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.

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.

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.

Dani said...

CHICKENS! I Loves Me Some Chickens!

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 !

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.