#MerMay has two mermaids! This contributed byPaula Mendoza. 
Them manatees are almost as plentiful as love bugs, but they don’t fly….. yet.

Feel free to leave your suggestion as to where you’d like to see a mermaid in Florida below!

Later Tuesday took a couple of trails at Silver Springs State Park. 

Trying to get a bit more fit to be ready to put my all into my time at the Florida Parent-Educators Association – FPEA convention next week at Rosen Shingle Creek.

More photos at my Swampy’s Florida.

#MerMay! Here’s my illustration of Terisa Glover’s entry as to a Florida location for mermaids. A mermaid saddles a swan at Lake Morton in Lakeland, Florida!

Feel free to mention below where you would like to see a mermaid in Florida!

I’m a huge fan of, what are considered, old movies. Since elementary school I have taken any and all in. I doubt many, if any, in my high school in the ’70s had seen as many Bing Crosby films as I had at the time. These days i just can’t find a film made today that isn’t inferior to films made prior to 1960 or so.

There just aren’t happy movies any more. Or happy music.Or happy much of anything. Seems to me that’s why so many are so unhappy these days. We need what Doris Day brought out in so many!

Those film stars I saw since my earliest memories include Doris Day. Seeing Doris Day from her television program to her many films to her efforts to help critters.

I’ve been so tickled that Day has still been with us for so long and hate seeing her go. The history she carried with her!

One of my favorite of her films is the great fun of her second film, ‘My Dream is Yours’ with Jack Carson, Eve Arden, Adolphe Menjou, Lee Bowman, “Cuddles” Sakall and an adorable little boy caught in the fun.

Here is great fun in music with Day, too. This is a clip from the film of Day’s ‘Cuttin’ Capers’ with Edgar Kennedy (In his last film role) tending bar, Johnnie Berkes tending the other side of the bar, Sandra Gould working with Day juggling albums and Franklin Pangborn fuming again.

On the cartoon side: Notice the caricatures decorating the bar room!

For the first time in too long I got back along a hiking trail. Or whatever Lake County calls what I walked across. I’ll post more at my Swampy’s Florida later.

This is photograph was taken along the north side of Lake Griffin.

Manatees: Our Vanishing Mermaids by M. Timothy O’Keefe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Tim O’Keefe’s ‘Manatees: Our Vanishing Mermaids’ is an excellent overview of our Florida manatee. Covering history, food, reproduction, locations, etc. This is a simple over view.There is nothing extensive included. Perfect for anyone who just wants to understand what all the hub bub is about the manatee.

A good part of the book includes O’Keefe’s excellent photography. Though, all, except the cover, are black and white.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 10 out of ten points.



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Four Centuries of Florida Ranching by George H. Dacy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was published in 1940 before two significant happenings took place. One was World War II which led to the other, the Florida Legislature in the 1950s aiding realtors and builders by raising property taxes of land not available for residential construction for all of the former WWII military wanting to move to Florida. Both undermined the cattle industry that, author, Dacy could not have foreseen.

So Dacy lays out the history and conditions of the Florida cattle industry through 400 years and writes of only success in the future. Most of his focus is the 50 years prior to 1940. That 50 years saw a cattle industry in Florida take off like a rocket with few sputs and sputters.

With that in mind Dacy’s overall chronicle is the best written with an enormous amount of details that i’ve read. I love Joe Akerman’s books of Florida’s cattle industry, but his are much more exhaustive into vast information. Dacy’s is more concise and focused full of wonderful details and insights.

The book is broken into chapters. The problem is that the chapters are not all logical with Considerable space is used about the tick problem left without conclusion as the legal battles continued after publication of the book.

Dacy is also a very good writer. This book has a lot of life in many parts.

Bottom line:I recommend this book. 9 out of ten points.



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Performing for a wedding today in Winter Garden, Florida, at the rebuilt Tanner Hall. Started reeeeeeal slowly and finally took off st the end.

Here’s today’s #MerMay drawing at Julianne’s Coastal Cottage in Mount Dora, Florida.
Learn more about the who, what, wheres and hows noontime at Swampy’s Florida.

The White Cliffs by Alice Duer Miller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a wonderful ballad of life…and death…and the dreams of a better world. Well thought out and drawing on depth that can leave the reader emotionally invested.

It would’ve been neat if Miller had kept the same format throughout the tale.

Well worth the time to read this once or twice a year.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 9 out of 10 stars.



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View all my reviews

It’s #MerMay and I’m looking to draw mermaids for May! 
Watch here for mermaid drawings galore during May!

Part of the fun is over at my Swampy’s Florida! Folks can make suggestions involving the mermaids!