Christmas Spirit on an Island

approaching Egmont

Despite the fact that American Thanksgiving (24th) has yet to arrive, Christmas has come to town.

Last Saturday we drove to Fort De Soto to board a ferry to Egmont Key -  a Florida State Park located at the mouth of Tampa Bay accessible only by boat. Our purpose was to work with the Egmont Key Alliance to decorate the lighthouse.

No jumping Mini me even with lifebouy!

We saw cownose rays on the way out and leaping dolphins on the way back - it is about a 15-20 minute ride depending on the sea conditions and the busyness of the channel into Port Tampa which we cross.

too high for mini me!

Down on the ground, Mini me helped out testing the light strings and replacing bulbs (about as big as she is!) - life sized me had lots of practice doing this in her youth (along with skimming swimming pools)!

Built in 1848 and top chopped off in WWII

We were fortunate to be given an island tour by Alliance President, Richard, which included seeing the 'ghost town' from the time Egmont was Fort Dade (turn of the 20th century). The Union Army also held the island during the Civil War (1861-1865) to observe the shipping movements of the Confederate Army at the Port of Tampa.

The brick roads and a small piece of narrow gauge railway are still intact along with the foundations of a number of buildings.  About 300 men were stationed on the island.

Today Ranger Tom lives on the island on one end and several Port of Tampa boat pilots on the other end. This shrinking island also hosts a bird sanctuary on the southern tip which is off limits to the public. Egmont is owned and managed by a number of federal, state and private agencies  with the labour being done by Alliance volunteers (a charity)!

ghost town brick road

On a finger of Hillsbourgh County extending unusually out from Tampa, Egmont Key is a designated National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)

established in 1974 (with 392 acres) to protect its significant natural, historical, and cultural resources from the impending threats of development. Egmont Key NWR is the only refuge island open to the public and has been traditionally visited for many years as a primary recreation destination.

In addition to the federal NWR, other government agencies managing the now eroded island (down from 392 to 244 acres now), include the US Coastguard (lighthouse), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (rangers of park service), and the Tampa Bay Pilots (private land & dock). Confused? So are we!

A July 2016 lightening strike started a fire on the island - but Florida's natural flora and fauna are made for fire and green shoots appeared within days of the flames. During the fire, water inside the native cabbage palms boiled and exploded vaporizing the trees and leaving only these holes.

burnt trunks of the palms

perfect hole; all remaining of exploded palm!

Tonight the temperature here is down below 50F (10C) and we had to turn on the heating plus get out our fleecy pullovers!  A front came through Saturday night, bringing cooler, dryer weather and sadly none of the much needed rain. Very low humidity (read dry skin; rare in Florida) and a rising ERC value (energy release component indicating fuel component) brought us a Red Flag Warning. A Red Flag signifies a Fire Weather Warning alerting conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion and rapid spread - with with concerns about high/erratic winds including possible lightening strikes.

This is not the red flag on the beach which warns of serious hazards in the water such as high surf/strong currents and red over red means no swimming. Purple signifies dangerous marine life such as jellyfish.

sponges on sand fort

Back on our own beach, this cold front also whipped up the Gulf, creating cliffs south of the jetties and dredging up sponges and stone crab bodies from its depths.

stone crab washed ashore
but not my T-day dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Remember it is a celebration of survival through tough times. It feels very autumnal here, the 50 F thermometer belies how chilly it feels.

Tortoise in TrumpLand

Gopher Tortoise at Egmont Key

I have been asked about the US election - first Brexit, then Columbia vote on FARC peace accord and then . . . USA election. Stunned silence from me and many around me. The change candidate's super salesman's shameless pitch won. Change candidate - sound familiar?

Very very weird. I am beginning to feel like this gopher tortoise we saw on Egmont Key Sunday the 13th November (can I pull my head in? But note he moves faster than you would think).

Everyone is avoiding talking about it - I guess to avoid offence! Except for . . . at a public lecture 'Experts Review the 2016 Presidential Election.'  Well attended on the 10th November. Here's the key points I took away:

algae on beach
looks like string or spaghetti
how it feels here . . .

Lecture Panel Speakers:

• Dr. Susan A. MacManus, Distinguished Professor, University of South Florida, 
• Amy Hollyfield DeputyManaging Editor/Politics, Business, Tampa Bay Times and overseas PolitiFact.com, PunditFact.com and PolitiFact Florida.

The Key Points:

• Belief that polls were inaccurate because people were too embarrassed by Trump's behavior to admit they were voting for him. Some in audience stated it was the media that made them embarrassed. 
• Society gets the elections it deserves and the reality TV nastiness has now invaded society and politics. 
• Issues were not relevant to the election outcome. People voted along party lines or anti-establishment/anti-party elite to the extent they overlooked Trump's behaviour. Clinton seen as party elite. 
• Politics is about the story one can project to fit their cause not the facts - this is not new but its influence is exponential with social media - despite fact-checking evidence that disputes the story line. Voters overlook this evidence to support their held beliefs. 
• Partly because of above, the millennials (e.g. Bernie supporters) and generation X did not come out to vote. 
• Popular vote vs electoral college. Two party system not really in for a change; it was designed to provide a voice to the little states (ie to force politicians to go to wider audience not just the big population centers). 

beach erosion from hurricane Matthew
is the fabric of society eroding?

A British observation from HW - also mentioned by President Obama and some political commentators here in the USA.

I'm struck by the early footage we've seen of the Obama-Trump first meeting. He actually seems awed. I'm wondering if it's finally sunk in about what he's actually won.

It's mighty different being in administration to being in opposition. He was a campaigner who may now struggle with administration. She is a career administrator who struggled to campaign.

And my millennial cousin's son's blog 'Room for Dissent' here.

hum full already!?!
zipper ensures I don't lose anything

So putting my head in my shell to avoid this tangled mess (and chilly nights at 60 F or 15 C), I am back to crafting/quilting - cannot show you yet as they may be Christmas presents! But here's the bag I made for my canvass needlepoint and small door quilt I made for my neighbour and snuck onto her metal entrance (with magnets sewn into the back - clever hey) yesterday before she snowbirded south!

just a bit of door colour!

and for fun . . . seen on the beach at Egmont Key; do you think he made it or bought it? I think it is a Craig Cat Compact Boat!

Part II: What is a Beach? UK vs USA

Part II - yesterday's A Very British Summer post is Part I 

Last July arriving at the seaside in Britain it was apparent a US and a UK seaside are not at all the same! And it's not just the beach that has a different feel! But first the beach . . .

interior of beach hut

Left is what the interior of a British beach hut looks like - complete with gas heating plate for the kettle and electricity.

OK,  USA a bit busier on 4th of July

barges - likely for beach renourishment float by our window in FL

Here's mini me's comparison of the two beaches - isn't she lucky to be able to compare?

Isle of Thanet	Sunshine Coast
Chalk Cliffs	Low Dunes
Rock pools	Crab Pots & Beach fishing
Gray seals	Bottlenose dolphins
Rock Doc	Turtle Joe
Edible seaweed, wild asparagus	Sea grapes (honey & jams)
Beach huts	Pop-up canopies & wagons
Windbreaks	Umbrellas & coolers
Sailing Regattas & trampolines	5k runs & jet skis
Wetsuits	Floats & kites
Victorian Seafront	20th Century Fishing Village (tourist shopping)
Out my window: wind turbines & RNLI Lifeboat	Out my window: US Coast Guard helicopter drills
Pilot boats for Thames	Sheriff on UTV
Sunrise	Sunset
Sand piles to protect winter erosion	Beach re-nourishment (pumping back sand) to replace summer erosion
Beware of falling chalk & cut-off from tide	Rip current warnings, sharks & sting rays
Can be blustery & chilly	Can be sticky & hot
Both have small fishing fleets, day trippers (tourists) & paddleboards

There are more than 20 crab pots of red and white hue, to distinguish the owners, set out in the Gulf in front of us and visited each morning by the local fishermen. The great blue heron examines their catch from the shoreline.  Glorious!

You choose and either way enjoy the beach!

Part I: A Very British Summer

Part I - tomorrow brings Part II; the UK vs US seaside

studyabroad.shiksha.com/

Last July arriving at in Britain there was (and continues to be!!) speculation about the implications of Brexit all around us. Britain can seem small, scruff/tatty and cramped upon first impressions, but the more you look the more you find to enjoy and love . .

The landscape, the driving, the houses, the food, and the shopping . . . not to mention the castles, stately homes, history - and oh the weather - are all different from Florida - some in subtle ways! We drove by place names such as Dorking, Cocking, Pity Me, Burnthouse, Wackerfield, and Twizel Burn!

We had a family reunion in North Wales, where we saw some yarn bombing (to aid the local Sheep Dog trials), . . . 

The 'Model' I kid you not!
can you see the dog on the back?

our weekend home for family reunion
Pentrehobyn Hall in Mold North Wales

Aberystwyth Cliff Railway - a funicular
with a camera obscura at top

overlooking Aberystwyth

. . . followed by a leisurely drive south through the Welsh countryside visiting a few friends along the way. In Aberystwyth we saw the filming of the British TV series Hinterland - spoiler alert: the Hinterland police station is an abandoned building in real life. It is the first show to include Welsh dialogue. Recommended! 

Ultracomida Deli - delicious!

Soon it was time for lunch and whilst there we had lamb burgers and lamb pizza - lamb being a delicacy in the USA and not readily served on the American beach.

ruins of Aberystwyth Castle

Fog rolls in just as we were departing . . . typical weather
where's the sea gone?

We even had an 'Escape Room Murder at the Museum' adventure in Salisbury and emerged with a respectable time for novices! Left are the Cilgerran Castle Ruins sitting on the edge of a small village overlooking a bluff & river. It comes complete with black cat.

http://www.johnspass.com

Just for comparison here's our local 'old' Florida (20th century) fishing village of John's Pass.

single track country driving in Wales

Carolina roads
lots of logging trucks on back roads

In Durham (North of England) we had a fantastic time visiting the Beamish Outdoor Museum (used for historical documentaries too), George Washington's ancestors' home (willow spy hole to the left is in the garden) the Angel of the North, the Millennium Bridge and the wonderful Alnwick Castle (still lived in) - highly recommended.  Scenes of Harry Potter and Downtown Abby have been filmed in and around Alnwick. 

Washington Hall Knot Garden staff
the upward curves in the knots are fantastic

Angel of the North

Millennium Pedestrian Bridge - 'The Eye' in Newcastle upon Tyne

Alnwick Castle, North England

Back in Broadstairs we had rainbows, wind turbines (on and off shore) and lots of adventure before returning to the USA (and a visit to North Caroline immediately on return). How many beds we slept in in how many nights? We lost track but had good fun!

Sunrise in Broadstairs
yes, I was up at 3:00 am!

And on the note of the USA elections: a 28 July BBC commentator likened the US electorate choice (or dilemma) as between a witch and a buffoon. Whilst the UK Brexit vote was traumatic for many, the campaign was much shorter and the transfer of power was swift and smooth. Not so in the USA!

It took me over two (2) hours to complete my mail-in ballot as we had 6 candidates for President, 19 other offices to vote for plus 5 state constitutional amendments and 6 amendments to the county charter & a referendum. In Florida write-in candidates must be certified in advance to be tallied. Still I am glad to be able to vote!

US slang: It's gone to the birds!  Seaside yarn bombing UK style

IF (and that might be a big IF)  you want to learn more about Florida - you can read the Wall Street Journal article of September 3-4, 2016 titled 'Florida: The Punchline State' which promotes comic Dave Barry's 'Best State Ever: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland.'  In this article he claims 

'If states were characters on Seinfeld, Florida would be Krammer' and says he is 'tired of hearing people make fun of Florida. The state may have more than its share of craziness, but it's never boring - and it's still the best place in the country to live.'

Something we heard echoed on National Public Radio just the other day. And then there is Tim Dorsey's books - try Triggerfish Twist set in our local city of Tampa. Enjoy!