It’s been a “cold” few weeks here in Central Florida. But it’s all relative as they say. A friend that lives in Minnesota recently posted that it was minus 44 in her neck of the nation, but felt like minus 33. At the time it was 45 degrees in my area of Central Florida at ten in the morning, which is considered cold for here, even in January. It has been a long series of grey and damp days here, not the sunny and warm days one comes to expect, but that is about to change today!
Although there are times that I do miss my life in New Jersey, in both Bergan and Ocean Counties, I don’t miss those long winters, but I could still be happy spending a few weeks at the Jersey Shore in the summer months. With temps set to return to the 70s early next week, I will come out of my cocoon and relaunch what promises to be an eventful year.
Just three months ago, in late October, I purchased a small home on a canal in the town of Satsuma in Northern Florida. Its restoration had been a great distraction and with plenty of dockage, I look forward to exploring the stunning beauty of the waterways of the Saint John’s River that begins less than a mile from that home. That home is set to receive its furnishings that will be brought down from my home in St. Marys, Georgia this week.
The St. John’s River is called the “Invisible River” by some. Filled with wildlife, history and fresh water springs, I can’t wait to explore what may be the last of Old Florida along the Bartram Trail. This is truly the Florida captured in so many of those beautiful vintage postcards I’ve worked with as an artist – natural, no frills, down-home.
But, this area is set to grow. Just down the road from my log home in Crescent City, billionaire Johnny Morris, Founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, has purchased hundreds of acres and is quietly building a lodge and golf course that is said to rival the size of Disney World. Just a few miles from where I write, one can observe the beginnings of this growth. It’s fascinating to be here at the precipice of what will bring great change here in Putnam County, for better or worse. Morris is noted to be a developer who aspires to preserve the natural beauty of his building sites and many, including myself, hope that is true.
Just a few houses down from my newly acquired “Canal Cottage” stands another intriguing property that is offered for sale. Taking the dogs for a walk behind that place last week, I was surprised and taken by its wild Old Florida backyard landscape. Someone really should restore that Old Florida Property to its former glory complete with its mermaid mural and a stature of Neptune! Will it be me?
Experiencing life here in these parts has been so unexpected. When I moved to Georgia with Rich five years ago in January 2020, I settled in to what I thought would be life as “we” knew it for years to come. Now, I find myself in a very different kind of life, each day seems to bring a new vibe, or event. Never a true fan of his gated-community lifestyle in Saint Marys, Georgia, Rich would have adored this place. I know he joins me in spirit as I continue to explore.
It also occurs to me that the St. John’s and St. Marys Rivers “share” the names of my parents who passed in 2023 and 2024, respectively. They may be “gone” but their spirt continues to flow in me as well. No matter what life hands us, we can keep rolling along like those rivers.
As January rolls to its end, I wish everyone the ability to find their own source of renewal, or great distraction, no matter what fate has dealt. I look forward to sharing and recording my continued revival here in the “last frontier” of Old Florida with all of you.
