Les Harrison is a longtime resident of north Florida, having attended public schools in three counties. He has a Bachelor Degree from the University of Florida in Journalism and a Master’s of Science from Auburn University in Agricultural Economics. He is the author of more than 2000 newspaper and magazine stories and journal articles. During his career, he held positions in private, government and educational (university level) sectors. He holds the title of Extension Agent Emeritus. He can be reached at harrison.gl@gmail.com.
One of the seemingly permanent casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic has been salad bars. This restaurant offering had mass appeal to the public and as such, there were many to be found. Diners on a diet could feast on a variety of leafy greens and raw vegetables. There were, of course, a few high caloric…Read more
With spring in full swing, gardeners everywhere are often inclined to apply soil nutrients in the form of commercial fertilizer products in hopes of getting better performance from their plants. Annuals, perennials, ornamentals, vegetables and even trees will respond to the addition of these elements in proper amounts to further nourish home landscapes and gardens….Read more
As April 2025 quickly progresses towards May, the thermometer readings feel like June going into July. The little creatures which live in this region are reacting to the sultry environment. One of the many creatures which is encountered in or near freshwater are frogs in one of their developmental phases. Florida has 27 native frog…Read more
It is a weird and perverse universal cosmic law. This particular statute compounds all that is positive and correct, and turns it into a negative. This is why if a slice of buttered toast is dropped, the chances of it landing with the butter side down is directly proportional to the value of the rug….Read more
“Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced.” So said William Bradford, five-time governor of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts’ early days. He certainly had the credentials and track record to make this observation valid. Bradford was one of the pilgrim leaders who guided his followers out of the Netherlands and to a…Read more
Ancient wisdom and popular culture have many quotes about timing. “Better late than never” and “No time like the present” are just two of the many sayings. As is true with almost all generalities, they are applicable to only some situations. Gardening and landscape maintenance is not one of the topics where the specifics can…Read more
The world of social media is always abuzz with a variety of topics. This time of year, there are many postings on the nearly endless list of blooming flowers which are brightening the landscapes all over panhandle Florida. The polychromatic displays are located high and low, in both residential and rural areas, and seemingly without…Read more
Navigation in contemporary panhandle Florida is far easier than in decades past. The roads are named and numbered with identification information visible on reflective signs. When venturing beyond the county or state lines, or even international boarders, the task of finding one’s way is simpler and exceptionally accurate. Handheld devices and vehicle mounted mapping systems…Read more
“The house always wins” is a reality every patron of casinos and bookie sites must ultimately face. All the stylish advertising aside, the numbers will eventually fall in favor of the gambling establishments. It is a hard fact to adjust to, especially for younger bettors. Without going into the minutia of statistics and probability analysis,…Read more
Springtime is a starting point for a variety of warm weather events. One of those activities is planting the early warm season crops. One of the standards in the western hemisphere is squash. While a wide variety of this vegetable is available in supermarkets twelve months a year, that was not always the case. Historically,…Read more
