The Secret Pepper Society: Gulfport, Florida

Jun 19, 2011

Gulfport, Florida

Gulfport, Florida was originally named Disston City in 1884 when Hamilton Disston purchased land there. Hamilton Disston (August 23, 1844 - April 30, 1896), was a wealthy industrialist and real estate developer who purchased four million acres of Florida land in 1881. Reportedly this was the most land ever purchased by a single person in world history. Hamilton was a fun loving socialite who owned a yacht named, Mischief. He lived in the city he founded for many years.

Hamilton Disston

The United States Post Office failed to recognize the name Disston City due to a conflict with another area in the Tampa, Florida region so it eventually was re-named Gulfport in 1910. For the past ten years the population of Gulfport has hovered around 12,400 give or take a few folk. It is a quaint "Old Florida" feeling town that is populated by artisans and free spirits much like Mr. Disston

After years of bickering with the locals, the Gulfport City Council recently passed legislation legalizing the keeping of up to 10 chickens in your backyard.

No roosters.

I've been attending the Fresh Market on Tuesday's between clients, recently. Strolling along the uneven sidewalks and absorbing the creative energy of the artisans and farmers has been a spark in the gloom of the mundane tasks of my every day life.

While at the market last Tuesday someone invited me to the Growing Greener gathering...

held yesterday at the old casino...

The Boy, The Baby, The Teenager, The Genius, Curly T and myself piled into the mom mobile and took off. Although it was hovering around 96 degrees in the shade it was well worth the sweat. And most of the booths were located inside the air conditioned Casino, thankfully.

We met a bee keeper...

...who gave a verrrry long dissertation regarding the above hive, droning on and on in the heat about exactly how he removed and relocated the queen bee so that a new hive would begin and how the new hive was currently "making" a queen bee.

After he was finished buzzing The Boy asked, "Where's the queen?"

Sigh.

We ran into the two men I had met at the city dump over the free mulch pile a few months ago. They helped me load mulch into the mom mobile/mulch mobile and I gave one of them social worker advice regarding where he could obtain mental health services for a relative. No, I'm not a social worker. I just look like one. I've learned to live with this.

The men are involved in a huge permaculture movement in the area and were at the Growing Greener gathering with chickens. And I do believe you all have heard too many times about my infatuation with keeping chickens in my back yard...

They are beginning a new project teaching people like me to build coops out of re-cycled materials.

Be still my heart.

Which just goes to show you that one never knows what exciting divine appointments await you at the city dump.

Curly T and I are signing up.

After also signing up to have locally grown, organic produce delivered to my front door weekly (The Genius and I split the cost) we strolled the sidewalks in search of food and found scenes of quaint beauty...

Flowers in rustic window boxes

This vintage coca cola swing is a treasure in someone's yard.

We found some yummy food at Peg's Cantina where we were fortunate enough to commandeer the one indoor table that they had. Eating outdoors in this heat is for tourists.

The Boy sat at the bar socializing with a cute, young couple, discussing swimming and his plans for the future I have always sensed a career in politics for The Boy.Perhaps when he grows up he can be the mayor of Gulfport.

I could be persuaded to live here...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: It's funny because I was just thinking of you this morning. The place looks lovely and I would love to have backyard chickens as well. Katie and I spend a lot of time at Fort Edmonton and they have free range chickens and turkeys there, wandering around the sidewalks. I don't think I could eat them but I would eat their eggs.; June 19, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Kathleen Scott said...: Loved this wandering post. I tend to think everything is connected and it was fun to follow to your path here. Beautiful sunset picture at the dock.

You're getting chickens? I'm jealous. Denny says if I did them they'd end up costing up $25 an egg (and he may be right) and fox and racoons would get more than we would. But the eggs from our farmer's market are so good...

I've been traveling,had guests or been preparing/cleaning up from same since May 17th & haven't been able to keep up with my friends. Going to scroll back through your posts now & see what I missed. Hope you & yours are good.

PS The coconut pie odyssey was too much fun but I'm now pretty sure that sugar is poison. After 2 1/2 days of coconut pie, my body took 8 days for my body to recover.; June 19, 2011 at 4:05 PM
Island Rider said...: I love Gulfport. At their evening arts and craft shows, they usually have someone with a telescope letting you look at the starts. And once, I got to blow glass at the industrial art center.; June 19, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Dani said...: CHICKENS! I Loves Me Some Chickens!; June 21, 2011 at 4:20 AM
Donna said...: I don't know if you remember but my gram and nana used to live in gulfport..across from the ball park. We spent many a day walking down to the casino, and I have many good memories of time spent there. They used to have a big curly slide there :) If I ever came back I would love to live there. Miss you! It's nice I can keep up with you especially since my letter writing days have slipped away. Love you !; June 21, 2011 at 8:05 AM
Heather said...: You are my kind of girl Secret Pepper Person... I love the markets and don't go nearly enough ... perhaps the once indoors is more my speed... I melt in the heat,similarly to the wicked witch of the West... rain and heat,not a great combo for me.I digress... we have a local delivery as well.Genius idea.If only I had thought of it.

Enjoy vacation.Yes,I think that is what it is called.Is it over yet?Kidding.Sort of.

Loved the pictures by the way on the post below.; June 22, 2011 at 11:17 PM

The Artist

The Artist can be seen in the yearly dance calendars, Breaking Bounds, by photographer Lois Greenfiled throughout the years.The artistically gifted second daughter who graduated from a very expensive art college in Philadelphia is one of those annoying people who can do all things artsy. Dance. Sing. Make jewelry. Photography. A genetic descendant of St. Francis of Assisi, this "sister moon" is called "the dog whisperer" behind her back by the SPP's posse. She is currently involved in animal rescue and is usually tooling around the south in her VW transporting unfortunate animals to their new homes. As a child she ate Barbie doll toes. I spent years thinking the hamster did it until The Genius set me straight.

The Teenager

The teenager became part of the family in 1994. She was born with hypoplasia of the cerebellum. As a result she has cerebral palsy. She was diagnosed with developmental delays early on and in later years has developed glaucoma and epilepsy. She was not supposed to be able to walk, talk or use her upper extremeties well. No one shared this information with her. She began walking wihout assistance at age 6. She began writing at the age of 13. After 10 years in book one of Hooked on Phonics she now reads well. She enjoys music, dancing, soccer, and her dvd collection. She loves light bulbs, cracks in windows and windshield wipers. The teenager comes up with the most interesting statements. They are rarely politically correct.

The Boy

The boy became a part of the family in 2000. He has a rare genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta type 3. He has severe dyslexia and ADHD. The boy was not expected to survive per his geneticist and pulmonologist. No one shared this information with the boy. The boy is Evel Knievel in a Humpty Dumpty body. He loves monster trucks, cars of all kinds especially vintage and critters. The boy could not understand why I was upset with him when I discovered a live snake in his top bunk becasue it was " not poisonous." Don't ever say to the Secret Pepper Person that boys are easier than girls. I will hurt you.

The Baby

The baby became a member of the family in 2007. She was rescued by a paramedic who found her dead in the amniotic sac in a hallway. For those of you who find this offensive please get a life. The baby should be in a vegetative state from the estimated 10 minutes of cerebral anoxia. No one informed her of that. The baby is the happiest child I have ever known and is seriously nosey. She has cerebral palsy and seizures but neither interfere with her quality of life. She signs and has just begun to talk. Even when she is 30 she will be referred to as the "baby" as she is the omega child. The baby loves french fries,music, remote control cars and soft blankets. She hates peaches.

The Dog

The most recent addition to the posse came to us from Great Pyrenes Rescue. Vanna White had lived in several homes before ours and the day we met her she was leaving for yet another adoptive placement. The adoption fell through after 2 weeks as, "there was still too much puppy in her." What they really meant to say is that she likes to pee on furniture. Vanna is a herd protector by nature who is strong enough to take on a bear but becomes emotionally attached to her herd animals. This is a perfect fit for our family. She is very protective of the baby and sleeps by her crib. She has a disctinct "boy bark" which alerts me to the fact that the boy is outside doing stunts not wearing his helmet. Yes, Vanna is that intelligent. Vanna loves other dogs, digging, long walks, chicken and peeing on the sofa. She hates the rain.

The Cat

The cat showed up in our backyard about 14 years ago. No one knows where he came from or how old he was. Every time you approached him he would drop to the ground and roll, thus the name, "Roller." Once we determined that Roller wasn't rabid we decided to make him a permanent member of the family. He grudgingly obliged. Roller had some "adjustment issues" and our kind and gentle Hindu vet informed me he thought Roller needed some help "finding his place in the family" and put Roller on Elavil. In other words, the cat was seriously psycho. Roller's issues have mellowed over the years but if there are 14 people in my living room he will stalk the one person who hates cats. He is an accomplished hunter and likes to leave bloodied fruit rats on the door mat or if he's mad at me on my bed. After the last rat on the bed the cat door was nailed shut. Roller likes freedom, two story houses, rats and chocolate Ensure Plus. He hates the dog, the kids and the 4th of July.

Iris aka Virus

Iris has been with the family for almost 7 years and is the teenagers' respite worker/personal care assistant. Iris looks like a Bavarian milkmaid who should be clad in a dirndldress or lederhose. A cross between Heidi Klum and Gretel complete with culry blonde hair and rosy complexion. Iris, however, has an alter ego lovingly referred to as Virus. Virus likes the color black, sparkly clothes and metal bands. She met her husband, "the beard" at Livestock. 09 and he proposed at Livestock 12.They were married and went to a Great White concert after the ceremony. They have two model beautiful children which dispels the myth that pretty people have ugly children. Virus loves Ozzie Osborne, Motley Crue, Kiss, and Queensryche and has a Queensryche tattoo under the lederhose. If you look up Iris/Virus in Roget's Thesaurus you will find synonyms such as, "loyal, faithful, honest, kind, and long-suffering." Iris has a mental list of places she can never go to again because of the teenagers behavior. Virus doesn't care. Iris would like to have dinner with Ozzie Osborne before she dies but feels she needs an interpreter. I suggested the teenager. She hates REM and people who wear pajamas in public. Iris is the only person I would trust my children with and not be concerend about the outcome. For Iris or the children.

Documentary Diary

-Prodigal Sons
-Following Sean
-Buck
-A Man Named Pearl
-Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam
-Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
-The Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan
-Van Gogh: Brush With Genius
-The Loss Of Nameless Things
-Super Size Me
-The Last Word
-The Real Dirt On Farmer John
-Hiroshima
-Skid Row
-King Corn
-The Future Of Food
-Wal-Mart The High Cost Of Low Price
-Food, Inc.
-The Cats Of Mirikitani
-Into The Arms Of Strangers
-Something Within Me
-Born Rich
-Waiting For Armageddon
-It Might Get Loud
-Cocaine Cowboys
-After Innocence
-Radio Bikini
-Girl 27
-I Have Never Forgotten You
-Commune
-Forgiving Dr. Mengele
-Hiding And Seeking
-The Garden
-Food Matters