Heritage Village is a collection of over 20 historic houses and buildings from different time periods that have been gathered from locations all around Pinellas County FL and preserved here. In normal times, there are re-enactors who present traditional skills and who interpret the history of each building—during the pandemic however the building interiors have … More Heritage Village Museum

Lake Seminole is a large park in St Pete, part of the very nice network of public parks and wildlife refuges in Pinellas County. It has a playground, picnic areas, boat ramp, and several miles of walking and bike trails. Some photos from an afternoon at the park. ​Lake Seminole ​Walking path ​Foot bridge ​Idle … More Lake Seminole Park

Some bugs and birdies recently encountered during my afternoon walks. ​Dollar Weed ​Great Egret ​Five Lined Skink ​Balsam Apple. The Raccoons like these. ​When ripe, the Balsam Apple releases these red seeds. But most don’t last that long. ​This Brown Anole was a bit too bold, so I taught him a lesson in “staying away … More Some Bugs and Birdies

There are three types of traditional baskets made by native peoples. One of them is the twined or wicker basket, usually made from pliable shoots like willow or from long roots like spruce. Another is the woven basket, made from palm fronds, cattail leaves, or thin strips of bark. The third is the coiled basket, which … More Hippie Life Skills 101: Making a Coiled Basket

While taking a walk in the Sawgrass Lake Nature Preserve in St Pete FL, I happened to see two male turtles duking it out in a dispute. They were fighting over a girl. Some photos of the tortoise fight. ​Male Gopher Tortoises have these elongated prongs on their lower shell, called the “gular horn”. It’s … More A Tortoise Sumo Match

Since it looks like I’m gonna be grounded here for a while, I decided to get myself a kayak, since paddling outdoors is relatively corona-safe. In the past, I would always build my own kayaks, using frames made from cedar lumber and skinned with cotton canvas. But doing that would require several trips to the … More “Tiger Shark’s” Maiden Voyage

A (masked and hand-sanitized) walk in downtown St Pete a few days ago. Because Florida is both run by and inhabited by dumbfucks, we are getting hammered by the coronavirus—and Pinellas County is a hotspot. So this is St Pete during wartime. ​This section of town is “Old Northeast”. It is the area of the … More Downtown St Petersburg

OK, most people don’t like spiders.  Especially the big ones. But spiders play an important role in our Florida ecosystem. Many of them have fascinating lifestyles and habits. And despite their large size, gigantic webs and fearsome appearance, Florida’s orb-weaving spiders are harmless to humans. With its tropical climate and its abundance of insect life, … More Florida’s Orb-Weaver Spiders

(The weather here has been crappy and rainy all week, so I’ve been cooped up inside.) In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, was the source of everything, stretching through all of the Nine Worlds and up into the Heavens. The Father of the Gods, Odin, hung himself from the tree’s branches in order … More Hippie Life Skills 101: Crafting a “Tree of Life” Wall Ornament

Happy Fourth to everyone. Some critters seen during my afternoon walks over the past week or so.   ​I think this is a Black Swallowtail, or it may be a Spicebush Swallowtail. Hard for me to tell. ​Some grasshopper porn. Eastern Lubbers. ​Green Anole. Our native Florida species, it is being steadily pushed out by … More Some Bugs and Birdies