VOTE

 VOTE

There's never been an election like this.  The whole world is waiting to see if we choose Kamala Harris to be our next President, or, the guy described by his former chief-of-staff, Gen. John Kelly, as "the most dangerous person in the country".

 

 

It's hard to concentrate on anything else but I'll try.  

Despite election nightmares life continues in Gainesville.  Here are a few things I noticed this month.

GOOD BURGER

I was riding my bike on October 16th and came upon four blocks of cars lined up on NW 10 Avenue. At first I thought it was a funeral procession but it turned out to be a different kind of farewell.

Shiela Williams with owner, John McMillan

 

It was Shiela Williams last day of work at "Mac's Drive Thru", the burger joint a half-block west of Main. In her 37 years there she built up a huge fan base. One  driver told me, "Shiela's so special. 

 

 

I'll wait for an hour or more to get a burger from her one last time".

 

 

GOOD BIKE

I stopped at GoodBike two blocks away to get a chain fixed.  From the rafters hung a menacing 18-foot shark-cycle.

I asked if someone could ride the shark in December 28th's Flying Pig Parade. He referred me to the shop owner, Mike, who said he'd consider it. 

 

T-shirts go on sale Nov. 25th

GOOD MIKE

    

Many remember Michael Shields as "Super Swine" in the piggish parade.
Three weeks ago he celebrated his birthday with a Truck Painting Party. We enjoyed great food, Michael's stories, and painting marvelous designs on his pick-up.

BIG GATOR

   I've never seen much life in Depot Park's artificial lake until last week.  On Saturday I spotted five snapping turtles and a six-foot gator.  Now the "No Swimming" signs make more sense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONE HUGE  NATIONAL  PARK

    300 of us attended a lecture at Newberry's Equestrian Center last week. Author Doug Tallamy promoted his book, "Bringing Nature Home" and his big idea. If property owners cooperate, we could make our country one huge "homegrown national park". 

 

Doug shared that if everyone replaced half of their lawns with native plants, it would promote biodiversity, reduce global warming, and create 200 million more acres of "national park".

    

 When we moved here 5 years ago, we did just that.  Half of our lawn is  "wild". We love the bugs, birds, butterflies. Having less grass to mow is great too.

Did I ever mention how much I dislike the lawn mower life?  It seems I spent half of my youth pushing one. If it was up to me I'd let all grass grow.  Unlike hair, it stops at some point. 

 

BEATING  THE  HEAT

   An hour later we were in the audience at the Lynx Bookstore. Journalist Jeff Goodell discussed his book, "The Heat Will Kill You First" and  Miami-Dade County's chief heat officer, Jane Gilbert, explained her mission to help South Florida adapt to the ever increasing perils of climate change. 

 

If left unchallenged, burning fossil fuels will continue to cause heat increases that will end life as we know it. It's why spring comes earlier, fall arrives later, hurricanes pop up more frequently, and thousands more die every year from heat related causes.

We do not have to destroy ourselves.

Jane and Jeff pointed out that the best thing we can do now is to vote next week for candidates that believe that human-induced climate change is real. That does not include the most dangerous person that I mentioned earlier.

 

Lining up to vote, Millhopper Library

 

BEST ART SHOW

It's our neighborhood's only art show and it takes place every November at the UCG church, 1624 NW 5 Ave. 

When I helped create this little gem three years ago I figured,  "Nobody goes to an art show for more than a couple hours so why not make it two hours long?

Everyone's invited. Artists can still sign up.  It takes place from 11 am to 1 pm on Sunday, November 10th. Stop by my table. I will be selling Christmas ornaments that I make from dried okra.

BEST PICNIC?

That would be the annual gatherings we have twice a year in Parker Park. 

Two of the six dogs

About 140 neighbors (and six dogs) came to our neighborhood association's fall picnic on Sunday, October 27th.

The Mayor spoke, there was plenty to eat, and we made new friends.

BEST FEST

I think our 3-day punk rock festival, "Fest", is G'ville's most successful

event.  Thousands of people have come here for 22 years to hear music that many of us want to steer clear of.

Last weekend I enjoyed plunging into it briefly (with ear plugs) to

Heartwood Soundstage, one of Fest's 15 venues

watch black-shirted youngin's having a good time. 

 

Fest 22 featured 316 bands playing in 15 different venues for sixteen hours a day.  It's a well-behaved, sell-out crowd that tops ten thousand every year.

It brings in new visitors like no other.  96% of the ticket buyers come from outside Gainesville. 74% come from out-of- state and 32% from other countries. How cool is that?

Hats off to its top dawg, G'ville's Tony Weinbender, his staff, and the 400 volunteers for keeping it real for over two decades.

 

Fest nuns mugging it up with their Trump Bibles

 

BEST  OCTOBER  PARADE

That would be Florida Park's annual Halloween procession

coming up on Thursday.  It's not "Fest" but the witches and vampires do dress in black.  As usual, we'll gather at the corner of NW 17 St. and 12 Road at 5:30.  We march at six, just before sunset.  If you and the kids come as Fest punk rockers, that's just fine. 

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MORNING MAGIC

      Francesca and I were having  breakfast last Thursday. The sun was out for the first time since the latest hurricane. She commented on how lovely it was, the horizontal sunbeams illuminating the palmettos outside.

 

    

    I agreed, grabbed my camera and went out to capture it. When I did, I noticed all kinds of early morning wonder. 

    I took these photos while my eggs and coffee grew cold. 

Beautyberry

Roselle that later became jam

Seminole pumpkin

Tangerines and wild sage

Young limequats

lemons above pumpkin and cucumber vines

Ripening persimmons

Shampoo ginger

    

 

 

And then I went back to cold eggs and coffee.

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MILTON, A HINT OF THINGS TO COME

TWICE IN TWO WEEKS!

Broken Branch on 10-10-24, NW 11 Road

What's with all the hurricanes?  They usually hit each Florida city about once every twelve years.

  Irma came to G-Town in 2017.  Tampa had not been hit since 1921.

That's all changed.  Tampa got whacked. G'ville had near misses twice in two weeks. 

Mother Nature is pissed.

We're frogs in warming water with no one to turn off the stove. 

Most politicians are hopeless when it comes to solving the ever-worsening climate crisis.  Our governor is one of them. Heather Cox Richardson wrote in her column a few days ago,

Before this year, Florida had goals of moving toward clean energy, but in May 2024, Governor DeSantis signed a law to restructure the state’s energy policy so that addressing climate change would no longer be a priority. The law deleted any mention of climate change in state laws. Saying that “Florida rejects the designs of the left to weaken our energy grid, pursue a radical climate agenda, and promote foreign adversaries,” the governor posted a graphic on X that said the law would “INSULATE FLORIDA FROM GREEN ZEALOTS….”

 

18th Terrace tree fall courtesy of Helene

 

Until we elect leaders who believe people are more important than profits and power, we are screwed.

We do have an election coming up next month...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RALLY FOR GRU

    Our neighbor, David, is very active in our local Sierra Club chapter.  He helped put together a rally outside the GRU office last week.

Several eloquent speakers reminded us of the many reasons to VOTE YES to restore local control of "GRU", our city's municipal utilities.

I hope you do.

 

HEART WALL

Don't you get tired of looking at the graffiti on the 34th Street wall? It's so disjointed, most of it ultra-color tag names that say, "Look at me!". That's one of the reasons I was so pleased to see G'ville's newest wall art across from the east side of Depot Park.

Artists from Shand's Arts & Medicine program created "Wall of Hearts" from colorful tile. It is long and lyrical. Stop by and enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS FROM THE WOODS

BE KIND TO FAIRIES

 Rattlesnake Woods' "FairyTown", was torn apart before the hurricanes hit. I think it was Sid, the bad kid from "Toy Story".

 FairyTown, smashed by Sid?

The fairies are homeless. If you'd like to help re-build FairyTown let me know.

 

 

 

 

FIXING THE TRAIL

Part of the woods' bike trail has been falling into Hogtown Creek.  A big thanks to the neighbors who built an alternate trail to protect our fragile waterway.

 

ARE WE READY FOR A HOGTOWN CREEK FISHING TOURNAMENT?

A new neighbor, Eli, purchased a house on the south side of the creek.  Being an avid fisherman, he did what few do, he cast his line into water we assumed lethal to all living things. Lo and behold, Eli is now reeling in large mouth bass, sun fish, and at least one suwannee bass. 

A rare Suwannee Bass

Yes, they are small and Eli tosses them back.

While it's not yet fit for humans to swim in, Eli the Fisherman has hope, "Fish like bass require cool, fast-running, clean water. Maybe the creeks here are healthier than we think".

Eli has spotted a fox and deer in his new backyard.  Two blocks east neighbor Susan has seen nocturnal flying squirrels for the first time in years. 

Florida Park is wild!

 

LET'S PICNIC!

Our University Park Neighborhood Association is having its annual Fall Picnic on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 3-6 pm.  It will be

held in the pavilion behind Parker Elementary on NW 5 Ave. @ 20th St.  The gate will be open so you can park on the field.

Come join us. Chat with your neighbors and make new friends. 

You need not be a member or even live in our neighborhood.  Drinks and refreshments will be provided.

 

LET'S PARADE!

We're having our fifth annual Florida Park Neighborhood Halloween Parade on Thursday, October 31st.

Artist: Rosi Arenas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet at the corner of NW 17 St and 12 Rd. We line up at 5:30 and march at 6 pm.  Gainesville's new Brazilian percussion band, "BlocoGNV", says they'll be joining us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not too soon to begin preparing for Gainesville's greatest event, The Flying Pig Parade. It takes place on Saturday, December 28th. Our neighborhood was well represented when it stepped out for the first time last year.

 It's gonna be great again 'cause anything can happen when pigs fly.  As one person commented, "It's like taking a bath in laughter".

 

Our latest Iguana ad

Prairie Creek Grave Diggers

Melrose's Dancing Dinosaurs

The fabulous Savannah Elliot getting her pig on (Photo: Oona Meyer)