Learning From The Birds and The Bees

Life is a learning experience. As far as we know, it continues until we die. I can’t relate to afterwards until somebody’s shared that with me. In the meantime, each day we have opportunities present themselves to us. I think our experiences with nature serve as reminders to us that we’re a living, changing part of the whole creation around us. Recently, my wife and I had a reminder of that.

For months, we enjoyed watching sunsets seated on a bench beside our driveway under a huge cedar tree. I’d set a hard rectangular shaped rubberized pad on the ground under the tree as a stable base for the bench and all was well until about four months ago. One August afternoon, we were seated there awaiting dusk when our dog began going after a large bee. She’s had some odd obsession since she was a pup to try and catch insects. We only wish she preferred mosquitoes over bees.

At first we ignored the dog since as soon as she’d get stung she normally gives up this crazy activity. Well, as it turned out our dog wasn’t the only one that ended up frantically dodging and eventually running from a bee. The one bee all of a sudden became several and it seemed like they were coming out from under where we were sitting and they began coming after my wife and I. The bees were really upset and wouldn’t give up going after us, even when my wife and I ended up running all the way across our front yard to escape. After at least three stings I was plenty upset too.

I went into the garage and came back with two cans of wasp spray and had a shoot-out with the swarm coming out from under our bench platform. Two empty cans later and with about 10-15 bees littering the driveway, the attack ended about the time my own swelling became painfully noticeable. The time I spent with ammonia and baking soda to ease the symptoms gave me a chance to reflect on what had just happened. The only kind of bees I was aware of that might have been anywhere near the tree, I thought were Carpenter Bees. I’d seen enough of them boring into some of my outdoor woodwork to think maybe they had a nest under my bench. To confirm it, I did something nutty.

Now that the bees had retreated, I snuck up and carefully took away the bench. Next, I came up with a leaf rake and hooking the edge of platform, pulled on it and managed to drag it quickly a couple of feet away from where it had sat. What I viewed besides dozens more bees caused me to rethink what I was doing. There underneath where my platform and bench had sat was a rounded sphere of protruding tan and yellowish nodules covered with bees. What I was dealing with were definitely not Carpenter Bees. This is when what I had learned taking some Florida Master Naturalist Programs (FMNP) courses started me proactively thinking. Instead of reacting to what I’d just experienced, I needed more information.

Going to the www, I looked up Carpenter Bees and soon began seeing images of the large bees I’d been killing and their nests. These bees weren’t Carpenter Bees, but Bumblebees. Suddenly I was ashamed of what I was doing. Afterall, I was supposed to have an informed attitude toward flora and fauna. What made my guilt even worst was the sign we had posted on the very Cedar tree near the nest. My property was supposed to be a place safe for our dwindling wildlife, a refuge so to speak. Who was acting like the more intelligent creature here? For the most part is was the Bumblebees. I resolved right then and there to change that.

I read as much as I could about our Bumblebee nest and returned to the driveway and carefully removed the platform and stealthily replaced it with an unused recycling bin, which I set upside down covering the nest. Within a few minutes the upset bees calmed and disappeared underneath the bin to their nest. We resolved to protect our newly discovered pollinators by posting a warning sign to keep hapless souls from meeting the Bumblebees like we did. I also waited until evening, when they were inside, to set a place with sugared water outside the bin.

Though there was a number of them that died off from my ignorant spraying, the nest seemed to survive and flourish. Since that day we’ve marveled at the sight of countless Bumblebees forging about the many flowers on our property. There’s been a continuous trail of them flying back and forth to their nest. With each of our seasons’ hurricanes we’ve watched over our Bumblebees and protected them as best we could. It’s now November, once it gets cooler the Queen is supposed to either die, hatch new Queens and then go away to form a new colony, or she might like our spot and stay.

Either way, we’re now glad that we had the experience with our Bumblebees. They reminded us of how special and vibrant the natural world is around us. Their presence prompted us to learn more and to share that knowledge more with others. In fact, next week I’ll be speaking to a local gardening group about how the FMNP’s learning opportunities can help us be better stewards of our environment.

Constants Amid Change

I remember hearing in school the statement,

. . . one constant in this world is change.

Understanding what that meant didn’t really sink in until I spent a lot of time outdoors.

In nature, everything is connected in some way. The plants depend upon the nutrients the soil or water supplies them. The animals live off of the plants and other animals and somewhere in there we fit in too. There’s a cycle, rhythm, and pattern to things. Even the ground beneath our feet goes through a continuous process of change.

I’d see these evidenced around me almost everyday. Some of them were very obvious, like my lawn. It grows and I mow it. It grows again and I mow it again, etc. Then there are the things that change but take place slowly. Some changes are so slow we don’t notice them as much, like the Cider tree I planted in my yard. At first it was a sampling, only about four feet tall. Today, nearly 20-years later it reaches some 100 ft or more with large branches stretched out from its thick trunk. Wow! Did I sleep through all of that change or was it not that noticeable until now? Sometimes that’s exactly how we recognize what happens around us.

Our lakefront is an excellent example of that. Here is an area, impacted by water that has gone through awesome transition over the past 40-some years. When we first built our house there was a barrier of shrubs and scrub oaks between us and the lake. There was a strand of short grass and pine-needle carpeted ground dotted with slash pines and an old jeep trail. Beyond that spread knee-high wire grass, scattered wax myrtle bushes, and other grasses out into a lake bed that was partially dry, except for a pond of standing water on either side of the grassland. All of that has changed over time.

As the lakes’ water level receded over the years, a natural succession of pine trees gradually sprang up in this grassy area. This stand of pines grew steadily for close to 10-15 years. In time, the entire lakefront was transformed into a pine forest along the shore where once there was only grasses. This was the case for some time until heavy rains returned and we had a couple of very wet years. Suddenly, everything began to change.

For several weeks the water level in the lake rose completely submerging the pines and any shrubbery that had accompanied this ecosystems’ associated plants. As days turned to weeks and weeks into months the pines began to drown. The smaller saplings were first with their needles turning brown. The larger trees lasted a little longer. The longer their trunks were under water even these more mature pines began to display yellowed needles that eventually became brown. Verification that the pines were dying came with the sounds of insects, such as beetles chewing on the trees. Woodpeckers next showed up and it was apparent a drastic change was taking place.

Nearly two years later, there is a ghostly limbless stand of dead pine trees, many of them still standing in water as the lake water level begins to slowly lower once again. As this takes place, we are witnessing a ecological change that is still part of the same cycles, rhythms, and patterns of things. Though we’ve seen change it’s a continuous process that will go on even after most of us are no longer here to witness.

Does History Repeat Itself When We Refuse to Acknowledge It?

Is Remembering History Relevant?

As a former teacher, historian, and living history reenactor, the current movement to revise our history is of particular interest and concern to me. History links us to all kinds of things that are important to remember, even if that history isn’t pretty or has warts. Our history acts as an anchor and foundation we should build upon and not bury or destroy.

Regarding Landmarks of Our Past

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I  
      was not a socialist.
     Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— 
      because I was not a trade unionist.
     Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was 
      not a Jew.
     Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
                                                                                Martin Niemöller

The quotation stems from Niemöller’s lectures during the early postwar period. Different versions of the quotation exist. These can be attributed to the fact that Niemöller spoke extemporaneously and in a number of settings. Much controversy surrounds the content of the poem as it has been printed in varying forms, referring to diverse groups such as Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Trade Unionists, or Communists depending upon the version. Nonetheless his point was that Germans had been complicit through their silence in the Nazi imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people. He felt this was true in particular of the leaders of the Protestant churches (of which the Lutheran church was one denomination).
Niemöller spoke with regret and guilt about how in his day people did not stand up and speak in opposition to the wrong and threat growing in their country. Their failure to challenge the power struggle and threat to their way of life resulted in the worst world war in recorded human history. When we survey the destruction of statues and rejection of historic figures from our past we should be asking this question. Are we as a people eliminating the tethers that hold us accountable to be better or are we hiding the very reminders that we can become better? To help us answer this question perhaps we should consider what George Orwell once said.

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present
      controls the past.
                                                                                  George Orwell

The question today is this – Are Americans letting the same thing happen amidst the demonstrations and protests taking place? Are the selective removals of monuments, depictions and records of history by a movement that deems them unacceptable an attempt to dictate what you should know, think, say and do like others did over 200-years ago?

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
                                                                            George Santayana
Sources:
https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/george-orwell-quotesUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists

Calm in the Storm

How have you fared lately in this latest trial of our time?

Crisis have a way of interrupting our normal routine. I don’t know about you but it certainly disrupted mine. You see, my latest endeavor besides writing and doing living history, has been conducting Foodie Tours. There’s not much of a market for that as of lately.

Our touring business, Great Tasting Tours came about during one of our last occurrences of life-changing events – me leaving a position I thought could have been a very active historical preservation effort in my local community and my wife loosing her job almost simultaneously. It was almost like living that line from the movie Forest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” You can’t ask for better timing, eh?

There we were in trying to make a living and the expression, ‘working in Florida is like living in a Tropical Depression’ also came to mind. We fought off the frustration and fear that wanted to consume us, sat back, looked around us and thought. All around us was natural Florida and history. I had bunches of historical knowledge and she had all kinds of business and marketing experience so, we took the lemons we’d been dealt and decided to make lemonade. That’s how our touring business Great Tasting Tours happened. Why I am relating all of this?

I mentioned all of that because, 157-days ago the impact of the COVID-19 pretty much shut our business down. With the shops, bars and restaurants in the town we gave our tours in getting closed or drastically restricted in visitation there was little or no ability to conduct any tours. Businesses not open = No Tours. Once again, we found ourselves facing another life-changing event. This is the place where we all need to close our eyes and take a long, deep, cleansing breathe.

“The world will continue to turn on its axis”.

Those words of my father which he said to me at times when a younger, impatient me fretted over the things I saw in the world and couldn’t immediately change come to me. He was right. There are lots of things we can’t change beyond our own personal reach. Collectively though, we have a part in effecting change. Together, we can do what we can to continue.

That I know is true. I see examples of it in nature almost daily to remind me. One of them is a White Ibis I named Limpy. Limby first appeared in my front yard, along with a group of other young Ibis more than 2-years ago. He had brown plumage and a club right foot that hung loosely as he awkwardly hopped about trying to keep up with the other foraging birds. Our hearts were pained to see him hobbling because we knew the odds of such a young bird surviving the rigors of daily life weren’t high. Limpy however, has been a living reminder to us of how wonderful life can be.

Today, I still see Limpy on occasion in my yard and during my daily walks. He’s now a mature adult decked in white feathers as he ambles along with his flock. Limpy has defied the odds and no doubt sired offspring. Researching, I find that Limpy could live up to ripe age of 20. That simple bird inspires me to go on.

We may not know what the day will bring. We really have no guarantee of tomorrow, but the joy the wonder of this world can give us can provide us hope and calm as we continue.

How Long ‘til We Forget?

I will never forget my 10th-grade history teacher Mr. Fekete. He had a way of opening up history to me that has captivated me ever since.

Instead of quoting dates and names, he told us backstories. My history teacher described how the people lived, details about their land. We were told about everyday things, such as the way perfumes became popular to mask body odors. As adolescents, we could identify with what he was talking about. He taught us about the issues and lifestyle challenges people had to deal with and he also had us research and draw maps of every country and region we studied.

We learned how different kinds of maps could tell you all kinds of things about an area. This use of maps carried over for me personally in my decades of subscriptions to National Geographic magazine. Issues of the magazine included wonderfully descriptive maps that I collected and studied. Over the years, I traveled the world and even into space through these informative maps. These maps continued my journey through history with their footnotes and callout features. They helped me in my awareness of history and I relied on them as I did various other sources of history. Then one day I learned something disturbing about how some things are published.

For two decades, I was a textbook editor for an educational publishing company. During that time I witnessed how books, especially history and science ones were designed to exclusively present content mostly based upon predetermined content guidelines and standards. The practice often limited the amount of content a book could have. In essence, a lot of things were often left out so that the content was standards-driven. This made a text more about what was wanted to be learned instead of providing awareness learning. It bothered me having for a time been a teacher myself thinking that there was less opportunity to inspire learning with such emphasis towards mere grades. It made me wonder how many students today were actually learning? Some answer to that came to me later.

Repeated Omissions

Some years later, as executive director of the West Volusia Historical Society, I came across some research while preparing for a presentation that was quite disturbing.

• 70% of students surveyed thought Sputnik was the first animal to travel into space.
• 23% thought it was John F. Kennedy who said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
• 26% thought the Articles of Confederation established the division of powers between the states and the federal government.
• 43% identified the Declaration of Independence as the source of the phrase “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
• 47% could not identify the president who was in office when the United States purchased the Panama Canal.
• 63% did not know during which war the Battle of the Bulge was fought.
• Among their most frightening findings is our students’ lack of knowledge in U.S. history. Just 20% of fourth-graders, 17% of eighth-graders and 12% of 12th-graders were at grade-level proficiency in American history in the 2010 exams.
• Only one in three fourth-graders could identify the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. Less than half understood why George Washington was an important American leader.
• A majority of fourth-graders didn’t know why the Pilgrims left England.
• These are frightening statistics, indicating that our children lack an understanding of our nation’s history and the traits that have made America great.

Source: America’s students failing to learn history, By Callista Gingrich, Special to CNN

Updated 11:24 AM ET, Tue October 8, 2013

This kind of information impressed upon me how important awareness of history is to our perspective and world view. What’s more, this research was from seven years ago. How much more warped is the understanding our students or people in general have today?

Why I Do Living History

We hear a lot of what sounds like crazy perceptions of history and worldly awareness today. I think the ultimate jolt to me was when I one day opened up a copy of one of my time-honored resources, National Geographic’s Atlas of the Civil War © 2019.

Reading through its exquisite photos and maps I came across one of their maps encompassing the entire conflict on the bottom of page 7. Something seemed odd when I looked at my home state, Florida. The entire state was void of any indication anything during the war had taken place there. This disturbed me because one of my other passions besides history is historical reenacting.

From my over 35-years of participation and study of the hobby, I know the state of Florida near the end of the war was a prime target of the Union. As part of their plan to end the war, the capital was a target to be seized so that a government transition could take place effectively taking Florida out of Confederate control. Two attempts were made to capture Tallahassee the capital. Both were thwarted in major battles. The battle of Olustee or Ocean Pond was fought when over 5,000 combatants meet east of Lake City, Florida and the Union troops were routed back to Jacksonville. A second time, by the sea a Union force was stopped at the battle of Marianna or Natural Bridge. These battles each occurred in 1864. These were major events that reenactors today try to keep the remembrance of alive in people’s minds. To omit such prominent details of history is alarming to me. The state of Florida documents these events so why does National Geographic leave them out?

Why I Do Living History

How else do we forget past events? Do claims the Holocaust never happened ring a bell? How about the movement to remove monuments? Our history, even with its’ warts is an important reminder to us of the past. It defines who we are and directs us. That’s one of the reasons I continue to do living history and why I wrote my book, Grand Hotels of West Volusia County. Let’s see if we can get our history straight.

How Quickly We Forget

It seems we often have a bad habit of forgetting our past. Have you ever noticed how we do that?

We think something older than our present is unimportant or insignificant. A majestic oak tree is cut down because it’s in the path of a proposed new roadway. A stately old architectural structure with classic design sits vacant, neglected, is bought, then torn down and replaced by some sterile concrete and glass edifice.  We do away with something and replace it with something newer or completely different. Any recollection of the past sails out of our collective memory and its’ significance disappears forever.

Why Do We Do This?

To what purpose do we do these things? Is it for our true betterment? Countless times I have witnessed the bulldozing away of a beautiful slice of natural Florida flora and whatever fauna residing there leaving only bare soil to build a house. Everything originally there is eradicated. The house is built. A token palm tree and two or three shrubs are planted around the house and sod laid. Where once shade-giving trees and shrubs might have been, an artificial micro-environment unrelated to seasonal cycles takes its place. We create a setting dependent upon water and energy consumption.

Think About It

Does that ageless tree truly need to be cut down or could the new road be routed around it? Can an existing building be renovated, repurposed, and used again instead of tearing it down and building a new structure? What does it cost us to preserve connections to our past? Do we eliminate traces of our past out mere desire for profit? How does it all add up in the end? Are we better off being connected to our past or alienated from it altogether?

 

 

Hurricane Dorian: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly of Living in Florida

I grew up in Florida and I experienced some of what it was like to live through hurricanes here.

In the 1960s, I was growing up in Key West, the son of a Naval officer. It was a time when preparing for hurricanes was a serious undertaking unlike some of those of today. Back then we didn’t have a lot of the opportunity for preparation that we have today. Key West’s water was provided by a water line that ran parallel US 1, the highway linking the island and keys to mainland Florida. An image recently on the front page article of my local newspaper attested to the potential impact of these storms. The picture showed the broken water line that served as the island chains water supply. That supply of water was often interrupted during hurricanes.

I recall actually times when we had to use the water we had filled our bathtub with during hurricanes because the water line had been broken. We cooked meals over candles and Sterno burners for days while power lines to the Keys were being repaired.
During the storm, we slept on our bed mattresses in the middle of the house listening to the winds rattling the storm shutters on our classic Key West house. I remember those nights lying awake while the wind howled outside.
My father took me out once it was safe to drive around and view the aftermath of the storms. I remember seeing huge trees uprooted, seaweed hanging from power lines along the beach, a yacht stranded in the median of US 1 north of the island, mere foundations remaining of houses along Big Pine Key, and the image of a tanker washed ashore in the newspaper.
All of these images brought home to me the stark reality of the relics that dotted the coastal highway from Flagler’s railroad. There was one particular spot along the roadway where I would see the eerie spectator of rails sticking up out of the water. I learned from experience that living in Florida came with the necessary need to learn how to adapt to its uniqueness.
We lived understanding that we had to expect weather and climate change that required seasonal flexibility. Life had rhythm and cycles different from a lot of other places. You had to learn to live with it if you hoped to live through it. That mindset seemed to change with the widespread introduction of air conditioning. Air conditioning allowed us to escape from the humidity and heat that for ages ruled the ebb and flow of living here in Florida. The comforting convenience falsely made us think that we were free of the dictates of nature. We moved to change the Florida that was into an image of Florida we wanted to believe we could create. In the end though we have been periodically reminded by storms like Donna, Andrew, and Erma of how fragile and minuscule our mark on this land can be.

Author Larry French is a Floridian and living history reenactor. He served as Executive Director of the West Volusia Historical Society and provides historical narration for Great Tasting Tours of DeLand. He is the author of, Grand Hotels of West Volusia County, by Arcadia Publishers. Grand Hotels of West Volusia County was written to increase awareness of the areas’ past and relevant surviving landmarks. Find more on his writing and presentations at, http://www.larryfrenchhistoricalnovelist.com/ .

Moments Frozen in Time

December 7, 1941 was a day that lived on in the minds and memory of my parents. They remembered fine details of what each of them were doing that day and never forgot them. Events that day directed and shaped their lives and those of millions more.

In my own lifetime, January 28, 1986 became a date to remember. I was in my science classroom grading papers with a few students who weren’t involved in a school-wide activity. A student came to my door to ask me if I had heard the news. Going outside my room, looking to the horizon where I’d have my classes watch on other occasions I saw the enormous cloud from the Challenger explosion. I had submitted an application for NASA’s Teacher in Space program and been passed over. I knew very well about the launch but had ignored it. That cold sunny morning the chill I felt was a mixture of sadness, anguish, and remorse realizing my moment in time could have been completely different. The date became a milestone of remembrance to me.

So too, today, September 11, 2001 is another important date to remember within my own generation. I was at my work station that morning working on some manuscript. It was my job to search out information for projects so I was often monitoring things on the web. My supervisor came to me asking if I’d tapped into the news feeds yet. As soon as I did we all were aware of what was happening and became a part of the collective memory of what unfolded that tragic day. To me and many other people on that particular day, 911 took on an additional meaning.

It’s been 78 years since our nation experienced the day in infamy.  We were touched again 33 years ago by the loss of Challenger. Today, we mark 18 years since our land was tragically again by the events in New York City, Washington D.C., and in Pennsylvania. How many of us remember those days? Do those events in time still have any importance or any lessons in learning for us? Today, I often wonder about that.

Look farther back in our history to the 19^th Century and the causes contributing to the American War Between the States and the lack of awareness and understanding is more frightening. Following that struggle, our nation continued for almost another 100 years to acknowledge more national equality to the people of color. What lessons did we learn?

Today, the farther we get over time from key events the more their meaning seems to be diminished or altogether forgotten. The entire Greatest Generation is nearly gone from us and people sometimes question the existence of some of the World’s most atrocious acts of inhumanity that occurred during WWII. According to studies done, students in school often don’t even know enough about the last global war to avoid repeating many of the actions that caused it. That’s not a good thing.

When we find our collective memory of key events and factors marking our history disappearing it’s time to reevaluate how we look at things. We’ve seen oppressed people in Eastern Europe tearing down statues and walls that divided them but we don’t need to remove or destroy our own monuments. Remembering all of these events and things are important to our understanding of ourselves. Our history helps us to find relevance in our lives and direction. All of these things serve as reminders and guideposts for us today.

Eons ago, early people would erect piles of stones as guideposts and reminders to help them find their way. It was a tried and true method for remembering important things. Let’s look at what we have today and use it to anchor us as we make our future.

Author Larry French is a Floridian and living history reenactor. He served as Executive Director of the West Volusia Historical Society and provides historical narration for Great Tasting Tours of DeLand. He is also the author of, Grand Hotels of West Volusia County, by Arcadia Publishers. Grand Hotels of West Volusia County was written to increase awareness of the areas’ past and relevant surviving landmarks. More on his activities and writing can be found at http://www.larryfrenchhistoricalnovelist.com/

Affirming Acts of Nature

I came across a heartwarming news report recently that reminded me of some wonderful things that I too have experienced interacting with nature.

https://www.wftv.com/news/trending-now/hummingbird-returns-every-year-to-man-who-saved-its-life/944126163

Gentle Giant

Several years ago, while snorkeling in the lower reaches of Blue Spring Run here in Florida I had a wonderful encounter. It was during my days as a Park Ranger. During the slow time of the year, when not as many visitors were in the park, we would do clean ups of the Spring Run.

I was taking my time diving down to the bottom picking up litter, such as bottles, cans, and plastic. I’d return them to the surface and deposit my handfuls into an anchored canoe and return for more. While at the bottom retrieving another item, I had the sensation of something near me. I turned my head and there was this huge Manatee right beside me looking at me. The sudden realization was a bit of a start to me. I must have let out some air bubbles. The Manatee kind of cocked its head and gazed at me like my dog sometimes does when she’s trying to figure out what I said.

I’d worked with these creatures for years, monitoring them, interpreting to visitors what they were doing, but never had I been this close to one. Controlling my breathing, I too cocked my head and did a Vanna Wave. To my surprise, the denzian approached me and rolled its’ head near my hand. Like mental telepathy, I knew what this mammal wanted. Reaching out with my hand I gentling rubbed the leather-like skin behind its eye. The Manatee turned even more for me to rub more surface area and I obliged. Manatees are endangered and we advised people not to touch them so I decided my interaction had best end before the two of us were noticed.

I slowly backed away from the Manatee and waved goodbye. I could have sworn it winked back at me as we parted company.

Horse Sense

Another experience I had with a large animal was with our horse. Forever Young was a fourteen-year-old gelding quarterhorse. He came into our lives strangely enough as the result of a stop at a garage sale. My wife, who is an equestrian, noticed there was tack and other riding items for sale in this particular garage. She asked the obvious question, do you have a horse? The home owner referred us to her fenced-in backyard and there he was. Of course my wife popped the other obvious question, so now you know how we got the horse.

Well, one of the things I did at the barn where Forever was boarded was cleaning him after my wife or daughter rode him. Cleaning was about all I was bold enough to do at first because this horse was fourteen hands high, alot taller and bigger than a Manatee. For some time I think Forever could sense my apprehension around him. He’d ignore me when I initially tried leading and grooming him. He was especially devilish when I cleaned his hooves.

I’d become confident enough to handle his hooves. Sensibly positioning myself safely to the side, in case he decided to kick at me, I’d lean up against him with my back to him and pull up a hoof. The hind quarters were the trickest but I was able to do it without incident. The front quarters were where he had his fun with me.

Positioning myself in a similar fashion as with his hind quarters, I’d align myself beside his neck and go for the hoof. There I was working the pick and brush on his hoof and shoe. As I brushed away, Forever would begin to lean against me. Imagine several hundred pounds slowly bearing down on your shoulder!

I’d look up at him and he’d have his own neck and head turned looking at me. He’d wink those big brown eyes of his and almost seemed to be smiling showing his teeth. I had to laugh. He was playing with me and it was the beginning of a warming in our relationship that lasted another couple of years. Eventually, we would come to lean on each other and we shared some great memories together.

These are but two of the instances of many interactions and experiences I have had with nature. Each of them have been a sort of unspoken converation, an understanding and accepting bonding of sorts. There is something special about nature. I’m glad I can take the time to notice and listen. I hope you do too.

 

 

Have You Found Margaritaville Yet?

Have you heard the expression: Working in Florida is like living in a tropical depression? When I read the following report, Florida ranks among most stressed out states in U.S., that expression came to mind. I was also glad I didn’t live in New Jersey.

I’ve lived in Florida all of my life and I truly identified with the article. Over a period of over 50-years, I’ve seen the good, bad, and the ugly of living in Florida. There were times when I climbed coconut palms in Key West. At times, during hurricanes, we really did have only the water in the bathtub for drinking and we cooked over Sterno and candles.

For a time, I worked outdoors. Getting paid a mere pittance didn’t bother me when I lead campers on hikes through the Ocala scrub or on swamp hikes. Working in the woods, I met the love of my life, hired her, and then married her (another great story altogether). Conducting people on tours of the Florida outdoors was like a dream come true. I even got to work with manatees, those gentle marine boat magnets. But then the ugly reality of making a gainful living in Florida got a hold of me.

With a growing family, I had to make changes. Florida simply didn’t have many high-paying jobs for someone with a bachelors degree in science. Unless you worked in some industry that needed those skills or wanted to live in Tallahassee the only other places with high wages were the big cities. Do you know how many big cities Florida has? You can count them with the fingers of both hands. They’re scattered to all the far corners of the state and the center.  Since I was already in the center (Orlando), I decided to grow where I was planted, so to speak.

I taught school for 6-years. That in itself was plenty of stress so I eventually left it. At one time I was a cubicle rat with a salaried job and benefits that included working on weekends and holidays at times. Did that generate any stress on the home-front? Yeah, there were a couple of memorable occasions when family vacations and flight tickets had to be cancelled to meet deadlines. Let’s not recall how that all went over at home.

The hamster wheel routine for me ended during the economic downturn in 2008. In early December, the company I’d been with for 21-years laid off me and several hundred employees. That was a little stressful. It became even more so when I found how eager employers weren’t to hire someone in their 60s. When you add the joy of trying to find healthcare in those years the stress level climbs a few more notches. It was really fun trying to find work for the next 4-5 years.

Well, Native American, Black Elk once said that the ‘energy of world goes in circles’. He must have known something. I eventually returned to what folks now call ‘Eco-based’ work and tourism for my livelihood. Instead of commuting along with thousands of other lemmings to and from home to the city to work, I now conduct historic tours. Like guides over 100-years-ago, I’m taking people on tours of things that make Florida unique. We don’t make much but boy is the living more stress-free. More times than not I’m actually kicking back, enjoying the beautiful Florida scenery, and having that 5 o’clock libation.

Larry French is an historian and Volusia County resident. His has lived in Deltona for over 40-years and served on its volunteer Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. He is the former executive director of the West Volusia Historical Society, is now retired and currently assists his wife Robin in their touring business, Great Tasting Tours in downtown DeLand.