During the Olustee Festival parade the NAACP came out to protest the Confederate flag in the Lake City logo I had designed back in the eighties via a contest. They stood along the route then marched over to City Hall to rant. The Confederates out numbered the protestors, but they got their way sort of in the end, with the flag left in, but the American flag added. It was a bad re-design of the logo.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The Logo protest
During the Olustee Festival parade the NAACP came out to protest the Confederate flag in the Lake City logo I had designed back in the eighties via a contest. They stood along the route then marched over to City Hall to rant. The Confederates out numbered the protestors, but they got their way sort of in the end, with the flag left in, but the American flag added. It was a bad re-design of the logo.
Land-em
We would travel down to Panacea
to Mr McMillans ponds
on Mashes Sands Road by the
Oclockonee River where it
flowed into the Gulf
and the fishing was good
for few people were allowed
to fish in his ponds.
Of my father he was fond
as were so many in Wakulla County.
It was beyond terrible when
he told us he had sold the
property at Crawfordville
and was going to move to Williston.
As a consequence
we never again fished
or went to the beach
or to the river
but to a twenty-acre piece
of land a mile outside
Williston
where the large oaks had lightening rods
and it was near Blue Grotto
but
hard as we tried to make the best
of a sad situation
it just wasn't
Crawfordville and
Wakulla County.
So many stray turns occurred
and I firmly believe had
we held onto that little
piece of paradise on the Aaron Road
our son would not be estranged
our family as a whole would be
much more tight knit
but as it is
we are scattered
with no anchor place to
call the homeplace.
Oh I lament the day
my crazy daddy sold
our birthright!
From Bank to Baya
went to Columbia Bank to cash a twenty and a view of the boarding house as you leave the bank drive thru.
passed the bathroom at Powers Service where i used to first work when i came to Lake City for two years, turning down an Art teaching position at Monticello. I was actually fired by the Service Manager Rusty Hurrell for doing what he said, write the times down of all the sales people when they come and go. Little did he realize I was writing the times down of sales lady Betty, of whom he was leaving as well and having an affair. The spineless brother in law, whose father owned the business would not back me up, though I was in the right. Hindsight being clear, should have taken the Jefferson County job!
saw Ralph who walks daily from Gum Swamp to the Cleopatra Steele homeless food kitchen to eat, about to enter the open area that was once Esco Hardware, then Community Jewelers, where I bought our engagement and wedding rings, the building burning several years after the Lovely and Diana Shops burned across the street in the early 80's, of which I was there to photograph, working as a photographer for the Reporter at the time.
made it to the corner of Marion and Madison and the former bank turned city hall with a view of the city logo I designed and they changed for the worse...
with an clear view of the old post office and First Baptist educational wing and parking lot where the chamber of commerce and other buildings once stood.
past one of the grandest homes in town on the corner of St John's where the girl used to take dance lessons years ago upstairs, where the attorney's reside who tried to handle our fathers estate.
past the nicely painted home across from where my mother gets her hair styled each Friday at 1PM sharp at Southern Exposure.
past the Greyhound bus station and a line of passengers with Lake Isabella and Womans Club just behind on Hernando Street.
to Emory Grays place he used to maintain so well when living, where we first lived in the upstairs garage apartment for $125 a month.
Sedge of Pounds
Upon the nadir of a bike ride nightly
i come to the place where the broom sedge grow
usually carrying two cameras with me
the iphone4 and the Canon S95 in tow
the iphone4 simply for recording history
Canon S95 with the JB Welded back
set in manual usually
so familiar a blind John could get it right
but each time is like the first day
i took the Yashica in wonderment
set exposure just as the Sekonic meter said
focused the 135mm lens slowly
exposing the Tri-X film toward Noble
the next day in the darkroom at school
the physics teacher guiding the reel
doing it quickly by feel
in the devils darkroom thrilled
at this magical photography.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
I shall migrate another day
On the evening bike ride down Pounds Hammock, I stirred up a Monarch that I did not expect to see this late. I thought they had migrated by now. The corridor along the high tension power lines is an area full of flowers I have missed all the times I have ridden the road. I just never thought to turn into the power sub station. I will have to return.
Today was one of those days I would have loved to have migrated as well.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Cocoa
Cocoa came with a high price. Allison got him on line from a person down south Florida way. Drove down to pick up the fluffy Persian. He was more human in his demeanor than cat, one of the few cats I liked. He had the distinction of getting the blame for either eating or swatting off the counter, the SD card of the photo shoot I had done for Allison, Carson and Pearce. We never found the SD card, assuming it went down the garbage disposal.
Cocoa lived most of his life inside at Allisons, but of late, since the arrival of Carson, was living at my sisters house. He loved to be outdoors, slipping out. It came to the point of just letting him stay outside. My sister had him cut short so he would not be so matted up.
Today upon leaving my house, my sister found him dead in the road. Today is Pearce's 7th birthday at the bowling alley. I do not know if they will wait and tell him or not.
He will take it seriously as he is a sensitive fellow and fears death and things in the dark.
Cocoa
Paths we make
We stay the trails
we know so well
daily we tread
the well-worn paths
to places of our
making
never straying
beyond the rut
familiar in the
going
mindlessly never
knowing
that just beside
the trail
the expanse of
field and forest
shade
meet
never seen
for the way
they say
is in the sun
and the rut
can be so
wearisome.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
the other canoe
the canoe I should have kept...ordered this little ten foot canoe from a company in New York, I think it was called Apple canoes...it was extremely light, made of Kevlar...and extra tippy...but..I could easily carry it to and from the car to the water...I sold it to a lady who lived on the Suwannee named Eleanor...who worked at JCPenney with me...Eleanor passed away soon after I sold it to her and I often wondered what came of it. I had no business selling it to Eleanor for she really was not capable of managing such a tipsy canoe.
Eleanor Penney
picks up the boat
from the bloke where
a journey did end
Lives in a dream
Waits at the shore
wearing the life jacket
that she keeps on a wall
by the shed
Who is it for?
All the paddling people
where do we all paddle some?
All the paddling people
where do we all belong?
Father forgive them
writing these words
of a poem that no one will hear
No one blogs here
Look at him working
folding the shirts
In the night when there's
nobody there
Quietly he despairs
All the messy shoppers
Where do they all come from
All the messy shoppers
Can't I just paddle some
Ah look at all the lovely ripples
Ah look at all the lovely ripples
Eleanor Penney, died by the Suwannee
and was buried along with her canoe
Nobody knew
Father forgive them
wiping the water
from the paddle as he walks
from the shore
poor Eleanor
All the messy shoppers
(ah, look at all the messy shoppers)
Why don't they understand?
All the messy shoppers
(ah, look at all the messy shoppers)
Where did
Eleanor's canoe
land?
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