I was given the first one in mid-October of 1945. There would be six of them per year for the next 12 years – 72 in all by the time I graduated from high school in 1957. Each was a potential source of strong emotions ranging from simple anxiety up to, and sometimes including, dread. … Continue reading 72 Reports that changed and shaped our worlds
Long before PBS or Nova or the Nature Series, there were reports of bands of bipedal primates roaming the cottage-y territories of the otherwise peaceful inhabitants in North Jacksonville. The reports were true. More shocking was the fact that these orgies included mulberry mashes, persimmon plucking and even fig orgies in the Holiday’s back yard. … Continue reading Hunting and Gathering on the North Shore
If you grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, particularly on the north side, you knew that it was not your pocket watch, or your wristwatch, or even the old grandfather clock in the corner that was in charge of your life, it was a 32-inch copper steam whistle that had been installed at the municipal “waterworks” … Continue reading Big Jim, the steam-throated metronome for daily life in Jacksonville, Florida