Sunday, July 31, 2011

It isn't all flamingoes and 'gators...













I have friends who live over that-a-way about 25 miles.
They live in a senior (55+) community surrounded by
lots of forest-y land and not far from the edges of the
Ocala National Forest.

They enjoy sitting on their enclosed front porch and
watching cute little critters eating the seeds and nuts
my friends leave in the yard and the bird feeder.

You know... the smile inducing kind like cardinals,
blue jays, mockingbirds, herons, hummingbirds,
black birds, squirrels and an occasional raccoon.

Little. 99.9% harmless.
Until a few weeks ago.

In that time, they've had three black bear sightings.
OK, technically, two sightings. One time was merely
noticing the bird feeder had been destroyed and the
culprit left six piles of bear scat in the yard.

Other residents throughout the community have
reported black bears for a while. Always late at
night or very early morning just before the trash
pick-up is scheduled. The bears are raiding the
trash cans looking for food.














Many of the people who live there (including my friends)
have dogs and walk their dogs through the park, usually in
the early morning and late evening when it's dark.
Dark is when the bears show up.

So far no one has encountered a bear on their walk.
So far.

The official advice if such were to occur is: Don't panic.
Don't run away because the bear might chase you.
Make noise to scare the bear. Back up slowly but don't
look the bear in the eye because that is interpreted as
a threat to the bear.


They make pepper spray for bears. Wouldn't that piss
them off? Should they carry pots and pans to make noise?
Berry suggested cherry bombs/small fireworks. I think I'd
be shaking too hard to light a fuse.

The community managers claim their calls to state officials
have done nothing because no one has been hurt. They say
the black bear is listed as endangered so they cannot be shot.
They are behind the times because I found an article that said
the Florida black bear was removed from the endangered list
last month. I'm not advocating killing the bears but, if one
needs to protect oneself in an attack...

Anyway, I suggested that they carry an air horn and,
lo and behold, they got the same advice from another friend
who happens to be a hunter. So, now my friends have an air horn.

All I know is, from now on, I'll make sure to leave their
neighborhood while it's still daylight.

Wasn't that simply one of the most exciting posts you've ever read here??

Thursday, July 14, 2011

What I did on my summer unemployment...

Cabin fever hit hard yesterday so I mosied to the Boardwalk
and took some photos. (click for bigger)
This structure is the Bandshell. It was one of several WPA
projects in the area during the Depression.
It's used at least once a week for free concerts.









This is the pier... restaurant/bar. And you can fish off the end.










I wanted shrimp from Bubba Gump's but there was a huge crowd waiting to get in so I opted for a burger at
Johnny Rocket's
instead.

It's a retro diner with a very fun staff.



Juke boxes play music from
the '50s and '60s and about once an hour
the staff sings and dances to
one of the old songs.
These kids are so young that they probably
never heard any of this music before they started
working here.
The little blond on the left was my waitress and
she had some... er, difficulties... keeping up
with the other girls.
The girl on the far right had it goin' on.

Cabin fever cured, for now.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

hard rain...


leeching through
cracks, crevices, old rot.
suffers bones
to crumble.
destroys shelter
meant to be
haven now hell.
refuge decayed
to ruin.
hard rain
wears me down.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sippican Cottage and Walking Man...


Mark finished the third
book of poetry in his
trilogy.

















Sippican has published a book of
37 of his short stories.





They're two of the
good guys who happen
to be talented writers.

Click on the images
to get the full dope
on how to buy
their books.

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Atlantis...

Have you noticed that I don't post videos?
I are techtard.

However, my friends Nowhere Man and Joan deSlack
have both posted a beautiful NASA video from the
closing crew for the last shuttle flight for Atlantis.

Go see.

innocent...

trust and love and hope
vulnerable to the pain
of disappointment

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Meet my leetle frien'...

This is Bailey.
She lives in Texas.
She is my friend's great-granddaughter.

Go ahead, say awwwww.