Found Christmas in September in K-Mart yesterday. Saw they started this last week. They have more shelves set up with lights. ornaments and the like out. I’m sure there is more to come.

Hernando de Soto among the Apalachee by Charles R. Ewen & John H. Hamm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A terrific literal mapping out of DeSoto’s trek across Florida and his visit near Tallahassee. Very thorough and lots of cross referencing done within the volume itself. The best of this is reading the translated journals of those who chronicled the hike.

The focus is the Christmas encampment near Tallahassee. The well noted archaeological work, what is found, theories based upon mostly empirical data and the journals can ease the reader into a comfort of more historical facts than in some similar works.

In my case, i am sure to return to the journals and re-read them. Parts of it are quite something. At one point a journalist queries as to why, in that God had brought DeSoto to conquer the land for the Kingdom of Spain, the hikers couldn’t get the indians to see the conquistador’s superiority. Afterall, the Spanish visitors have “cut off their [the indian’s] noses and their hands”. Why can’t they all be friends?, he wonders. I can see how this attitude would greatly perplex those with today’s flowery, “reality” television laced and sugary view of the world today.

A definite book to read for better understanding of the impact of the Spanish on the indians in Florida – Despite much of what is going on this year of 2013 in Florida involving something called ‘Viva 500’ where much of what is written in this book is flipped for seemingly politically correct reasoning. Forgive me if I take my history with more factual accuracy than the fictional white washing today.

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Here’s a book illustration of a lion I finished this past week. I’ve been real busy and have not been posting here recently. All kinds of projects have been coming in. Along the way I’ve been trying to get a Florida history book finished. When I planned to do the Florida history book, I didn’t plan on other artwork coming in. At first i was turning work down and then realized I was really risking my financial position turning everything down. So, I’ve been juggling it all. I’ll try to catch up and add some of the caricature and illustration work I’ve been doing!

Hard at work on the next Swampy’s Florida Coloring Book and Guide.

Attended the Orlando Remembered meeting on the 18th. Above are sketches. Page 1 is of Bob Buck and Betty Bandy. The second page has Steve Rajtar, Leon Handley, Grace Chewning, Joy Wallace Dickinson and Hillis Bandy.

Below is a sneak peek at the meeting!

Our Chairman, Bill Milligan, and secretary, Grace Chewning, discuss Orlando Remembered business.

Went about 3 hours yesterday producing art work, which you can see below. Sketch O’ Week has Catherine Grayson contributing ‘Sumo Wrestler’ and ‘Google’ from Joe Read. The brew from the words provided is above. Here’s one place where Google lacks a bit of strength!

I was pollwatching Election Day without sleep for two days. The night before I assembled quite a few hundred signs. I left from there and drove 124 miles in 6 hours  putting up signs across Marion County. I went home, changed and headed to the poll assigned. Republican Roy Capshaw was with me to pollwatch. We settled with an “Obama Greeter” and an Obama Lawyer. There were two other lawyers there and a fourth who hung around for a while. Two more Obama volunteers came and sat in their car and watched me and Roy and the goings on. At one time there were 8 Obama people at 1 precinct. Three were being paid.

One of the lawyers told me that the greeter and lawyer setup was the case across the state in each of the 67 counties. Apparently, each precinct in Marion County had an Obama greeter, Obama pollwatcher inside the polling area and at least one lawyer. I went by a few other precincts and saw the greeters and lawyer.

In the end, I gotten overtired and had to leave. I quickly sketched the tree above that sat near the voting area.

Below is the cheat sheet handed to voters by the Obama Greeter. I spoke to a few people outside the area that wanted to see it, so here it is.

Here is the other side of the cheat sheet.

Too bad the ones passing these out didn’t think the voter might be able to think for themselves and not need such shallow direction.

Later was the Victory Party, as was hoped. Here a map is being colored red and blue for folks to follow.

A thumbs up from the faithful.

Even Dick Cheney joined us….well, he LOOKS like Dick Cheney. Actually it’s Roy Capshaw who was paired with me for pollwatching duties earlier in the day.

It’s Matt MacClain, Angie Boynton and Tammie Still pondering something more to do during the party. Angie helms our McCain HQ and lead us to victory in Marion County for McCain.

Here’s Matt MacClain, just re-elected Stan MacClain, just re-elected Kurt Kelly (I snapped this at a bad momment) and Glenn Tomblinson, who heads Campaign Graphics and created the outstanding political materials for a ton of politicians including McCain in Florida. Glenn made the sign in the background.

Finally, it’s Rejerio who has been summoned by John McCain on the secret Election Video Phone where he receives his top secret orders for duty to save the world.

…OK! Ok! I’ll stop! Rejerio watched John McCain as he gave his concession speech.

Jack Kemp and Pat Summerall visited the McCain HQ Monday morning. I’m a fan of Pat Summerall. Paul Harvey and his voice are my favorite radio voices. Above is a sketch of Summerall and his signature. Below is Jack Kemp, who I haven’t seen in person since I wotked the Dole/Kemp campain 12 years ago.

After our goodbyes with the NCS Florida Chapter, we headed to Palm Beach County McCain HQ. I got there as they were about to hane make some signs to carry for a walking rally. So I grabbed pens and poster board and went to work. While I drew, I was asked if I could draw one with Obama and the ‘Nobama’ slogan. Above is a volunteer (I didn’t get her name) holding up two signs. I made…Very fast. Below is the huge group as they made their way down the sidewalk.