Povey Prattle

PRINT STORY  HERE ( Many photo's below) From the Herald-Tribune Conveniently located 55+ community was once the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus winter quarters Glen Oaks Ridge, a 55+ community, occupies part of the southeastern quadrant of the intersection of Beneva Road and 17th Street. The entire area is known as Glen Oaks and has its main entrance just to the west of the Bobby Jones Golf Course. As one of the subdivisions, Glen Oaks Ridge lies on the left side of the ingress road, Prudence Drive, and shares the great location and distinctive history of the entire neighborhood. In the early 1920s, when the area served as Sarasota County’s fairgrounds, Beneva Road was just a dirt lane. From 1927 until 1960, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus kept its winter quarters there, drawing crowds of locals and tourists to watch performers train animals and refine their various acts. In 1951, Hollywood filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille shot his circus ep...

Naked woman calls me: an odd request for help in the COVID 19 crisis. She lives three doors away from me.  I'll call her Trish (not her real name). Trish is an English woman.  She is, let us say, a wee bit unfocused (a.k.a. "ditsy"). She 'phoned yesterday and here is her message " I was wondering what the (fix?) mark on an English stove on the top, and I have no clothes.  I'd appreciate it if you would call me and let me know, I am trying to do the shepherd's pie" I returned her call twice only to get her answering service.  Then she called me back. Turns out that she had bought a packet of Shepherd's Pie seasonings. The recipe called for cooking the pie at "Regulo 7". My friend was asking what was the American equivalent in degrees Fahrenheit for Regulo 7. I hadn't the foggiest notion. I'd  forgotten all I ever didn't  know about regulo settings.  I advised her "you can't go wrong with almost a...

Filled with the deep understanding of the lives of ordinary people which he's always had, U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R FL) puts in his two million dollars worth. He knows that it will be good for unemployed working people to be unable to pay the rent and buy the food during this crisis. Rick Scott and his best buddy -------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott: Bailout is too generous to jobless By John Kennedy Gannett Florida TALLAHASSEE — After helping craft a Florida unemployment benefits system that is among the stingiest in the nation, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is now among a group of Republican senators critical of the $2 trillion coronavirus bailout package making its way through Congress. Scott, who ultimately  supported the mas sive proposal expected to win House approval Friday, said the $600 weekly payouts to those losing their  jobs would “disincentive people from returning to the workforce.” “When this cri...

OUCH!!    I damaged a back muscle yesterday.   My dear Zion decided to roll on his back outside; thus enabling  a ton of oak pollen to stick itself to his coat. As I leaned over to brush it off, a muscle decided to misbehave. On a scale of  1-100 the pain is at about 18.   Hard when I sit down or stand up.    Fine when I walk. No sympathy please!   Instead, let out a wee giggle! 

First a small phew that Comcast/Xfinity service has been restored in our locality, after having been down for about eleven hours.  How much we count on internet/e-mail service, (and in my neighbourhood for T.V.  - also down, but no bother to me). Then a large phew for Social isolating is less isolating when one can have video calls with friends and family members  (Joe and Dee in Northampton MA;  cousin Janet in Bristol, U.K.);  another Joe in London, U.K.;  Wes and Cindy Wasdyke in Chapel Hill, N.C.   (with a virtual tour of their splendid new digs in a retirement community). AND long audio only calls with Gwen in Lenox, MA;  Grace in Austin TX (so glad that both her children now live nearby, they visit in her garden);   and Lizzie in Bordeaux, France.  (It's a tough time for her as Jean-Paul is in advanced Parkinson's Disease). ALORS!   there has also been toilet paper hoarding in France!

I went to the Goodwill Second Hand Bookstore a couple of weeks ago to stock up on some reading in the event of a COVID 19 "lock down". The sales clerk seemed to me to be someone I vaguely knew, but I could not pin it down. That was until I left the store and saw a BMW roadster in the parking lot. I "knew" the car.  Which meant that I knew the store clerk.  I went back in and said  "you know, we are neighbours. We both live on Glen Oaks Drive East".   It took him a few seconds until he realised that I know him because of his car, his pride and joy ; and that he knows me because of my dog. Here is his  pride and joy. GREAT CAR, BUT ON THE WHOLE I PREFER ZION.

I have told you before about my local barber, Patrick.  He is a great guy. He has cut my hair since 2006. Unlike other States the  State of Florida has not yet mandated the closure of barber shops, beauty parlours, tattoo and nail salons etc. So off I went to be shriven by Pat this morning.  I was his first customer. He confirmed that business was bad; and that he expected a gubernatorial order to close down. "If that happens that will happen"  was his response to what he cannot control. I asked him to cut my hair and trim my beard as closely as he dare, given that I may not see him for six or more weeks. I tipped him with four times my usual gratuity.  After all, he and his wife will have to live should his business be forced to close. He did a good job! jmp looking as mean as he can, maybe the ex- military look. jmp looking as happy as he can as he walks out with Zion and greets our friends at Arlington and Bayfront Parks in SRQ ...