Postcards from Central Florida

Natural attractions include the beautiful Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area. Mom and Dad were disappointed that the lake was completely dried up, but I was not...

Along the way you spy what appears to be sea foam washing up alongside the trail, but you are in sandy pine lands far from shore... it turns out to be ground-dwelling deer lichen...

Speaking of lichen, I learned that Spanish moss are not lichens (let alone moss) but a kind of bromeliad, an air plant. Mom and Dad probably take their beauty for granted by now...

On the cultural side, on the drive home from Ocklawaha one should join the folks for a beer and burger at friendly Gator Joe's on Lake Weir...

 ... where the sun is always shining and the tats are enviable...

And plan a trip to the nearby Florida Carriage Museum and Resort, with its rather mindboggling collection of historical carriages and an authentic Poitou donkey, which is mighty friendly if somewhat flea-ridden...

I'm not sure what this is, but if you move to central Florida you definitely need to get yourself one...

Hat tip to LMK for photos!

Levon, RIP

Among the immortals, to be sure, but mostly because he played in a back-up band for God himself. Otherwise, the Band reminds me of the Dead: talented but soporific. I'm sure I am missing something... zzzzz...

Working women

Katha Pollitt kind of says it all.

Edgewood!

Edgewood County Park is a Bay Area treasure. Spring brings brilliant floral color painting the rolling hills, native plants thriving on the serpentine soils, but the best rewards come from looking down. Lovely brodeia...


An itsy-bitsy sedum...


Do glance up now and then for a view of the fine and abundant rat dens...


And then back down... watch your step!

Can Music Be Perfect? Vol. 14

It's not very easy to find recordings by The Ravens these days, although they were mighty big 60 years ago. Back then they recruited Ben Webster to play a little solo for them on this track, which James Carter kindly included on his Webster best-of. Gosh it's a sweet, sweet sound.

Say you, say me...

Say, am I mistaken, or is Lionel Richie suddenly everywhere? And if so, why?

Tornadoes and big gummint

I suppose the feds could stop issuing weather warnings in states whose public officials have declared that they do not believe in science, but this would hardly be fair to the minority (?) of residents who do, unless one could selectively issue the warnings just to the rational people. The fact that you can't is an example of what we economists call non-excludability, a defining property of public goods. Which are, you know, one of those reasons we want to have gummint...

Menuhin Violin Competition winners, Beijing

Congratulations to Kenneth Renshaw for winning the senior competition! A helluva violinist and a nice guy to boot. Congrats to the runner-up, Anna Lee, and to fourth-place finisher Siyan Guo. But especially congratulations to the third-place winner, Alexi Kenney, offspring (third from left). I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out where he got his talent and good looks...