Ernesto and the Storm Gourmet

At this writing, Tropical Storm Ernesto is aiming for South Florida and Floridians all over the state are keeping an eye on the weather reports and making sure their hurricane supplies are adequate.

We've seen worse but in a state that has been hit so many times recently, it's doubtful anyone is taking an approaching storm lightly. Most Floridians know by now that if authorities say evacuate they need to go. They know storm surge can be far more devastating than wind.

For those not directly in the path, there are still concerns, especially when it comes to creature comforts. Days of power outages are to be expected. Water may not be available, so it would be wise to stock up on bottled water and fill milk jugs and the bathtub for non-drinking water.

Enduring no air conditioning for a few days may be uncomfortable but, hey, it has got to be better than getting a direct hit like New Orleans, right? Plus, if you've prepared as Daphne Nikolopoulos suggests, a storm power outage might be close to entertaining.

Daphne is the author of The Storm Gourmet, a timely and useful book designed to make enduring the effects of a storm bearable. We've invited Daphne to St. Petersburg on Saturday, Sept. 9, to demonstrate her recipes for eating well without power. Daphne will present her demonstation at 11 a.m. at The Pier Aquarium in downtown St. Petersburg and at 2 p.m. at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Community Center in Tarpon Springs.

We're partnering with our friends at The Pier Aquarium for the 11 a.m. event. Daphne's demonstration will be part of The Pier Aquarium's Book Nook By the Bay event. Earlier, at 10 a.m., a hurricane expert will offer advice on preparing your family for the storm.

Call us at (727) 894-1565 if you have any questions.

ORDER THIS BOOK ONLINE RIGHT NOW!

Thank you for a great booksigning

Just a note to thank everyone who turned out for Scott Hartzell's booksigning on Saturday. It was a wonderful response. Scott had great conversations with readers, and put personal notes many books he signed.

We taped an interview with Scott to be posted soon on the Olde Florida Network. Stay tuned.

Don't forget! Booksigning Saturday

Just a reminder: Scott Taylor Hartzell, author of Remembering St. Petersburg, Florida: Sunshine City Stories, will be in the store this Saturday from 11 a.m.. until 2 p.m. to sign his books and talk about St. Petersburg history. Stop by to chat with him. There's an earlier post about him if you need more information. Or call us at the store. (727) 894-1565.

Orange City: Once Upon A Time

Take a look at this remarkable short video produced by Ron Hurt in Orange City in Volusia County. If you are interested in Orange City history you would do well to sign up on YouTube.com and subscribe to ronhurt. Enjoy! Watch this space for the launch of the Olde Florida Network, coming soon. Tapping the vast possibilities of the Internet to celebrate the history and heritage of Florida through its literature, art and music.

Old Dixie Highway

Here's an interesting sort video of a section of the Old Dixie Highway running between Orlando and Lakeland. There's not much left of Florida like this. Thanks to csason on YouTube for sharing this.

Love at first sight

The two Marys--Mary and Mary Ann--had come to the store to see if I was interested in buying some antique books. They spotted David working on a painting outside the store, intrigued by the canvas depicting pirates on the shores of Old Tampa Bay. David was meticulously painting the vintage clothing worn by pirates in those days. His scene was in what is now known as Philippe Park in north Pinellas County. They left the books for me to evaluate. A few days later they returned to pick them up. (I wasn't interested in the books.) Again, they saw David working on his pirate painting. This time they decided they wanted it. They loved David's painstaking detail, a trait for which he is known. That was yesterday. David is finishing the painting, though not rushing. The two Marys insisted that he continue at his own pace. There are 24 pirates in the painting, each with is own distinct costuming and personality. And, of course, they're surrounded by lush Florida vegetation of another era. Another David Wm. Leonard finds a good home. Congratulations, Mary and Mary Ann. Enjoy!

Click on the picture for a larger view.

See more about David at his blog, David Wm. Leonard, Painter of Olde Florida.

See more of David's work for sale at MicklerSmith eBay Store.

A new listing on a new site and a new family member

It seems like everybody and his brother is setting up a blog site these days. We just got word of a new one called Merchant Circle. I went ahead and signed up for it because it was free we're trying to get the word out about what we're doing in every place that we can. I Googled them and found some interesting things. Apparently these people don't have the resources to have people sell their listings so they've adopted a viral marketing strategy. Makes sense. That's what the web is all about. I guess that's what we're doing, too. Every chance I get, I'm mentioning MicklerSmith Florida BookTraders. One thing I've discovered is that the content of blogs doesn't show up in a Google search unless you do a search specifically aimed at blogs. Now I'm sure this is something that has been obvious for a long time to people who blog relentlessly but it is certainly a revelation to me.

Anyway, here's the link for our site at Merchant Circle

I put a picture of the newest member of our family on that Merchant Circle but there wasn't a place to talk about the picture so I am putting it up here as well. This picture is of Niki with McGee, a little fellow we found at a dog rescue center in Parrish. For the uninitiated, Parrish is a little rural burg over the Sunshine Skyway in Manatee County. The lady who runs it has a soft spot for cute little dogs, which I suppose is why she has right now about 20 of them she is trying to find homes for. Anyway, Niki spotted this little fellow online and we went over Tuesday to meet him. It was love at first sight. He's definitely a winner. We've decided to call him McGee in honor of the John D. MacDonald hero. He's not as tall as Travis McGee, and he's not blonde. (In fact, he's probably a lot more like Meyer, Travis' friend and confidante––short, dark and hairy.) Nevertheless, he does share some traits with his namesake. He loves Florida and he's very popular with the ladies. We'll hear more from him later.

Scott Hartzell signing books

Scott Taylor Hartzell stopped by the store yesterday to drop off some posters for his upcoming book signing at the store. Scott's new book is Remembering St. Petersburg: Sunshine City Stories, published by History Press. His first book, St. Petersburg, Florida : An Oral History, is part of the Voices of America series, and was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2002.

Scott is well known in St. Petersburg for his history columns published in the Neighborhood Times section of the St. Petersburg Times for almost 10 years.

Scott is originally from New Castle, Pennsylvania, but he has been in St. Petersburg for 20 years. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of South Florida, and served as editor of the school's newspaper. Later he served as a correspondent for the Times and other local papers.

Scott's columns in the Times focused on people, structures and events that influenced the region. His stories were peppered with historical facts and coments from locals who have experienced the city's growth.

We met Scott last spring when we shared a table at the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association's Garage Sale. Scott was signing books for patrons and we were offering our $3 books. After all, it was Saturday and that's when we have $3 books in front of the store. (Indeed, $3 Book Saturday is a growing phenomenon! Worth checking out!)

Anyway, that particular Saturday we moved the festivities down to Westminster Presbyterian Church on 11th Avenue NE, headquarters for the HONNA event. What a fortunate occasion. That was the same day Josephine* met David Wm. Leonard. David, who is known as the painter of Olde Florida, was working on Moonrise, Tampa Bay 1884 at the time. Josephine saw it and it was love at first sight. He wasn't even finished with it and she was ready to take it home with her. David subsequently did finish the painting, making it even more brilliant than it was in its unfinished state, and Josephine eventually did take it home with her.

*Out of consideration for her privacy, we're not including Josephine's full name. She knows who she is. Nobody else really needs to know.

Anyway, back to Scott. He's coming to the store Saturday, August 26, for a book signing. You'll have a chance to chat with him about his book and get an autographed copy. He'll be in the store fromm 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Stop by and see him.

David will be painting out front that day, too, (weather permitting), so plan to stop by and check the progress of his new work.

The Storm Gourmet is coming!

We can't wait to taste the delicacies Daphne Nikolopoulos has in store for us when she visits St. Pete Sept. 9 to demonstrate her techniques for turning out great dinners when the power is out.

Daphne wrote The Storm Gourmet to help us all eat well when those nasty storms take their toll on the local utilities. Daphne's view is that with a little planning the inconvenience of living by candlelight and flashlights and camp lanterns needn't mean that we have to eat out of cans. If we don't get a direct hit on Tampa Bay and end up with Pinellas as an island, we'll be all set.

Anyway, Daphne will be here to share her secrets in September. We're partnering with our friends at the Pier Aquarium to bring you Daphne's presentation. She and her husband and baby will be coming over from Palm Beach, where Daphne's day job is editor of Palm Beach Illustrated, the slick monthly journal that chronicles the lives and times of some of the country's wealthiest people who inhabit that stretch of East Coast real estate. (I haven't asked if Daphne and our friend and former colleague Casey O'Connor have crossed paths. He settled in Palm Beach, too, after he left the employ of The Orlando Sentinel low these many years ago. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if they've met. Palm Beach isn't that big a town, and the journalistic coummunity is smaller still.)

More about Daphne as we get closer to the event. Mark it on your calendar. September 9. 11 a.m. The St. Pete Pier Aquarium.

Florida Folk Sunday

David Wm. Leonard, painter of Olde Florida

Worth a visit

Floridiana Gloriana: Pictures from our world.: Cross Creek, Florida---Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park