Category: Blog

I know many of you are orchid lovers. Check this out coming on PBS this week. Sorry for non-US residents.

“For nine months in 2000, Tom Hart Dyke was a captive of guerrillas who seized him while he was collecting wild orchids in the Colombian rain forest. Now Hart Dyke is at it again in the most orchid-rich and politically unstable part of Papua New Guinea. NOVA investigates an all-consuming passion that for some people is more precious than life itself. Ranging from the scientific to the sociological, Orchid Hunter covers research at the forefront of plant biology. Long of interest to scientists because of their remarkable evolutionary history, orchids are equally exciting to collectors, who have made them a multibillion-dollar industry.”

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/programs/2915_orchid.html

Antoni Miralda’s sculpture in the Dacra office area.

Art Basel Miami Beach is just its second year has become THE most important art fair on the U.S. east coast. Also here is -Scope fair, a 4 story hotel filled with galleries, and NADA=New Art Dealers Alliance Fair in a vacant commercial bldg. Over in Miami debuting for the event was a new art space, Miami Art Central. And, as shown in the above picture the Miami Design District office of Dacra, the main developer of the area into the hottest gallery district in Miami. Craig Robbins is the principal of Dacra and a great supporter of art and artists.

I spent the entire day and into the evening trekking thru each of the above venues, with the exception of Miami Art Central which is some distant south. I’m working up a report of some kind on the events, art, and activities for Miamiartexchange.com. However, I have a final critique and exam to give this morning. I got a phone call yesterday telling me what “right on time” our Nayland Blake’s recent commentary is as edited on Miamiartexchange.com. Thank you Nayland!

I deleted an entry I didn’t like and am replacing it with an image of two birds of prey that are being rehabilitated and then released into the wild. The red shouldered hawk is named Carolina. I spent too much time talking with the guy that had the birds I forgot to get the owl’s name or gender. This was taken at the beginning of Oct. at Fairchild Tropical Garden. (This is a layered image.)

World AIDS Day = Day Without Art

I set out for another two days of image gathering this past weekend. I set out without a map in hand. I thought I knew exactly where I was going. I was totally off base. I set out Saturday and drove north to Palm Beach County, then west toward Belle Glade but, I knew I had to drive a bit further north. I couldn’t find it. I bought a map only to open it and find it only showed the eastern half of the county. What kind of stupid map makers do that?

I decided to drive to Indiantown and possibly find my true location of Port Mayaca, where Lake Okeechobee and the waterway flowing east to the St. Lucie estuary and the Atlanic. I glanced at a roadside sign and did a U-turn to a place called, Grassy Waters Preserve. I had never heard of it.

Images and more text…

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Holiday, even if you don’t live in the US. My Canadian friends have their Thanksgiving on a different day but, my warm greetings extends to all.

I have always liked Thanksgiving as a holiday. Lots of love, food, fun, and no gift obligations. Thanksgiving reminds me of my mother and her good cooking. Of course, she was a great cook any day of the week. It also reminds me of nosing around my grandmother’s kitchen watching, listening, tasting, and having a good time playing with cousins, and siblings. Ah, the days of my youth are but a fleeting memory… *smile* Anyone for some apple pie?

I forgot to say I put a nice turkey breast on my smoker. It should be ready in about 3+ hours. It should be moist and delicious. 🙂

To provide you a reference to where my weekend pics were taken, I’m providing an area map. There is a long strip of land along the coast separated from the mainland by the Indian River Lagoon (part of the intercoasal waterway). The coastal islands are divided by Ft. Pierce Inlet. They are North & South Hutchinson Islands. The pier and power boat were taken on the North Causeway where I’ve circled an area. The Savannas is within the rectangular area.

The agricultural citrus growing land along I95 and Florida’s Turnpike going through 3 counties mostly belongs to Becker Groves. Old man Becker, if he’s still alive and working, is a pretty nice southerner and boss. He and his grove managers used to eat where I had a parttime job. They liked Becker and he paid pretty well. Grove workers, well, that’s another issue. I’ve never heard anything bad about Becker but, working in the groves isn’t easy, nor does it pay well. Get an education! (*A note for anyone that hasn’t figured it out yet.) I loved hearing them talking about ‘people from up north,’ ‘trucks,’ and ‘big city folks that think they know so much.’ I used to kid around with ’em and use my southern accent, like when I told one guy, Pete, he wasn’t dressed right, ’cause he didn’t have his name stamped into the back of his belt (like everybody else). I loved the down-home nature of these guys. I’m the same way, down-home.

Even though this image has not been manipulated, it is an idealized image of Ft. Pierce, FL. This city has an economy largely based on agriculture. That is a seasonal occupation for many migrant workers that provides work for them mostly during the winter months. That’s when citrus is harvested.

The city has an interesting history albeit, one of many in Florida. I have some friends there that I don’t see often. I found myself more involved with being more active in the community when I was living there too: co-founder of the regional bicycle racing club, organizer of a regional cultural arts conference, rewriting the by-laws of the local cultural affairs council, board member of several arts and cultural orgs. The city sits on a manmade inlet that serves agri-business and shipping to and from the Bahamas. Fishing is still pretty good although some fish stocks are gone (flounder). I used to do a lot of fishing. Beaches are good too. I’m not a beach goer. I lived in the area 9 yrs in total. My relatives (mostly all deceased) moved to the area some 80 yrs ago. Anyway, enjoy the image… 🙂

Okay. I had time tonight to post these two images from my weekend trip.

This picture was taken at dusk before I went to my friend Roger’s for the evening. In the background are some of the islands I’d like to visit. They are mainly bird rookeries. I also took my new thumbnail icon on the same pier where I took the boat pic.

This is the place of my short canoe adventure. Not all of it had so much grass. But, that’s what the Everglades look like. A big river of grass.

The weather was good but a bit windy. No rain. I arrived at my desination. Drove to where I thought I could rent a canoe but, didn’t find a store. I parked and called the phone number. Some guy who apparently works for the county spoke via his voice mail that he and his wife were not home. “If you need me, call my celphone.” Puhleeeze! What a waste of time and an even greater disappointment, with a touch of frustration for good measure.

I drove over to Chuck’s place. We talked about the situation. There was a place up the road from him that sold canoes. Maybe I should just go buy one. I don’t have a roof rack but went to check prices anyway. They were good. However, the store is closing at the end of November. Thinking….

I didn’t know what to do. I called Roger. He and I worked together briefly in 1976-77. He’s still a county employee, and a great friend and wonderful person. He didn’t know anyone with a canoe for sale but, “Come on over for a visit,” he urged. No urging necessary. I went on over. After dinner, he and his wife invited me to spend the night. They are some of the most wonderful people I know. Friends after all these years is a treasure since we didn’t work together that long. I’ve always liked Roger for his kindness, fairness, honesty, and sexy good looks (even now).

Roger suggested I try the county park, The Savannas. I did find some canoes to rent and had a good two hour paddle along the outer edge of the wetlands. I had planned a different trip, however. One that went out into the Indian River Lagoon.

The Indian River Lagoon stretches for 156 miles spanning Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties. The St. Lucie River and Estuary is an essential component of the environmental and economic well-being of Martin and St. Lucie counties. There is an intersection of waterways in Martin County, commonly known as the “crossroads.” This is the place where the Indian River Lagoon, the mouth of the St. Lucie River and the St. Lucie Inlet meet.

Maybe this will give you some idea as to why I find this project extremely important for myself and for the cultural heritage of the area.