Florida's Strange and Beautiful Creatures

Florida's Wild and Wonderful Creatures.

Observing the devastating effects of the Gulf oil disaster, we are appalled at BP's apparent inability to deal with it.

In his 2006 bestseller, The AUDACITY of HOPE, Barack Obama writes, "It's hard to overstate the degree to which our addiction to oil undermines our future. According to the National Commission on Energy Policy, without any changes to our energy policy U.S. demand for oil will jump 40 percent over the next twenty years. Over the same period, worldwide demand is expected to jump at least 30 percent, as rapidly developing countries like China and India expand industrial capacity and add 140 million cars to their roads."

Tomorrow: What we can do to create renewable, cleaner energy sources for the twenty-first century.* p.169,The AUDACITY of HOPE, Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Barack Obama, Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House, 2006.

Photo: by Lorna, Orlando, Florida. For larger image, please click on photo.

E. Pauline Johnson (1862 - 1913)

E. Pauline Johnson, Canadian poet, writer and performer, was born on the Mohawk Indian Reserve near Brantford, Ontario. Daughter of a Mohawk chief and an English gentlewoman, Pauline took to the stage telling in prose and poetry the story of her people.

When women seldom travelled, Pauline travelled coast to coast nineteen times and crossed the Atlantic three times performing in her buckskin "Indian" outfit and bear claw necklace or one of her elegant silk evening gowns.*

In response to The Neat Little Bookshop post, MARSHLANDS, May 19, Laurie Miller wrote, "The old girl's a far better poet than she's usually assumed to be.
Get over our wise snootiness about the 19th-century diction: our conventions will sound quaint to our great-grandchildren and hers may be regarded as "classic". Thanks for posting the poem."

Thank you Laurie, we agree. We welcome and appreciate your comments. Please email lwalker@mountaincable.net

*Flint & Feather, The Life and Times of E. Pauline Johnson, Tekahionwake, Charlotte Gray, HarperCollins, 2002

Boggy Creek ~ Kissimmee Florida

Travelling on an air boat. Sightings of alligator, bald eagle, ducks, herons, egrets, grazing farm cattle and the strange teacup snails.

Boggy Creek, Kissimmee, Florida ~ We simply have NOTHING like this along the Grand River. On the Grand, we see willows, maples (no moss), fiddleheads, herons, turtles, carp, catfish and Canada geese.

Our customers are clearly aware that we are preoccupied with holiday events. We will share a few of the highlights over the coming weeks!

Krista Schaus ~ Coach and Champion Light-Weight Powerlifter, Owner of Defining Edge Fitness Inc.

• Congratulations to team Carol Brady, Ashley Werner and Sonja Bedic. All took home medals from the Canadian Powerlifting Union's National Championships held in Quebec, April 7 to 11. (Powerlifting includes the squat, bench press and deadlift.)

"It was their first national competition and they faced very strict judging," said coach, Krista Schaus.

http://www.definingedge.ca/ Check out Krista's WebMag.
Photo of Krista, photographer Scott Walker

Cayuga's Conway Park Restaurant on Friday Nights

Hidden away on the banks of the Grand ~ perhaps "Cayuga's Best Kept Secret."

SAVOUR A 5 PC PERCH DINNER for $12*

at Conway Park Restaurant, Cayuga, on Victoria Day Weekend. Opening May 21 at 4 p.m.

• "Tucked" away on the riverbank, the tiny restaurant may well be Cayuga's "best kept secret" as the flyer implies. All-day breakfast Sat., Sun. and holidays.
  
  Cayuga's Conway Park feels like tourist country. It is tourist country for folks just passin' through and for those who return weekends and holidays! For those of us who live and work on the beautiful Grand, we can simply walk to Conway ~ sit indoors if you prefer ( but It sure is nice down by the riverside...). The restaurant is steps from the bridge ~ enjoy a few hours of leisure time in a vacation setting. A fun atmosphere and good food. Beside the 2nd boat ramp. A block from the tennis courts.
  
  Every Friday through the summer, a 2 pc Fish & Chips or Roast Beef Dinner $10* (includes dessert!)

*Tax included. For additional information please call Sandy or Bernie 905-772-5573.

For larger image, click on photo.

Neat Little Bookshop Hours:

Wed. & Thur. 11:00 - 5:00
Fri. 11:00 - 7:00
Sat. 11:00 - 3:00

or by appointment (without hesitation, please call: 905-577-5635) If we are around, we'll be there!

Many thanks to our dear friend, Faye, and wee Gizmo dog for opening the bookshop yesterday while we flew back from Orlando. We miss you, our friends.

The Beautiful Palms of Orlando

International Drive, Orlando

The Beautiful Palms of Orlando, Florida