Being refined can be a desirable quality. It reflects a process in which the best possible features have been distilled and are on display. With this refining process there are traits which are suppressed and sometimes lost forever. While these lost characteristics are rarely missed in today’s homogenized existence, their absence lends a consistent repetitiveness…Read more
The dog days of summer have once again returned to north Florida, this year with a fierce vengeance. As such the dogs (and cats), along with their human companions, are highly motivated to remain in any synthetic environment with temperature control capable of producing a comfortable thermometer reading. In reality the history of the dog…Read more
Cooking shows are popular entertainment. Everyone from masters to aspiring chefs share their passion for specific culinary specialties and styles. In contemporary north Florida there are some colorful native insect residents which have a desire for specific plants. Monarch butterflies are one species, but another is the Gulf Fritillary. The object of its dining obsession…Read more
Ask any panhandle horse owner and they will say their horse has a sweet tooth. In addition to sugar cubes there are apples, pears and many other fruits with a high sugar content which are attractive to equines everywhere. Feed stores even offer a sweet feed for horses. The rolled and cut grains are sprayed…Read more
The recent ample rainfall has accelerated the return of greenery to panhandle Florida. The slow, steady drizzle was punctuated by the occasional down pour. The many native plants have, in turn, responded to the liquid encouragement. Flowers of almost every hue and tone are exhibiting this season’s finest display of colors and texture. Rain lilies…Read more
The visage of the palm fronds conjures images of balmy tropics and sunny beaches, which is quite attractive given the recent subfreezing temperatures up north. The thatched roofs of seaside cabanas gently rustle in the breeze with a sound unique to the leaves of this plant. Depending on the species of the tree, the trunks…Read more
