May 13, 2010
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Where did Spring go?
Here it is mid May , and already the temp is in the nineties in the afternoon. Today my yard maintainers came in and ruthlessly attacked all our azaleas and camellias. They will grow back during the next half-year and bloom out nicely next spring - I hope.
The oil spill seems to have headed away from Florida's gulf coast - at least so far - and the fishing and beaching is still delightful. We had fresh (very fresh) caught grouper for supper the other night - yummy.
Unfortunately all the publicity has led tourists to think FL is affected and they are staying away in droves - not good for our economy.
Comments (10)
Here in Kansas City it feels like fall. Cold and rainy. I've had enough, I need fungicide for my tomato's.
We are way below normal in temps this week. Maybe we could average!
Here in N.C. it's nice: warm during the day and chilly at night.
Don't know if the tourists staying away is good or bad. I'm a native Floridian (St. Augustine) but left because it got too crowded. But I suppose that's because of the people who go there to live rather than the tourists who just visit. I remember the beautiful white beaches as a kid, and almost cry when I go back and see the litter. And the old city, once the most beautiful spot on Earth, now spread out and congested. Progress.
Nineties today, nineties tomorrow, we are getting all our ducks in a row so that we can leave for Maine - whenever the blackflies and mosquitos simmer down, which is generally around July 1. Unfortunately medical problems are looming - I hope we are not delayed.
Our part of Florida (north part of Tallahassee - about 15 miles from GA) is heavily wooded and rolling country with lots of Lakes so living here is not too uncomfortable even during the summer. If you fly over Tallahassee, what you mostly see is miles of treetops with a few tall buildings sticking up.
We are famous for our "Canopy Roads" - main thoroughfares completely covered over by oaks dangling spanish moss. We live off one of these - beautiful drive to the store or all the way into town. It's a short drive down to the Gulf - over many of the same sort of roads - and so far there is no sign of the massive oil spill but the beaches and hotels are already pretty deserted.
@tychecat -
My dad was from Mayo, near the Suwanee, which he describes pretty much in the same way, hills, live oaks, and so forth. Bet it's beautiful. Hope folks there can keep it that way. My home in St. Augustine was amid lots of beautiful trees. The trees are now gone to make room for houses--built by people who moved there because they liked the trees...
@dsullivan -
LOL I don't think you have to worry about Mayo becoming overcrowded any time in the near future.
For those of you not familiar with North Florida, Mayo is the crossroads of US 27 going from Perry to Branford and FL51 going from Live Oak to Steinhatchee.
That part of Florida isn't really on the tourist track and hopefully never will be. It is one of those places bordering the "Forgotten Coast" where the Florida I remember as a boy still has some vestiges left.
When I was at UF (over 50 years ago) I participated in a geographic/economic study of the area. It hasn't changed much.
Dear Dick,
I hope your tourist trade returns soon. Out here in SoCal the theme park operators are expecting a resurgence of capital after a lousy 2009 summer. I hope to get out and take some photos soon. I'm waiting till I get my new prescription and glasses, since I haven't really done any picture taking since the right cataract started growing last November.
Some day I hope to make it to the northeast, possibly during the fall, which of course we really don't have here in SoCal. We're in the middle of June gloom, even though it's still May. Only a few good SoCal days so far this year. It was pretty much winter, or more accurately Spring, with all the rain into early May. Then a week of "typical" weather and now back to gloomy mornings. I live near the ocean, so we expect a marine layer to cloud up the skies at least till right before noon, but the sun has been waiting till almost 3pm to make it's appearance.
Thank you as usual for your detailed and insightful comments on my blog.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
@baldmike2004 -
My wife and I have visited CA several times - mostly as we drove from Florida to Maine (We sometimes take the long route
)
While the whole - and very large - state is beautiful -well maybe not LA freeways - I think we prefer Northern CA but we did spend a delightful week in Monterey once.
When I was a merchant seaman, I sailed into and out of Long Beach.
Just popped in to see how you are doing? It is long since you have blogged...I hope you are doing well.
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