Florida Factoid Friday

In 1946, President Harry S. Truman retreated to Key West and ended up returning to relax for 175 days during his presidency. The two-story building he lived in, "Quarters A," was originally the commandant's home at the Key West Naval Station. In time it would be referred to as the 'Winter White House', and then the 'Little White House'.

In addition to Truman, President Eisenhower used the home while recuperating from a heart attack in 1956 and in 1961, the site played host to President John F. Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan during the Bay of Pigs incident.

Mystery solved

Good thinking, FC! Thought I'd take a little run over Panama City way last weekend and found dozens of these and moon jellyfish at the edge of West Bay. I haven't yet ID'ed this one.


Here's one of the moons, which proved quite difficult to photograph.

Along with the jellyfish, we found sea urchins, puffer remains and a starfish print in the sand. We don't see so many interesting creatures in the Big Bend. The marshy, submerged coastline has relatively little sandy beach to explore. If you find yourself on the Emerald Coast, be sure to make time for Oaks by the Bay Park and the marina just up the street. If my heart weren't set on moving back to the Tampa Bay area, I'd surely have to consider living in/near PC. Hey, if it's Flarda, it's got to be good. 8-]

Monday Morning Mystery

Florida Factoid Friday

The 17 story Miami Freedom Tower, often referred to as the Ellis Island of the Cuban community, was built in 1925 and served as the headquarters and printing office of the Miami Daily News and Metropolis until 1957. Between 1962 and 1974 the building was used an immigration station for refugees from Cuba. The tower was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places on September 10, 1979.

When we come to it

Would you drive over this bridge?


Actually, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is not as steep as it looks from this angle. It did freak me out for a minute, though, coz I had promised DS we'd cross over to the next county as part of our last birding trip.

All the time I lived in the Tampa Bay area, I wouldn't drive over this bridge because I'd heard so many horror stories about its construction. I had second thoughts as I stood in the park and shot that first picture. But when we got closer, it wasn't nearly as intimidating as I'd imagined. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the crossing and hope to do it again when we have time to linger longer.

This was a whirlwind tour of as many counties as we could cover in two days, so we didn't stop anywhere long enough to seek out the best photographic angles. I just shot where I stood and hoped for the best. As it happens, Meems has also posted about the Sunshine Skyway today. She has some great pics of the bridge, including some really nice zooms of the 'sails'. So I'm going to be lazy and refer y'all over to her site to learn more about it. 8-}

Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

Mystery solved

Y'all caught the scent right away. Suze knows the nose belongs to a squirrel.

This little guy quickly figured out there would be no handouts from the lady with the camera and refused to pose for any more shots.

Tomorrow morning, I have to report for jury duty. I'm not looking forward to it, but we gotta do what we gotta do. Here's hoping either I'm unsuitable or there is a speedy resolution.

Y'all have a JESUS-filled week!

Monday Morning Mystery

Florida Factoid Friday

The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg
is the permanent home of the world's most comprehensive collection
of the renowned Spanish artist's work.

I have a Crush...

...on old buildings. On a recent westerly jaunt, I spotted this one and had to turn around and snap a few pics. It was in a bad spot to get out, so I quickly snapped through the open window and beat feet... er, tires.

This is what first caught my eye.

Most of these old ads have faded beyond recognition, so I'm always tickled when I come across one so readable. And I'm sure at least one of my blog buddies will be just as tickled to see it. 8-]

Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

Mystery solved

Florida pescatorial expert FC caught the fish in the mystery pic. Well, he didn't actually catch the fish. 8-}

This Great Blue Heron knows that where there are fishermen, there are handouts. Why go out and work for your supper? Just stand in the welfare line and you'll eventually get a free meal.

Much as I appreciated the photo op, I was pretty sure it's not good for the birds. So I googled my query and found even more reasons than I'd imagined. This article sums it up. (Warning: there will be tears).

Monday Morning Mystery

Florida Factoid Friday

On April 4th, 1919, during a spring training exhibition game
at Plant Field (later named Pepin-Rood Stadium),
Babe Ruth hit one of the most memorable home runs of his career.
It traveled an estimated 587 feet,
which would make it the longest in baseball history.
A plaque marks the site.

Have a blessed Epiphany

In western Christian tradition, January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany. Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th, which is the Twelfth Day.

The term epiphany means 'to show', 'to make known' or 'to reveal'. In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing reveal Jesus to the world as Lord and King.


Growing up next door to Tarpon Springs, Epiphany early on became one of my favourite holidays. Yesterday morning, the clergy blessed the fleet at the Sponge Docks on the Anclote River. Right about now, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta is blessing the waters at Spring Bayou. At 12.30, the dove bearer will release the white dove and the priest will throw the Epiphany Cross into the bayou. 65 young men, who have been waiting in small boats, will dive in after it. The young man who retrieves the cross will receive a special blessing and, custom says, enjoy a year of prosperity.

An Epiphany Prayer

Father, we thank you for revealing yourself to us in Jesus the Christ, we who once were not your people but whom you chose to adopt as your people. As ancient Israel confessed long ago, we realize that it was not because of our own righteousness, or our own superior wisdom, or strength, or power, or numbers. It was simply because you loved us, and chose to show us that love in Jesus.

As you have accepted us when we did not deserve your love, will you help us to accept those whom we find it hard to love? Forgive us, O Lord, for any attitude that we harbor that on any level sees ourselves as better or more righteous than others. Will you help us to remove the barriers of prejudice and to tear down the walls of bigotry, religious or social? O Lord, help us realize that the walls that we erect for others only form our own prisons!

Will you fill us so full of your love that there is no more room for intolerance? As you have forgiven us much, will you enable us with your strength to forgive others even more? Will you enable us through your abiding Presence among us, communally and individually, to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Name we bear?

May we, through your guidance and our faithful obedience, find new avenues in ways that we have not imagined of holding the Light of your love so that it may be a Light of revelation for all people.

We thank you for your love, praise you for your Gift, ask for your continued Presence with us, and bring these petitions in the name of your Son, who has truly revealed your heart. Amen.

-Dennis Bratcher

Mystery solved

Suze guessed it. Yes, the Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) are back. I had to laugh at all the food comments, coz that's the first thing I thought, as well, when I cropped that section.

The Killdeer is one of the most successful shorebirds because of its fondness for human modified habitats and its willingness to nest close to people. Because they live so close to people, however, they are vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and collisions with cars and buildings.

The broken-wing act used to lead predators from the nest would not keep a cow or horse from stepping on the eggs. To guard against large hoofed animals, the Killdeer uses a quite different display, fluffing itself up, displaying its tail over its head, and running at the beast to attempt to make it change its path.

Monday Morning Mystery

Florida Factoid Friday

The Rolling Stones' mega-hit, Satisfaction, was writtten in Clearwater.
After a show at Jack Russell Stadium in May, 1965,
Keith Richards awoke in his room at the
Jack Tar Harrison Hotel (today it's the Fort Harrison)
with Satisfaction’s opening guitar riff in his head.