"A Heavenly Land ... Eliza's Story" ... Buy This Book

 

Disclaimer: I met Cathy Slusser once, several  years ago. We found each other's blogs early in our blogging careers and each became a regular reader of the other. When I first began reading Cathy's blog,"From A Heavenly Land", she was working on "Eliza's Story" and would post bits of it on her blog.

So there, all that is out front.

Rest assured that my review is based on the book and not on "Blogger Buddy Factor".

If I didn't like the book, this review would have politely ... never happened.

 

 

Cathy Slusser has written a fascinating novel of Florida frontier life based on historical research and Cathy's own local knowledge as a native Floridian. The Eliza in the story was a real woman and did live on Terra Ceia Island during the 19th century when Florida was a sparsely populated frontier. As the author states in her forward,

"From historical records, I know much about her (Eliza), but little about who she really was inside. The facts you will read are true."

 

Running through the tale is a strong thread of faith as Eliza deals with, ... well, more than anybody should have to deal with. The author handles this pretty well, so that I didn't feel like I was being preached at ... I don't have much patience for that, so it could have been a deal breaker.

 

But Cathy weaves her own strong faith into the tale in a way that makes it Eliza's and that works.

 

I know a little about Florida, both past and present, and the history is good, the story telling is strong, and the events draw the reader in.

 

The E-book is available on Amazon for $2.99. If you are old school, the paperback version is available too!

 

 

 

PS: My wife loved it even more than I did.

THANK YOU, BIG BARN RATSNAKE!

Yesterday, I reclaimed my large blueberry patch from the trumpet creeper, grass, and smilax invaders that threatened to completely submerge it. During this task, I needed a tool from the nearby barn, so I headed that way only to find this beautiful grey ratsnake sliding out of the barn with a belly full of prey.

YES! Longtime readers who remember the Rats of NIMH post know I did battle with a diabolically clever wood rat who systematically disabled every Anti-Rat device known to man.

Sure, ... I don't really KNOW what that bulge is inside the ratsnake, but since the wrens finished nesting and fledged babies in the barn a month ago, I'm pretty sure it's not baby bird.
No,  I'm going to assume that bulge is a mouse or rat who had their chewing plans for my barn contents disrupted, squeezed, constricted, and generally cancelled.

Or maybe it was a nest of squirrels ... that would be awesome too as I am swimming in them and the scuppernongs are on the cusp of ripening.

I was so happy to see this healthy big rat snake in my barn that for once, I resisted the urge/habit/instinct to catch it for a few minutes of bonding. We stared at each other for a moment while I took a few photos, and then she went off to the wood pile behind the barn.

Stay hungry my friend.


 

POND PLAY WITH BEAR AND COQUINA

Hey Coquina, let's go down to the pond!

"Ok, Big Brother!"

"We can race to the fish toy.
I'll give you a head start."

"Ready, Set,  ..."

"I win!"

"Give it up Keena, this fish is mine!"

"Not so fast, Bear, I'm still in this fight!"

"Ha!"

"Uh oh! Here he comes!"

"You're mine now, Keena!"

"Oh crap! He's got his BEAR FACE on!"
 

 

 

"My only chance is to go deep!"

"I'll go this way ... yikes! Here he comes!"

"Maybe I should go the other way!"

"Ack! He's everywhere! Hard left!"

"I'm locked on like a Sidewinder missile, Keena. Give it up!"

"Okay, one last dive before we go in."

"That was fun and you know what comes next?"

"A bath?"

"No, Bear, we always get a treat after pond play!"

" Thanks Dad for letting us pond play!
... now about that treat..."

WEKIWA SPRINGS DIVE

I spent the first two weeks of July at training down in Orlando ... Lake Mary actually. The training was great, but it went until 4:30 each day, so I didn't get out exploring as much as I wanted.

Even with a busy schedule, I did squeeze one good afternoon of free diving in Wekiwa Springs State Park. It was one of those stormy summer afternoons where I almost talked myself out of going to Wekiwa due to the lateness of the day and the big cumulonimbussy clouds scattered around the area.

Lucky for me, I ditched the idea of just taking a nap in the motel room or working out in the fitness room at the Marriot.

"What the heck ... the worst thing that happens is I get rained out and if so, I'll just use my smart phone to find the nearest Chipotle" ... my inner negotiator said.

As luck would have it, a big summer thunderstorm pounded the area just before I got to Wekiwa Springs State Park. At the gate, I flashed my Florida State Parks Annual Pass like the high roller that I am (Thanks Mom!), parked quickly and hit the water with GoPro and snorkeling gear.

The park was almost empty and the actual spring was completely empty when I slipped into the cool 72 degree F water. Wekiwa's water gushes from several cave openings at the bottom of a really neat fissure in the limestone. Instead of a big open bowl at the cave mouth like Manatee Springs, Wekiwa has a skinny crack in the limestone with near vertical walls.

Sweet!
I had a great couple of hours diving down into the spring and scouting around in the surrounding basin. Not much to see fishwise, as the area around the spring forms a shallow natural pool that is heavily used by people as a natural swimming pool.
Still, I did see a mix of native and exotic fishes around a boulder not far from the spring mouth. In the video, the large fish that you see is a "Pleco" ... yes, the same Pleco you buy at the tropical fish store when they are 2 inches long.
They are just one more invader of our Florida waterways.

Wekiwa Springs is definitely worth a visit. I only scratched the surface of what the park has to offer in my short visit, so I will have to come back.

Barking Frogs And A Born Again Pond

The sun is shining for the moment, I'm home, and my Hughesnet (way too weather affected) High (LOL!)Speed Internet is actually working through the thin high clouds above PFHQ ... so I get to post something!

 

Well, maybe ... we'll see at the end of this tale... when I click on publish ...

 

 

I am finally through with school related trainings until the end of summer forced unemployment.

(Don't call it "summer vacation" to a teacher... we are not kids ... it's a 2+month unpaid furlough)

 

So, yes, I chased every paid "training op" I could find.

Collectively, with weekends home in between, I have spent about 14 days living in motels in Orlando and I am so glad to be back here at PFHQ where the Bahia grass and the pond are high.

 

It's been a rainy summer ... which gives me joy and angst.

Angst at the roof which needs a redo and joy at the abundance of water standing all around the county and especially in my pond ... which is actually a pond again.

WOOHOO!!!

 

Two nights ago, in the light pitter-patter after the last tropical deluge of the day, my pond lit up with the sounds of Barking Tree Frogs.

 

So, I left the dogs behind, grabbed head lamp and camera, and headed down slope through the dripping forest.

 

The pond shoreline was lined with barkers, calling loudly in that barky way that they do.
The Barking Tree Frog is a good looking frog and pretty stout as tree frogs go. The frogs in these photos are puffed up a bit due to the serious business of calling in your honey for a bit of amplexissysexxisiousness.

 

Caught in mid-call.
There were couples in the water who had already made a commitment, but most of the males were still cruising for a date along the shoreline.

The pond amazes me, as do the creatures that frequent it.
Frogs seem to schedule the pond for their private events.
I know that seems odd, and it's only anecdotal, but I have noticed that some nights are only for Spadefoot Toads with few others, another night is Green Tree Frog night, and Friday night this week was definitely "Barking Tree Frog Night".

Occasionally it's "Open Swim Night" with a mixed cacophony of frog calls, but these monoculture nights are interesting.

This photo is an uncropped version of the second photo in this post. I used my Galaxy S4 phone for these shots with illumination provided by my headlamp.

I'm pleased with the quality (13mp) and even though I often have my "real" camera with me ... I am loving having a quality camera in my pocket wherever I go.


Now if I could just get the Blogger App to actually work and upload a mobile post ... that would be the icing on the cake. So far, every mobile posting attempt has failed.


More pond stuff to come, including some Bear chasing Coquina stuff that is wet and wild.

Right now ... I have a kayak to clean and load ... 'cause the sun is actually visible here in the "Sunshine State"!

Cedar Key Dolphinicity

Dolphins!

We got dolphins here!

 

The summertime waters around Cedar Key are loaded with Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. They come here for the same reasons humans do, ...  to fish, play, and chase a little romance.

 

During the week long summer Marine Science Camp for the kids from New York, dolphins graced us with their presence over and over again.

 

I'm pretty sure the rhythmic throb of the UF research vessel's diesel sounds like a recess bell to these rascals.

When they hear it, they know it is time to PLAY! 

 

The university trawler is big and she kicks up a pretty wake in the shallow waters around Seahorse Key. This very surfable wave is apparently irresistible to the local delphinidae crew who first appear in the wake working their way up closer and closer to the boat.

 

... and then suddenly they are there ... just a few feet a way, surging up and leaping out of the water ... close enough to splash your camera lens.

 

On this trip the dolphins were doing great rolling leaps, turning in mid air and flashing their bellies.

Sideways entry!

Pure joy...
...Mine actually.
... but I think the dolphin was having a great time too.

 

 

All work and no play makes for a dullphin.
 

Smile check!
If you aren't smiling right now after photos of dolphins playing, you should check your pulse for signs of life.

CLAM FARMING AT CEDAR KEY ... FIELDTRIP!

YES,  PureFlorida has been dormant for weeks ... I know, I know.

That was due to a perfect storm of new computer, a full week on an island with no internet, and a full travel/training schedule this summer.

 

I am home for a wee bit now and will try to honor my readers by actually posting some of the Floridacentric posts you expect here at PF.

 

But enough excuses, let's talk clam farming...

 

The week on Seahorse Key with 9 students (8 from New York City + 1 from South Florida) was fantastic! We did awesome things and not just a few awesome things, but a full week of AWESOME THINGS!

I'm going to share some of those AWESOME THINGS in a series of posts here on PF.

My challenge is to do this without pictures of the kids ... alas ... I don't feel comfortable posting recognizable  shots of the kids without permission.

 

It bugs me that you won't see them in action, because they were one GREAT group of kids.

 

One of our expedition days was totally dedicated to clam aquaculture at Cedar Key.

We started the day at the Marine Research center on Cedar Key where the kids learned about stock enhancement and crossbreeding of clam varieties to improve the survivability and growth of the clams.

 

After the lab, we dropped in on one of the larger clam operations in Cedar Key, "Southern Cross Aquaculture".



 

These are tanks of algae that are being grown to feed the tiny clam "seed" that are spawned in the Southern Cross facility. If you look to the right, you'll see a tank of Carbon Dioxide which is bubbled through the tanks to provide plenty of raw material for photosynthesis.

They also grow algae outside where the light is free. You can judge the relative age of each culture by noting the difference in color. Darker cylinders have older, denser populations of plankton.

After Southern Cross, we followed the clam farming trail out to the actual 2 acre leases in the rich, shallow waters surrounding Cedar Key.
In the picture above, Bobby is using a winch to haul in a clam bag loaded with market size clams.
(No, there's no transom on the stern of that boat ... it's a "bird dog" and the outboard sits up front)

Bobby did a great job of explaining the grow-out and harvest part of clam aquaculture. Sitting next to him is Leslie Sturmer who came to Cedar Key to train fishermen in clam farming techniques after the net ban of 1994. (Note: Nets are not banned, but certain types are.)

More than anyone, Leslie is responsible for the HUGE clam farming industry in Cedar Key.

Someday, they will build a monument to her on Cedar Key.
She's pretty amazing.

This is a nice market sized clam, fresh out of the water on Bobby's lease. The farmers at Cedar Key mainly target the steamer size clams.

They are crazy good and we ate a ton of them at our massive local seafood dinner on the last night of the camp.

These are harvested clams that have been through a packing house process that cleans them, grades them for size and quality, and then packages them for shipping.
The photo was taken in the cold storage room at this packing house.
These clams were destined for New York City, which, not surprisingly, is the largest market area for Cedar Key farm raised clams.

Bushels of clams awaiting their turn in the grader.

These are stacked clam bags ... a common site all over Cedar Key.
The clams spend their growing time out in the Gulf inside these bags.
The bags keep the crop together and offer some protection from predators like black drum and certain rays.

This was a clamtastic day, a true start to finish clam farming experience.