The next stop was near Coral Gables in an area known as Pinecrest. The stop was at the original Parrot Jungle, now named Pinecrest Gardens. Strolling through the park you can still find the giant bird cages. The park has been very well kept and well worth taking a walk through and enjoying the plants and flowers.

The drawing is of the area that folks would come through after coming through the original entrance to Parrot Jungle in the 1930s. It still stands though part of the roof has caved in and it appears to be otherwise used as a storage room.

Our first stop was to the infamous Vizcaya! Most of anyone reading this has heard of or been there. For more about this model for the grand home of Orson Wells in ‘Citizen Kane’ click here!

The drawing is of part of the ornate grottos on the property. Time does limit more complete drawings. This was a busy day with lots to visit! Sandra took the photo of me drawing.

Drifted over to Fort Lauderdale and had dinner again at Tropical Acres. Joining us were fellow author Kathy Wolf, fellow hiker Phyliss Malinsky and fellow fellow, Rob Labby.

Kathy and Phyliss surprised Sandra with a belated birthday cake and birthday music performed by the house piano player pictured here.

We headed to South Florida to continue research for Sandra’s next book, ‘Florida’s Botanical Wonders’ and met with Sandra’s cousin, Ruth, at the ‘Bagel Bar East’ in South Miami.

Ruth’s been living in Dade County for 47 years. She and her husband headed the public relations for many places in the area including ‘The Fontainbleu’ on South Miami Beach. She’s finally decided to move on and is leaving her home next to the Ivan Tors Studios where ‘Flipper’ was filmed.

The drawing is of a patron at the ‘Bagel Bar East’.

I’ve been a fan of actor Charles Lane (Born Charles Gerstle Levison) for as long as I can remember, which must coincide with my first viewing television. Mr. Lane has been the part of innumerous casts of actors in as many television programs, movies and plays. Born in 1905, he began acting in the early 1930s and continued on acting throughout his life.

Most might recall his roll in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, ‘Meet John Doe’ or his appearances in Lucille Ball’s programs and the Beverly Hillbillies. Click here for quite a list of his accomplishments.

I don’t know when I actually first saw him, but as time strolled along, he became a very familiar face. It became fun to be watching some televized flick and spot Mr. Lane. A kind of on-going ‘Where’s Waldo? I specifically remember watching ‘Murphy’s Romance’ with Sally Field and James Garner back in 1985 in a theatre. Suddenly there he was again, as always acting older than his actual years, Mr. Charles Lane.

The photo is, of course, of Mr. Lane. The scrawl is his autograph. I received it just a couple weeks ago after he signed it and placed it in the mail. Mr. Lane is still very much alive and living in California at the healthy age of 102. His birthday was this past January 26th.

I had for the last few years been hoping to send a birthday card when I learned he was still alive and of his mailing address. Apparently there are quite a few fans that send birthday cards and receive an autograph of Mr. Lane when requested. This year I finally painted a card for him and mailed it. I received the autograph shown a couple weeks ago. My goal with this blog is to always have art attached to each of these postings of some sort and I hope Mr. Lane’s autograph will do.

Next year I hope to be able to create another card for Mr. Lane and for many years to come. 

 

Here is certainly one of the most humorous writers to grace the pages of many a book, a column and the like. Beyond his filmed adventures, his prose  – and the vast quantity of it – lives today on the humor shelves in many a bookstore. He has widely influenced many, including the comparable Dave Barry.

Surrounding Mr. Benchley are various books, periodicals, papers and a portrait of colleague and co-conspirator to the creation of The Algonquin Roundtable – Dorothy Parker. Of course, Mr. Benchley has handy his elixir.

Next week back into the mire of current celebrities: Jessica Alba. I wonder if she has ever been praised a hearty “Bon Mot!”.

This week’s current celebrity: Jennifer Lopez. Not much to say here. She is an assumed singer, an assumed actress and assumed interesting person. I didn’t find it of her, though. Another yawner.

Next week: I squeal from the non-bubbly to the over bubbly – writer, actor and too interesting – Robert Benchley.

I created this birthday card for Sandra of turtles visiting the Rainbow Springs of old. This was a flying leaf people could ride above the park. Sandra and her family rode it back when it was a “thrill” ride back in the early ’70s.

For Sandra’s birthday we went to the Cross Creek Restaurant where the food is good and lots of books are for sale. Don’t ask me which I like better!

Besides the decorative books there are many items available including antiques for sale. This boat motor was just one adorning the walls.

For Sandra’s birthday we headed over to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings homestead which still exists in a state park. There you can see her home, barn, car and many items which the fames author of ‘The Yearling’ had about her during her years in Marion County.

This is a drawing of a separate building behind her house. It’s a new building. Sandra believes this may be part of an author’s retreat planned for the park.

I attended the Marion County Springs Festival meeting. I drew a number of sketches. This is probably the better of the bunch but a lousy likeness of the person I drew. The distance was about fifteen feet away. That’s what all of this sketchin’ is about. Getting better – even at fifteen feet.