Original Inhabitants

I've been debating over the past few weeks whether to make this post. After a lot of thought I've decided to go ahead as it is a very interesting chapter in North Florida History.

Earlier this month, I came across a spot in the shallow water where I found approximately 50 pottery sherds. My initial thought was that the period of inhabitants who were the most likely creators of this pottery to be Muskogee. After a bit of layman's research into the pottery patterns, it seems more likely that the shards are Apalachee, which dates the pottery to be at least 500 years old. I reached this conclusion after research on the following sites:
Mission San Luis Collection
Shell Point History
Swift Creek

Catch of the Day!

Aaron's first fish - Spanish Mackeral.

Sharing

As I make final preparations for another trip to Florida, I do so with both a sense of excitement and trepidation. Joining the party this year is Aaron Melander. Aaron's become a friend over the past couple of years and most recently helped me with some remodeling on the Denver house. Aaron has his own business in carpentry and residential renovation. The beach house is never without the need for some repair, so perhaps this will be the first of several trips Aaron will be able to take over time.

Jean Moore is making a return trip after visiting for the first time last year. Jean is always a pleasure to be around and has a similar outlook on life. I expect both Jean and Aaron to be easy guests and thus requiring little to no worry in terms of keeping entertained. With our trip overlapping the annual Dog Island "White Trash Boat Bash", it promises to be an interesting time.

I've been very fortunate over the last 2-3 years to have friends who are interested in spending their vacation time down in Florida with me - and allowing me to share a part of myself that I would not otherwise be able to share. Maybe it's part of getting older, but without the ability to share things with the people in your life it's almost like they didn't exist. I titled this entry "Sharing" because the relationship between the current owners of the beach house has fractured and we are at risk of one owner forcing sale of this family treasure. With John Earle Perkins V a few months and kicks away from entering this world, I hope that things can be worked out for me to pass on this part of my heritage.

Another generation

The Sopchoppy Opry

This past summer provided two new opportunities to partake in the local flavor. The first was the arrival of a new BBQ/juke-joint Hammaknockers. Having taken over the long time VFW on the way to the Ocklocknee Bridge, Hammaknockers serves a surprisingly good BBQ pulled pork plate as well as a Hamma-burger: A pulled pork topped hamburger. For the month that I was down on the Gulf last May-June, every night appeared to be entertainment filled at Hammaknockers with either DJs, Texas Hold'em, or live music. There was even a bike rally over one weekend that they hosted.

In not too far away Sopchoppy, we were also fortunate enough to land tickets to the Sopchoppy Opry. My understanding is that these monthly shows are usually soldout way in advance. If you feel the need to step back in time where you could be entertained at the local high school gym for $10, then be sure to look the folks up at the Opry and see if they have any spare tickets for the next show. The Opry featured four individual and group performances along with the house bandleader providing master of ceremony duties.

The Passing of Time

This past December, my great-aunt Kakey passed away. We knew the day would come, and while you don't want to hold on to someone while they suffer, it is still sad to know that they are gone. Kakey was a name frequent to these blogs. St. Teresa may have been her greatest love. For many years, she was the matriarch to our beachhouse. As much as she could she spent time with family and friends on the coast.

This past summer, I attended church in Carabelle with my family. The reading that day stuck with me, and I thought that if we ever put up a memoriam at our beachhouse these words might be the most appropriate:

"O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.

These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground." - Psalm 104: 24-30