Florida: a back road

Lake Wales, Fla 

Bok 'Singing' Tower.  At 298 feet above sea level on Florida's highest central hill, Edward W. Bok, a Dutch-born immigrant, here envisioned his personal "place of beauty, serenity, and peace." His singing tower, completed in 1928, rose to its famed height through a combination of imported 'carillon' bells and quarried pale pink, Georgia marble. Edward W. Bok's final fulfillment, "A sanctuary to be used as a place of rest for the human spirit."

 

 

 

Spook Hill.  Florida's only 'gravity' or magnetic spot, where cars can feel or appear to roll uphill.

 

 

The ‘Thirsty Dragon’ Pub.  My oldest daughter's favorite pet. The two of us along for a week's ride.

 

 

Cassadaga, Fla

 

 

 Cassadaga Hotel 

 

 

 

 

 

My daughter's dealt cards after her reading from a local spiritualist's Celtic deck.  "Ace of Cups". 

 

 

Cassadaga's Camp founder (1894) & spiritualist, Geo. P. Colby's personal reading & early seance table. 

 

 

 Seated out on the hotel's large open veranda, a late night of lightning and heavy rain.

 

 

 

Cross Creek, Fla 

Noted author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Yearling cabins at Cross Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Taxidermied 'yearling' mount under glass at the cabins neighboring restaurant.

 

 

Cross Creek

 

Our cabin. Our final night out on the road.

 

 

 

colonoscopy

Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Waiting in the endoscopy lounge, waiting to be drug back. Everyone's head appeared to be down, but I was excited. Couldn't wait.

 

 

 

Fightin' For Florida

Wilson's latest documentary film was recently screened at the AMC theater in downtown St. Petersburg for the Sunscreen Film Festival. His documentary titled, ‘Fighting For Florida’, showcasing the state’s multiple environmental concerns, won the Dave Barrett Award for overall best cinematography.

  

 

 Waved me over for some red-carpeting. Always all a little goofy.

 

 

 

Lower Myakka River

Lower Myakka’s tidal salt marsh bordering the south-western edge of Deer Prairie Creek Preserve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

White mangroves propagating along the river's tidal mud banks.

 

 

 

An older landmark and early home along the lower Myakka River at Tarpon Point.

 

 

"Cuba Is Going Dark"

In today's NYT's international section, there's a full page article titled, Cuba Is Going Dark, about a tremendous tragedy that sadly appears to be quickly unfolding. Cuba’s incredibly unique and influential culture, that has barely survived these past decades, soon may all but disappear. 

With its current United States sanctioned naval blockade, on March 17th, President Donald Trump took a stand, "I do believe I'll be having the honor of taking Cuba," he said. "That's a big honor. Taking Cuba in some form. Whether I free it or take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth."

 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/19/world/americas/cuba-blackout-electricity.html 

 

In January of 1998, I returned to Havana to complete a series of unfinished street portraits from 1994. Again to revisit with another stay and support a loving family who had once, years before, taken me in. That period then referred to as the so-called "special period". 

At the corner of Calle Cardenas and Apodaca, in the old neighborhood of Jesus Maria (during January of 1998), I finished documenting / interviewing those local “habaneros" - those individuals with struggles and hardened stories, all barely, but still, just hanging on. 

 

 

 

 

 

Long goodbye

A long goodbye after thirty-one years living at 3721 Flamingo Ave. 

And, as an island resident since 1951.  Then the beginning of my time, round about 75 years ago.

 

 

 

 

Circus Sarasota

Circus Sarasota is a traditional, one-ring European styled, international circus event. As many say, Sarasota is home to the circus's heritage, and as always, the annual show is a highlight of any year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerial Cradle - 'Duo Sirca Marea', featuring husband and wife aerialists, Mattias Cienfuegos of Spain & Micaela Leitner of Argentina.

 

 

 

Chris Allison, 'Boss Clown'. After enrollment in Ringling's famous clown college, Chris toured with the Ringling Bros. Greatest Show On Earth for eleven years, and three as their Boss Clown.

 

 

 

Staging for the "Wheel of Steel", the Cardenas Team of Chile, are noted for their fast-paced routines, involving blindfolds and dramatic, high tension stunts.

 

 

 

Making their North American debut as a world renowned balancing duo, Quincy Azzario and Rubel Medina, starred as this year's headliner act, featuring two artists with a combined nine Guinness World Records.