[JulieRNR21]

Dansy: As you know I am now proud to call myself a Floridian. I was born & raised in NYC & have lived in NJ, TX, CA & MA.

I love living in FL because of the palm trees, exotic birds, gorgeous beaches, friendly people and our wonderful Governor JEB!

The history is so interesting.....each area is so diverse & has it's own special beauty.....Panhandle, West Coast, the Keys, St. Augustine, Central Highlands (283ft above sea level), the Everglades....I've tried to explore it all.

Have you read "A Land Remembered"? It is a historical novel about the struggles & triumphs of the early settlers....not great literature but I learned a lot.....the origin of the term 'Florida Cracker' and that FL probably has more beef & cowboys than Texas!

[JulieRNR21]

PS: Forgot to mention that I'm still searching for the Fountain of Youth.......LOL

[LadyX]

"and that FL probably has more beef & cowboys than Texas!"

Right you are, Julie!
I moved to 12 miles west of Melbourne in 1943 - 1,000 acres in the heart of Cattle Country, from there over to Kissimmee and environs.
Among our neighbors were the Platt families - a ranch dynasty with several brothers and their families. Daddy let Marion use our land to graze some of his cattle, and the sons were exempted from military service during WWII because raising the beef for the troops was essential.

Marion's son, Donald, was my age, and he and Clyde Hilliard in the 4th and 5th grade plied me on the school bus ride with Teaberry and Black Jack chewing gum, courting my favor...:)) (Gum was scarce during the war)

Now and then went out with them on roundups and branding times - great eating, the women bringing dinner to them - and my older teenage sister rode with them a lot.

Eventually, Marion sold many thousands of his acres to create what now is Port Malabar, extending all the way over to the St. John's River. Marion and Lorena, though, remained in their modest big home in the country they'd always had that used to belong to a judge; and I last visited her in 1997, keeping in touch every Christmas.

The Rodeo in Kissimmee was a Big Deal back then - long before Disney was created and the area boomed.

[humblegunner]

FL probably has more beef & cowboys than Texas!

Hmmph!
The beef came on a truck from Texas and the Cowboys are only
there on a temporary basis.. to whip the tar out'n the Dolphins.

[dansangel]

((((((((Julie))))))))))

My Favorite Florida FReeper!

Thank you for the book recommendation. I haven't read it but will certainly look it up.

One of my faves is "Team Rodent" by Carl Hiaasen. Anything that trashes disney like it has trashed central Florida is a gem.

I look forward to being able to live back down there and go "exploring" again. I wish employment opportunities were a little better. :-(

[Billie]

Hi, Julie - loved your post - it's obvious you love Florida, too!