouth.  But in Florida we have the smaller gentler kind who dress for warmer weather, sometimes even donning flip flops.  Ha!  I was reading in the Washington County News about Florida's squirrels.  Apparently there are three kinds:

• Fox Squirrel (pictured)
• Southern Flying Squirrel
• Eastern Gray Squirrel

Who knew there was so much variety in the Florida squirrel family.  I don't have any fun squirrel stories for ya, but they sure are part of the canvas of my Florida childhood.  Ya'll have any good squirrel stories?  Anything educational to add to this post as you can see my education is lacking?  Is it just me or does squirrel look like a funny word?

Another Thru Hiker on the Florida Trail

Another item on the bucket list that I've probably mentioned before is hiking the entire Florida trail.  That's right the 1100 mile jaunt from South Florida to the Panhandle.

Well, another dude is trying to accomplish this feat right now.  Marcus Adkins is thru hiking the Florida Trail. He is about a month into the hike. You can follow him and his adventures on Twitter. #MAFT.

Follow Marcus on his Blog.

Forest Fires Are Actually Good?

Ever been driving along the road and seen smoke billowing out from among the trees.  Fire trucks are scattered along the side of said road attempting to curtail or stamp out the fire trying to prevent it from getting to the residential and commercial property close by.  We've probably all seen news of fires that are rampant in California forests.  We've had our fair share of them in Florida, also.

Now a report by the BBC states that fires are actually good for the forest.  I heard rumors and innuendo about this for years, but it is finally refreshing that we have substaniated records that verify forest fires help the natural habitat; and actually provide the area for it to continue to grow rather than being suffocated by underbrush.  Here's a little snippet from the article:

"For decades, through public service messages, people were encouraged to believe that all fires were bad.

Aggressive measures were taken to fight fires, since the perception was that the flames were a wholly negative force in the national park.

But scientists have come to realise that years of suppressing fire in Yosemite prevented the trees from reproducing.

Excluding fire from the ecosystem allowed leaves and other vegetation to build up around the trees. The litter stopped seeds from germinating in exposed soil and a dense canopy of foliage blocked the sunlight from reaching the forest floor.

"I think that we need to see more fire and the benefits of fire," says Mr Smith."

Most of my readers are blessed with a rather large intelligence, but for those of you who God passed over, the article is talking about controlled burns, not just lighting up the forest to see some fire and flames.

What thoughts do you have about the positive effects that fire has on the ecosystem?

Plant City Strawberry Queens

When I was little kid I went to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City.  (If you've never been, you owe it to yourself to get on over there and try it at least once, especially if you want to consider yourself a Floridian.)  I digress.  The Strawberry Festival is one of those Florida icons that envelope or maybe engulf the little town of Plant City which prides itself on being a little town, even though is it being swallowed by Tampa more and more.  There are those rides that are ubiquitous in carnivals across the country like snake twister and big ball of loops.  But there are strawberry shortcakes that are as big as your head.  And I promise you will not find the equivalent in any chain restaurant in the state.

Another piece to the Strawberry festival of which I was unaware was the festival queen.  Apparently this is a big deal for this idyllic town whose other big things in town are a fruit stand and a church.  I found this article in the New Yorker talking about this exact phenomenon.  Here is a little snippet from the article by Anne Hull who grew up in Central Florida.

"Thousands of spectators stood along the old brick streets of downtown. Lawn parties were humming, with Crock-Pots and aluminum pans of cobbler resting on wobbly card tables in the shade near the azalea bushes. Tangy clouds of barbecue smoke drifted in the breeze. Members of First Baptist were on one side of Reynolds Street, and members of First Presbyterian occupied the other. The Diamond Fertilizer float was blasting Lynyrd Skynyrd. A black gospel float was piping out praise tunes. There were Barack Obama T-shirts and Mike Huckabee T-shirts. Almost everyone stood when the R.O.T.C. passed with the flag. “The big city is coming, but we are trying to get them used to how we do things,” a man named Jon Belk said, holding a soft drink. “Plant City is the slow life. That’s the way we like it. You come here and the clocks stop. You can hear trains in the background, and cows.”

If that paragraph doesn't give you a picture of Plant City and what the queening of a teenager represents, I don't have anything else for ya.

Have any of you seen the queening at the festival?  Any thoughts in general about the festival for those who have gone?

Paddling Down the Suwannee

Over the years I've done just about everything a man (or woman; no chauvinism on this blog) can do on the Suwannee River.  You see Munden Creek, where my grandfather purchased land back in the 60's, leads directly to the river and is about a five minute boat ride to mouth of this large body of water.  This freedom to use the river as I may allowed me to motor boat, ski, skurf, houseboat, canoe, and kayak all through its cypress filled tannic waters.

Before I came to Africa to get the travel bug out of me, I bought two yaks (which are calling my name loudly) and did a little touring on the river.  This passion has led me to look for other yakers who enjoy the Suwannee.  Kevin Mims over at Visit Florida and Wahoo Hiker alerted me to a group called Paddle Florida which does multiple trips around Florida, including a large one down the Suwannee River each year in the fall.

I firmly believe in a bucket list and yaking the entire Suwannee is on that list.  Have any of partnered with Paddle Florida and gone on one of their trips?  Have you just mustered up the courage to do it yourself?

BTW--I'm going to put Paddle Florida up on the site permanently, should any of followers want mosey on back to it.

Everglades Recipes

I'm proud of Florida and the heritage that rises from its piney floors and muddy waters.  I'm proud of the Florida cracker cowboys who did ranching the hard way by driving cattle across the state amongst malaria infested mosquitoes and hateful and crusty people who would just as soon shoot ya than to shake your hand.  Another aspect of Florida that I find quite appealing is the American Indians who inhabited most of the Florida at one point, but have been driven to small remote sections of the Sunshine State like the Everglades.

I've written about the Everglades in a few previous posts, talking about restoration and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.  Now, something new has come to my attention.  Recipes that the Indians used are on the internet (not that they would use recipes).  I can't say that I've tried any of these recipes, but some of them look pretty dang delicious.   I realize that isn't the most resounding endorsement for food, but I find it fascinating that there are recipes floating around for folks that lives hundreds of years ago.  Wouldn't that be interesting to see what meat, veggies, and spices people used 1000 years ago.

Anyway, if there's someone out there whose tried these recipes or is part Indian and doesn't need recipes, I encourage you to leave a better seal of approval.

Have any of you come across other recipes or books talking about American Indian recipes?