Swampy’s #Florida a few minutes ago as a Florida black bear is taken for a ride along US441. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission appears to be relocating the fellow from likely noisy humans who can’t understand that bears get to walk the planet, too.

On Friday. Was closer to the west coast of Florida in Hernando, Florida, scribbling people and their lives. I’ll add details later.

What a day! Early start picking up paper to print my annual Christmas cards (Thank you, Melanie King).

Then making various stops in Orange and Osceola Counties (See my Swampy’s Florida for those) on my way to Brevard County to Wild Manta Ventures. Thanks to Tim Reynolds the card got printed and I began distribution. I traveled up from Palm Bay to Titusville. In between Rae at an accessories shop fitted Swampy with a Santa hat!

In Titusville I dropped off a set of cards at the subject of this year’s card, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant. I admit I was staggering tired by the time I got to Titusville. Must be age tiring me from trips like this I used to do with no trouble at all.

Thank goodness, my friend, Leigh Anne Morgan let me stay at her place in east Orange County! It was hard enough to get to her place.

Many more trips to come his week!

Did a series of drawings in east Orange County at a Christmas party. On to do something a bit different with the set: Add watercolor.

While here at Kafe Kokopelli in Dade City, Florida, put the finished inks onto the board and the artwork is ready for printing!

Here’s Kafe Kokopelli’s Andrea Arnold Carter with the inked work, I’ll post a clear version closer to #Christmas,

Another snippet of the upcoming Christmas card. Got delayed a bit due to other work circumstances. Should have it all done Thursday.

My annual Black Friday paintings sale!

Here’s the deal!

Just like the other paintings you’ve seen I’ve done, I will create an original watercolor painting based in a Florida park of your choice with critters involved in a humorous scene.

Me, Frank Thomas and, his wife, Irene.

After a rough few weeks, I wandered far afield of art and hit the road to the Dade battlefield in Bushnell, Florida, to attend the 5th Annual Frank Thomas Florida Music and Heritage Festival. Years ago I was very involved in Florida folk music. Along the way I started investing more into Florida history organizations. It was about five years ago I last saw Frank Thomas from a distance at the Florida Folk Festival. But it’s been around 25 years since I got to really hear and speak to him. And, back then, I got to see him quite a bit back into the ’80s as I traveled to most all of the music festival or helped put them on.

The legion of tunes Frank Thomas and his, now-gone, dear wife, Ann are a monument of Florida music and history. So much Frank and Ann wrote are songs of our great state’s history.

Frank has now remarried and singing as great as ever. Below is a photo of his new wife, Irene, and an incredible book produced by the Florida Historical Society, ‘Frank Thomas – Florida Songbook’. It’s full of the Thomas songbook, stories, photos and more! A fantastic book that is a must for any Florida library!

You can order the book from the Florida Historical Society here:
https://myfloridahistory.org/fhspress

When I arrived I knew I was getting there just in time for Rick Smith’s presentation, ‘A Land Remembered’. Rick’s multimedia, migh-tech, very cool presentation is of a further look into his father, Patrick, book, thee book of fiction of Florida, ‘A Land Remembered’. I never made it. Three booths in front nailed me to a stop. First was the Dade Battlefield Society which helps maintain the Dade Battlefield park, the annual Dade Massacre re-enactment and other duties. I had dues to paid and did that. Manning the table was a VERY enthusiastic young lady, which is nearly impossible to find involving ANY historical group. She trumped even me. The young part helped. Our state’s history needs her times a thousand.

Next was the Florida Historical Society book booth. Ben

Performed for a private birthday party in The Villages, Florida, Sunday night. Great group. I did this for the birthday boy, who has the same taste in music as me. I’m at few events these days where Red Nichols, Matt Munro and Lerner and Lowe come up.

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#Inktober #26

Melanie King requested:
“Ghosts, pumpkins, scarecrow and gourds”

Little Jenny opens shop and finds an odd clientele.

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