American Beautyberry is, as the name implies, a plant that is gorgeous when the berries are ripe. But this plant is more than just a pretty face! I’ve made a large batch of insect repellent with leaves I harvested when we trimmed some plants at East Lake County Chamber of Commerce, and I’m happy to report that it is effective against mosquitoes. It is also supposed to repel yellowflies and chiggers.
The recipe is very easy and doesn’t even require measurements. Just loosely stuff a jar with leaves. Next, I filled the jar with cheap vodka (you can use rubbing alcohol, but in pandemic conditions vodka is easier to find). I let it sit for a few days, shaking it up whenever I walked past.
Finally I funneled the infused liquid into small spray bottles with caps (I used a quart jar and had PLENTY of liquid). That’s it! You can add a couple of drops of essential oil if you like, but the slightly funky smell of the infusion fades quickly and I don’t find it bothersome.
Because I enjoy canning, I’ll probably make beautyberry jelly in the near future. When I do, I’ll share that recipe, too!
This will be my last campaign entry here at My Exquisite Florida, but I feel strongly enough about this race that I’m using every opportunity to speak to District voters. If you’re not a District voter, my apologies.
The North Lake Hospital District was created by the Florida Legislature and adopted by District voters in 2016. The District provides a means to partially fund health care services delivered by local hospitals and clinics to uninsured people. Governed by an elected unpaid board of six members who reside in the district, the Board determines and adopts a millage rate, capped at one mill, that determines the amount of property tax levied on District residents. This millage determines the total budget available for use in funding care for the uninsured in North Lake County.
· In 2016, almost 59% of voters in the District voted to keep the hospital tax. This vote demonstrated that here in Lake County, we value health care and believe everyone should have an avenue to access that care. We believe that a healthy community is a productive community, and that all residents benefit when their neighbors are healthy.
· My experience and commitment to this District is unparalleled in this race. I have earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in health informatics. My professional experience includes a social service background and a decade of experience as a clinical research coordinator, an outcomes analyst, and a project manager for Florida Hospital – AdventHealth. I have worked with volunteers, community partners, and other stakeholders on community-based projects to improve the delivery of healthcare.
· My opponent, who has a real estate background, is on record questioning the value and transparency of the District. She wants to know who provides services, who receives funds and what funds they have received. When I decided to run for this office, I was easily able to see who provides services, who receives funds, and what funds they have received when I visited the Board’s website. The Board is entirely transparent, with meetings open to the public and notices of meetings, minutes, budgets, requests for funding, audited reports, and much more available to the public by simply visiting the website.
I want to put my experience to work advocating for District residents and protecting the District’s ability to meet the needs of its residents. I’m reaching out to all voters in the District, regardless of party affiliation, because access to adequate healthcare is not a partisan issue. We know that a healthy community is more affordable when health problems are addressed with the right care, at the right time, in the right setting, and a strong Hospital District will ensure that this happens.
Every family deserves access to the kind of care that provides the best health outcomes. Every District resident deserves the best representation possible. My background and experience are the foundation from which I will provide this representation.
I would like to ask you to mark your ballot for me now, if you are voting by mail. You can mark your ballot for me at early voting October 19-31. And of course, you may mark your ballot for me on November 3. And after you have marked your ballot for me in Seat One, please consider voting for Melody Duckins for Seat Five. I hope that you will reach out to me if you would like to know more about me, my candidacy, or the District. Thanks so much for your consideration.
Fall 2020 is Panhandle season for My Exquisite Florida! We’ve just returned from a four night trip camping in our pop-up at a private campground in Port St. Joe, and in a couple of weeks I’ll be leaving for a two week romp based out of a tent in two different state parks. While we were packing up for this short trip, I thought to myself – yet again – how nice it would be to have a checklist so that nothing is forgotten. You’ll find that list at the end of this article — well, no, actually, you won’t find a checklist. It’s more a list of things for you to think about so that you can create your own checklist, because it will be your trip you’ll be packing for, not mine!
Let me begin by saying that every Florida family should have an annual pass to the Florida State Forests. At less than $1/week, and admitting up to 6 people on each pass, it is the deal of the week, no – the month, no – the year, no – really the CENTURY! You just can’t make your entertainment dollar go further. To get your pass, go here.
There. Now that we’ve got that little bit of business down, let’s talk about the Trailwalkers program. Several years ago my friend Kathy gave me information on this program, and I thought, “Oh! Isn’t that nice!” I filed it away and really forgot about it until quite recently. Steve and I have been spending a lot of time in the State Forests over the past year, and while I was researching an upcoming trip to the Panhandle, I ran across the Trailwalkers materials. Don’t you know that we’ve already hiked several of the trails that qualify for this program, but I don’t have documentation, so we started from scratch yesterday with a short hike in Tiger Bay State Forest.
In a nutshell, if you hike any ten of the listed trails in any five State Forests, you earn a Trailwalker certificate and a patch. Hike another ten State Forest trails, and you become a Trailblazer, with another certificate and a rocker for the first patch. Upon completing 30 State Forest trails, you become a Trailmaster, and yes — you get a third certificate and the second rocker patch. Documentation is provided by completing a postage paid postcard and mailing it in as you complete each patch. If the cards are not available, don’t fret! The State Forest service has entered the digital age and if you email them when you finish your hike, they will send you the stamps for your Trailwalker log. The complete set of badges is going to look so cool on our hiking vests!
Within an easy hour’s drive, we have at least 3 state forests. We think that just by hiking weekly, we can earn the first certificate and badge before the year is out. How lucky that we have set this goal just as we are just entering the very best time of year to hike! Trails will soon dry out from the summer rains, and the weather will be cooler. Migrating birds will be in evidence, too — I know my favorite bird lady, Maribeth Healey, will appreciate that.
Why don’t you join us on our quest? I’ll post each week when we finish our hike and let you know where we went and which trail we hiked. I hope you’ll let me know what you think of the trails as you complete your own hikes!
If you read this post, you know that Steve and I, led with confidence by our friend Dee Bradshaw, rescued a Great Horned Owl (now named Kevin) on a recent hike in the Tiger Bay State Forest.
Steve and I have begun a new adventure together, and it’s one that will guide many of our land-based trips for the rest of this year and well into next. You know that we are big fans of State Forests, and while I was doing some research for an upcoming Panhandle trip, I was reminded of the State Forest Trailwalker program. So, we’re now official Trailwalkers – watch for a later article about what that entails. It’s a fun way to learn more about Florida’s magnificent State Forests.
We got up early yesterday and headed over to Volusia County to check out Tiger Bay State Forest’s Buncombe Hill Trail. This was a very short 2 mile loop trail, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and will return to Tiger Bay. It looks like there is a lot to enjoy there, including fishing, small boat access, picnicking, camping, hunting, and of course, hiking the miles of trails and forest roads. Equestrian trails and camping are also available.
Funds from the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Preservation 2000, Florida Forever, and Save Our River have been used to acquire lands for Tiger Bay State Forest since 1979. The Forest comprises 27,395 acres, about half of which is pine forest with the remainder being wetlands.
We visited Indian Lake Recreational Area with the goal of hiking Buncombe Hill Trail. Before we even got on the trail, we checked out the two picnic areas and some vegetation along the southeast tip of Indian Lake. Beautyberry was in evidence, living up to its name in truly spectacular fashion, and we also noticed some beautiful spiderwebs. The pier at Indian Lake would be great for a sunrise breakfast, I think, and there is a covered pavilion with several picnic tables under it. There’s another set of picnic tables under tree cover. Composting toilets provide toilet access but there is no running water.
The short two-mile Buncombe Hill loop trail covers sand pine scrub and xeric oak hammock. We noticed lots of Florida rosemary, one of my favorite plants. Turkey oaks, sand pines and sand live oaks, slash pine, and live oak were the dominant trees, but we also recognized red bay and loblolly bay. There were some fruiting prickly pear cactus and of course, reindeer moss. The forest air smelled of humus and pine. When you sign in at the beginning of the trail, be sure to pick up the brochure that describes the trail. There are numbered signposts on the trail that are described in the brochure – we love these interpretive tools!
The trail is well marked with green blazes; double blazes mark direction changes. There is interpretive signage identifying many of the plants along the way. Some of these were new to us (wild olive and garberia are two that I remember), so we have a whole new group of plants to identify in other locations.
We heard (but did not see) upland birds including nuthatches and saw cardinals. I found a slug with a nice pattern of grays and browns…hard to think of a slug as beautiful, but this one was. We noticed lots of Liatris getting ready to bloom. This is a tall plant with an erect flower spike. The flowers are tiny and clustered on the stalk. It looks a bit feathery and is commonly called gayfeather or marsh blazing star. We also noticed milkweed and fungi.
Who knew slugs could be so pretty?
Before and after the halfway turning point, there are shaded benches. Take a moment to get a drink of water, relax, and enjoy the sounds and smells of the forest here. These short breaks are so restorative and when you’re hiking with someone you love, provide great selfie ops.
Hardworking feet
When we were within sight of the end of the trail, Steve noticed something sitting in a shaded spot. At first, we weren’t sure if we were seeing a bobcat, a large bird, or just a stump. It was very still. As we moved closer we could see it moving as well, so we were able to rule out the stump. Eventually it was clearly an owl, but it was behaving very strangely. It stood up, turned and looked right at us, but did not fly away. When we were within about 10 feet of it, it tried to fly out of the path, but it looked like perhaps its right wing was broken. When we got very close, we could see that its right eye looked raw and was swollen shut. I was convinced that it was badly injured because of the way it moved and that poor eye. Our attempt at owl rescue will be described in a future article.
Whatever happens with the owl (now named Kevin), I will update the blog to provide closure to this story. If the bird doesn’t make it, we will know we did everything we could and learned how to better help next time. Should this bird recover (and if you pray, please pray for Kevin!), Dee and Steve and I will be allowed to return it to where we rescued it. That is going to be a happy day!
UPDATE: Sadly, Kevin did not survive.
I cannot promise that you will rescue an owl if you visit the Buncombe Hill Trail, but I can promise that you’ll have a pleasant experience, inhale some restorative forest air, and see some beautiful sights. Enjoy!
IF YOU FIND AN ANIMAL THAT NEEDS ASSISTANCE, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission may be able to provide guidance on what to do. You can reach them at 888-404-3922. If are in Central Florida and find an injured bird, please call Avian Reconditioning Center at 407-461-1056. They are currently closed due to coronavirus and are only on site from 9:30 – 1:30 Monday-Friday and 9:30-4:30 on Saturdays. If they do not answer, please leave a message and they will return your call as soon as possible. They are a small volunteer organization and do not have the staffing to go out for rescues. If you can get the bird to them, they are happy to do whatever they can to make it well, and return it to the wild.
