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

a few weeks from 70

...... and looking back. Today going through old boxes, different times, finding different identifications with different personas.


My 'draft card' - re-classification from the U. S. Embassy, London 1969 (student deferment 1-A).

Egyptian ID (one month traveling solo up the Nile River to southern Aswan, Egypt, summer 1969)

 

U.S. passport 1984

Brazilian Press Pass, Rio de Janeiro, 1989

U.S. Press Pass, ASMP (American Society of Magazine (Media) Photographers) 1993

Cuban Press Pass (Pope John Paul visit) Cuban portraits, 1998

quarentined, with a routine

Not much excitement after a month of a routine self-imposed quarentine. Most mornings there's yard work, reading the paper and making breakfast, doing the dishes, maybe laundry after - read or watch TV mid-day - and by late afternoon, there's a nap. Around dusk, possibly walk the dog, and that's all depending on how he or I feel.

Now, with August finally upon us, I've added another chore out of necessity. After each, and almost a daily seasonal down-pour, our upper second-story flat roof becomes heavy with what they call, "ponding" water. Can't afford to replace the roof right yet, so I've applied a paintable roof coating to seal the leaks and protect the surface. And to maintain it, I typically have to brush the 1 to 2 inches of standing water off the long, guttered end. Just need a new roof with a sharper slope and better pitch. Replacement will have to wait.


 Climbing from the ground up.

Tools necessary for the upper flat roof maintenance, kept stored on the lower pitched roof.

Broom with a view.

After about 20 minutes of brushing off the standing water, always happy, always pleasant - even in the mid-day heat of a hot summer sun.

Florida's venacular style

Or what we used to call, a fine example of a Florida style "cracker" house.

A few years back, my sister and I decided to take a back-road tour of the state. We had a week. And one stop was to return to the home-site of the author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, in Cross Creek, Florida.

With the original 74 acre citrus farm, originally purchased by the Rawling's family in 1928, Ms. Rawlings, over the next 14 years, added bits and pieces to the original 'cracker' homestead. Marjorie widened porches, added a few bathrooms here and there, and eventually replaced the old tin roof with locally sourced roof shingles of cypress wood. Still today, a very fine example. And today, still missing my sister.