Touring Solomon's Castle

 One recent sunny day in Florida, 

four friends ventured into the interior

in search of the famous 

Solomon’s Castle.

Accompanied by GPS they found it.

Sculptor, painter, author, 

builder of castles, maker of dreams,

Howard Solomon is king and resident host 

at Solomon’s Castle 

 The castle entrance.

Waiting for a tour of Solomon’s 

art museum and castle.

Although the castle exhibits imaginative sculptures and mixed-media objects, 

Solomon’s Castle proved an excellent place to meet friendly creatures.

   

Jerry, the museum guide, revealed that Howard Solomon covered his castle 

with used printing plates obtained from a local newspaper press.

Way to recycle, Howard!

The Art Museum:

Some of Howard’s sculptures ...

 a 50 barrel elephant

                                                     transportation plates      

      clothes hanger unicorns

----- Beyond the castle -----

View from the Castle Wall toward the Boat in the Moat Restaurant.

Howard’s drought-striken, land-locked ark 

houses a home cooking

 restaurant 

operated by members of the Solomon family.

Transforming the familiar into the special,

Howard Solomon

built his back door,

somewhere near

the land of Oz.

^^^^____^^^^

Howard and his wife live above the museum.

Overnight bookings in the Castle’s 

 Blue Moon Room

are available, 

but

 reserved 

for incurable romantics.

someone is always posing

at a castle

somewhere

 Solomon's Castle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another Sarasota Sunset

You never can tell about a sunset before sunset.

Waiting. Watching.

Watching. Waiting.

Okay.

Still okay.

 Well, time to get back to the motel.

 ~ ~ ~

  

Some Things About Florida Green

Most of these illustrations were seized in Florida

by a Latter Day Immigrant.

After the Storm

Not Florida Green

Florida Everglades Green

Florida Everglades Green

 Florida Everglades Green

Sarasota's Bayou Oaks Green

French Flowers

Not Florida, Not Green

Ponce de Leon Zeck

Florida Green Retired

~ ~ ~

Flowering Florida

It is 12/12/12 and the maximum twelves have already disappeared from my calendars 

without any inconvenience.

In appreciation: summer scenes from my back yard.

  

"To see is to forget the name of the thing one sees."

~  Paul Valéry

~ ~ ~ 

My Good Neighbor Wall

     It is December in Florida 

and signs of the season are hanging brightly on the fence between me and my good neighbors to the north. Arnas, Holly, precious baby Lexi and a tribe of dogs live on the other side of the vine-covered fence that stands between us.

Virginia Creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a gorgeous, climbing vine which is native to much of the eastern United States. It also enhances the neighborliness of the sixty year old wooden fence on the north side of our house.

"Thank goodness for the vine" some people say because it seems to be holding the fence in its present vertical position. "Thank goodness for Virginia," I say as I pull out my iPhone camera, "because she blesses my eyes and soothes my mind."

When Virginia Creepers' small green flowers mature in the fall season, they turn into purplish-black berries which are toxic to humans (oxalic acid)  but provide food for wintering birds.  A variety of colorful, musical birds appreciate Virginia's bounty also; mocking birds, cardinals and blue jays feast here.

The weather is a bit warmer than normal this year and not all of Virginia's berries have matured yet.  Many berries remain green, round and hard as they progress toward an edible food source for birds. The dryness of the summer has also enabled other vegetative species to join in this good neighbor wall.

No matter where I look along the northern fence line I see an incredible, edible display of natural color, shapes and textures. Yes, life is good. And I agree that a beautiful wall makes this good neighbor happy. 

~ ~ ~

On The Thingness of Space

     I've been working in my old home-office for the past few days.  In spite of the junk issues with this space, it feels good sitting here at this old computer     

     Cleaning off my old computer desk and side table, I found abandoned notes made several years ago while cleaning out the houses of people who had died without heirs.

     One should not be surprised by what they see or smell or hear while working alone in the thingness of a house whose people have passed, never to return.

Today I resuscitate and probate three of these scenes, with voices, below.

HATS

A man falls heir to a collection of hats.

He picks through a dozen of them and

finds two that fit his head 

in a style

most becoming.

TROUBLE SLEEPING

The public radio news assails him for getting fat.

His nose hairs are attracting too much attention.

The man has trouble sleeping when

someone sends him a cruciform butt plug.

He has stopped shaving his face in the morning.

He is becoming one of the hairy gray old ones.

CROWS WE ARE

Today he is a black crow

spotting shiny objects

in the wake of someone's being.

Eyes brighten and fingers grasp like claws

at scissors and hats and colored glass things,

small objects that make him feel good.

~ ~ ~

Halloween in Two Parts

PART ONE

The Costume Party: October 27, 2012

On the Saturday evening before Halloween, as Hurricane Sandy was rambling up the east coast of Florida toward New York and New Jersey, Pam and I hosted a Costume Party in Sarasota, Florida.  

Front door scare crow

Party night was windy enough (gusts of 40 - 60 mph) to keep the scare crow's hat tipping into his face. But, otherwise, the east coast hurricane offered few minor problems for us wind-wise 

southwestern Floridians.

Our handsomely attired guests arrived promptly .

Not all guests tendered simple questions.

But soon enough, as often happens in Florida, 

all questions were forgotten and the fun began.

That's when Mr. Everything's Hot Red Pepper

 grabbed a couple of beauties.

Our sober young chaperone seemed amused

 by the buffooneries of average senior citizens.

Some of us ate like we were in Paradise. Others ate not.

God knows how we enjoyed munching the finest of finger foods

 Until certain guests began begging for

 a second scoop of kitty litter cake

then 

with party graces strained

or bombed

bed time came early...

earlier than usual 

here in Florida.

And our guests departed. 

And everybody got home safely.

PART TWO

All Hallows Evening: October 31, 2012

We don't see many young Trick and Treaters celebrating Halloween in this neighborhood of southwestern Florida. We received a scant 9 kids at our front door begging for treats, see all 9 below. 

Our Halloween Party costumery got me thinking about our personal Halloween differences; about how we have seen ourselves through the years, how we chose how to project ourselves into and through this world, and how we might possibly be seen by a world of others. 

I'd guess you can assess Halloween based on numerous childhood experiences. You may recall the insane delight/disappointment of returning home with pillow cases full/empty of candy. Or maybe your memories come from such thrills as soaping windows or lighting stink bombs on front steps? Or perhaps you think first of that special Halloween costume you chose to wear.

Do you still favor that special appearance? Do you still get more than you give?

But, costume wise and otherwise, just look here at some differences in presentation and decorum 

a few years of accumulated Halloweens can make here in Florida! 

Our precious young neighbors!

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