camera shy

"See if I can do it?  No pictures .... PLEASE!" 

On the Myakka Park Canopy Trail with Miss Cali, my 18 year old grand-daughter having a good laugh, with the possibility of ripping her jeans even more.

 

 

 

'little angels'

 

 

 

If you were lucky you might have seen 'em - the little ones - daily with their buckets, in a line holding hands, crossing the road for the beach. One of the many ways in which Janice Howle cared for her pre-schoolers as an early, on-island daycare provider. The young ones always called her "Miss Janice", the adults new her better as - "Mary Poppins (of Siesta Key)".  

Two of my boys once attended. And many years later, Miss Janice reminding me, that I was her first attending baby.

Lillian "Miss Janice" Howle (1929-2020)

 

State Street

All new to me. Walking, not recognizing downtown on a rainy Wednesday night.

 

 

 What I do remember - that old alleyway between State Street and Main.

 

the (great) flood

Trying to prioritize old field notes, interviews, research materials etc. from soaked cardboard boxes, stacked in my recently flooded darkroom. Doing the best to sort through the most salvageable materials. The fifth day of a third edit - forty years worth.

 

 

 A good find here.  

Rejection letter from the prestigious RPS after submitting to a requested, membership portfolio review.

 

 

the Farm

Hard to believe it's been 26 years of tending to the garden.

Thanksgiving outing

Three of us enjoying the shaded roadside, driving through Oscar Scherer State Park.

Knuckles (having a hard time gettin' out and about), in his newest ride - our old golden 2000 Vanden Plas.  

 

 

 

Cigarette collection (1968-1972)

Non-filtered and unopened - English, Scottish and Irish cigarettes collected during my college years in Britain.  Rediscovered and found inside an old shoebox, from my recently flooded darkroom.

 

right to the edge .......

10:00 pm, Wednesday

'(Man) On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'.  A storm surge had unexpectedly risen up around our island home's perimeter, as Hurricane Eta, twisting and turning for over a week, suddenly became our local worst nightmare. She came straight up the west coast of Florida, and unfortunately coincided with the new moon's highest tide.

The wind blew heavy, the rain came in squall like sheets, while the power flickered on and off. 

With that last little bit of daylight, I watched our saltwater lagoon begin lapping over the seawall. Two hours later, our entire property was under two-and-half feet of water. My darkroom flooded from under it's double doors while our utility room drowned from the rising tide.

Power came back on for short periods revealing the extent of the flooding. The whole of the property was now near knee-deep from the Gulf waters. The tidal surge had come within an inch of breaching our home's interior, lapping at the numerous sliding glass doors, and nearly flooding the whole damn house.  Nearing mid-November's end of hurricane season, all is hard to believe.

peace of mind

In that same vain, as that ever popular cult artist, Bob Ross, my mind finds comfort here. Even though it's just a large jig-saw puzzle, framed in a doctor's office - and an askew representation of my current want-to-be life - the view does help reduce the blood pressure. A good way to start the day.

 

 

 

near the eve of halloween ....

a beautiful silk moth appeared, nearly the size of my hand.  Outside, a hour before sunset, this large southern 'omen' settled near our front door.

"A moth's symbolism (appearance) is meant to lighten up and not take life too seriously. It also indicates a change coming - a big one at that".  We're all due for a change.

 

An Antheraea Polyphemus moth, most likely male. 

 

 

several choices

Voting early?  Up close and personal, your choice ...... (before the final ruckus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Spencer McCourtney, Sr

My grandfather, who sits on my desk staring from a 4 inch gold-toned tintype - whom I'm greatly indebted to - kept an emotional, far distance from the immediate family.  Now he who is looking forward watching, hopefully is not judging. 

Could've been himself a rascal (1889-1975).

yet another hometown example

Across from our scenic bay-front, running parallel to today's Gulfstream Avenue, along historic South Palm Avenue - another downtown high-rise commences. But this construction is a bit more daring. 

Between 1922-1923, a fine-featured DeMarcay Hotel was built as a standout among the historic, and now long-gone Mira Mar Apartments. Both were built using a Mission Revival Style, then so popular in early Sarasota. Inside it's lobby, this once unique Hotel offered-up, the Mira Mar Cafe.  Early local advertising read, "positively the finest cafe in Florida."

Thankfully, after so many notable and local architectural loses, in March of 1984, the cute and quirky two-story DeMarcay Hotel was added to the US National Register of Historic Places.  But it seems, it didn't do much good of anything.

Today, construction began on an 18 story tower using the Hotel's original facade as a historic marketing piece.  (below) What now remains of the repurposed facade.

 

Across the street sits the marketing and sales office for the newest 'DeMarcay'.  

The developer (DK Development) has built to scale, a model that sits in their upscale showcase window.  And if you look really, really hard, you will see how the original historic facade above (now a little tiny thing) has been incorporated on the ground level - soon to be rising 18 stories high, higher than the current competition of other newly built bay-front condominiums. 

Marketing directors of the latest 'DeMarcay' have come up with their own new intriguing sales slogan, "Elevated Living in the Heart of Sarasota."

 

 

 

For Sale; 250 + acres of agricultural land

Joshua Creek, Highway 31, Desoto County

"TONS OF POTENTIAL"  (listing agent's description in caps)

250 plus acres of prime citrus and pasture land, with an existing half-hidden partial homestead, sitting on 3000 feet of high potential, highway frontage. 

On it's northern edge, this property now listed, once bordered the infamous and sprawling G. Pierce Wood psychiatric hospital (1947-2002). With on-going claims of mistreatment and patient neglect, the State of Florida found it necessary to close G. Pierce Wood in 2002.  Not long after, the large barracks styled property was then converted to, the Desoto County Juvenile Correctional Facility (with it's own whispered past) before it was finally shuttered in 2011. 

Today, riding along on my motorbike, just south of Arcadia, this once thriving rural stretch along Hwy 31, appeared eerily abandoned and overgrown - with it's long history, soon-to-be rewritten.

 

Part of the original homestead now listed on the market. The listed property was recently cut-back from years of overgrowth.

 

 

 

Along Hwy 31 - Part store, gas station and grocery in the Joshua Creek area.  The area's one-and-only, 'Stop N Go'.

 

 

Forty days and Forty nights

Well, maybe not.  But it did rain for at least 4 days straight, probably 12 inches worth, as tropical storm Sally, soon to be a hurricane, lingered and sat heavy along our Gulf Coast. By the second night, I heard the outside croaking of large frogs - then by day, watched as a multitude of hibernating mushrooms quickly sprouted.

Japanese Parasol mushrooms (Parasola plicatillis)

 

   

 

And, what appears to be a type of Lepiota mushroom that's fond of sprouting-up amongst root systems.

 

 

 

Cafe in the Park

Good food, friends.

Father Brandon, with his little 5 year old Brandon 'Jr.' giving me the "click", sporting his new set of 'corn-rows'.  Brandon Sr's 'dreads' (dreadlocks), when let down are hanging now, close to his knees, "'bout 20 years worth".

Mid-Century Modern

Siesta Key, Florida

Paradiso?

Translation from Italian to English; 'Paradiso', (Paradise) "Where the Gods live."
Latest motto for Sarasota's Chamber of Commerce; "Sarasota, Living in Paradise."



Gateway view to paradise along Sarasota's little remaining Bayfront (new-construction entrance).

Construction worker's dress code, while working, building the latest version of Sarasota's 'paradiso'.

new special friend

At first I admired the outfit, then the jewelry - then Annie - sitting, while we all sat waiting at Denny's.

Her jewelry - around her neck, wrist and around her waist. Some seemed to be in the form of obscure personal identification, some religious, and then there were the "jingle bells" hanging, attached all about her. Annie's face, her hat and her exposed baldness, her mouth, her smile covered by a face mask made from duct tape.  And a unique folding walking-stick, held out by one arm.

Annie loved all the compliments that I could give her. Then it switched - she had more questions for me then I had of her. Annie stared off during most of our conversation, then me, finally realizing - that Annie was without sight, blind.  New friends.

   

hate IV's (don't like needles)

My 2nd infusion today at the Infusion Center. A little anxious once again, so this time I brought a larger book - one with accompanying photographs. Turned out to be the right choice. A personalized signed copy, and a gift from the Hiss family. This particular work, Bali, inspired me as a young teen, to a life as a life-long photographer.

Bali, Philip Hanson Hiss (published 1941). A year spent of island living and field study of Balinese culture. Eighty black & white photo illustrations with numerous tribal, 'ethnographic' notes. 

"The degree to which a people are adjusted to their environment is the true measure of their happiness." Philip Hiss, Bali. 1941

A mountaineer, Bali

"A complete record of life on the island ... all the more valuable in view of the encroachment of European civilization ... a freshness and a convincing quality rare in the photographic art".  Everett V. Meeks, Dean of the Yale School of Fine Arts.

High Priest, Bali