Aloha to Safety Harbor - Ahoy, Pirates!

Walking back from the pier (link), I noticed the Pirate house! 

I asked the owner if he was a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... 

... he responded he just like pirates!  He started with a few decorations for Halloween.  He noticed his neighbors, who otherwise did not converse with each other, started to talk over the cannon.  So he added more Pirate gear ... 

... including a ship's wheel, mast, and sails!  How would you decorate your house?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blog posts wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 7, at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

The pirate cat?

Aloha to Safety Harbor - The Pier, Marina, and Library

Continuing my walk around my home town of Safety Harbor, the pier is a symbol of our city.

The seagull rests on the channel marker, reminding boaters to watch out for manatees. 

The bay offers a small beach better suited for rock collecting than sun bathing.

Yes, let's go to Safety Harbor after this week of snow ... 

... I would be on Cloud 9!

Safety Harbor also boasts a world class library with helpful libraries ...  

... here's the fine print.  Indeed, the Librarians are Human Search Engines!

I found proud parents of a Navy Sailor!  Speaking of sailing, what would you name your boat?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

The City of Tampa rises in the distance.

Aloha to Safety Harbor - Tampa Bay

 

I recently traveled to Safety Harbor, Florida, to renovate our condo.  Now that we are homeowners in Maryland, we would like to sell the condo.   But I will miss this small town on Tampa Bay.  

Safety Harbor is home of the Espiritu Santo Springs.  From the City of Safety Harbor (link),

Given this name in 1539 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who was searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth, these natural springs have attracted attention worldwide for their curative powers. Today, 22 acres of pristine Florida coastline houses the famous Safety Harbor Resort and Spa which remains one of the world's finest spa destinations and continues to attract health conscious visitors to the area.

From downtown, I walked along Bayshore Boulevard, where homeowners have docks to the bay.

This owner invites walkers to enjoy the view.

The homeowners have fun ...

... turning a tree stump into artwork ...

... paying tribute to Neptune!

How about this mailbox?

The Tucker Mansion, below, witnessed the city's history.  From Pinellas Memory (link),

This Colonial Revival style mansion was built following the devastating hurricane of 1921 by Virginia Tucker, who also built the St. James Hotel. She was the widow of James Tucker, whom the hotel wasnamed after. The couple were early entrepreneurs that made major improvements at the springs and began selling the mineral water for national distribution.

Do you have a historic home in your town?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's posts wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 30, 10 pm.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Even on a cloudy day, the pier is a source of inspiration.

Aloha to Mullet Creek Nature Park in Safety Harbor, Florida

Last week, I traveled to my home town of Safety Harbor, Florida, to renovate our condo for sale.  The Sunshine State was colder than expected!  One cloudy afternoon, I took a brisk walk and brought my camera along.  I discovered the Mullet Creek Nature Park.  From the city's website (link),

Safety Harbor's newest park is Mullet Creek Nature Park. It is an outdoor art gallery that provides a unique visitor experience. The demonstration gardens are an area where you will be able to learn about and see plants growing. These garden plots are planted and maintained by volunteers. The formal art gardens sits is on 2.6 acres of City owned land and is at the corner of Church Street and Philippe Parkway. The Park has Outdoor Art Gallery, two picnic tables, one barbecue pit, three swings, lots of benches and chairs, a water fountain, and lots of fresh air.

Let's check out the art gallery ...

... where children explored their imagination ... 

... and I found the same flowers and fish from Hawaii!

The wise owl ...

 ... watches over those who sit for a while.

I was delighted to find the Little Free Library.  From its website (link),

In the beginning—2009--Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it. He built several more and gave them away. Each one had a sign that said FREE BOOKS. Rick Brooks of UW-Madison saw Bol's do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential social enterprises. 

 

Together, the two saw opportunities to achieve a variety of goals for the common good. Each brought different skills to the effort. Bol was a creative artisan experienced with innovative enterprise models; Brooks was a youth and community development educator with a background in social marketing. They were inspired by many different ideas:

- Andrew Carnegie’s support of 2,509 free public libraries around the turn of the 19th to 20th century.
- The heroic achievements of Miss Lutie Stearns, a librarian who brought books to nearly 1400 locations in Wisconsin through “traveling little libraries” between 1895 and 1914.
- “Take a book, leave a book” collections in coffee shops and public spaces.
- Neighborhood kiosks, TimeBanking and community gift-sharing networks
- Grassroots empowerment movements in Sri Lanka, India and other countries worldwide.

What's your favorite artwork?  Or have you seen a Little Free Library in your neighborhood?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, January 23, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

The back view of the Little Free Library

Aloha to Florida - Safety Harbor

Safety Harbor is a vibrant small town on the Northwest side of Tampa Bay.   From this link,

For years, Safety Harbor has been known as a special place in Florida: a haven where “healing waters flow.” But long before modern man came to this popular site on Tampa Bay, Indian shell mound builders inhabited the area almost 2,000 years ago, followed by the Tocobaga Indians and then the Seminoles. These early residents believed the mineral springs held mystical powers; they were the first to see the springs as the answer to perpetuating youth and healing the sick.

In 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto reached the shores of what is now Old Tampa Bay and discovered the natural springs. Believing he had found the legendary “Fountain of Youth,” missed by Ponce de Leon, De Soto established a camp here, naming the mineral springs “Espiritu Santo Springs” (or “Springs of the Holy Spirit”).

My favorite refuge from the Florida heat is the public library ...

... with its unique benches!

The library is shaded by several "grand" oak trees.

This one being named "the elf tree".

Even the library embraces the tropical scene with this wall mural.

This mermaid is ready for the mail!

The frogs welcome diners to a French cafe crafted from a vintage house.

Natually Safety Harbor hosts a marina,

with many pleasure craft in the harbor.

I like this name!

The harbor is home to endangered manatee which often flirt with tourists on the pier.

What would you name your fictional boat?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.   Comments are open through Saturday, August 23, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Strumming in front of the barber shop.