3rin's View…

Even though I’ve lived here for four years now, I still have a long list of Florida places to explore. Solomon’s Castle was one of the unique and quirky places I’ve wanted to visit.

So, last month Al and I drove east into central Florida. The roads narrowed and curved the further we went, at one point we even lost cell phone coverage. Thankfully, there are still some undeveloped areas in the middle of this state.

The story of this roadside oddity began back in the early 1970s when Howard Solomon bought 40 acres of rural land in Hardee County. Unfortunately, the young New Yorker had been duped into buying flood prone acreage along Horse Creek.

Undeterred, Howard decided to make the best of his $350 investment by building on the high ground. A creative man, he decided the best way was up and hence, a castle was born. As Howard said, “Every man’s home is his castle, and now my castle can be my home.”

The finished structure is a 65′ tall, 12,000 square foot castle replete with turrets, bell tower, 80 stained-glass windows, wrought iron portcullis, and even two knights in armor at the door. It was made even more eye-catching when Howard covered the exterior with discarded metal printing plates from the Wauchula Herald-Advocate. His creation shines like a coat of armor!

Howard was clearly a resourceful man. He considered himself “the DaVinci of debris, the Rembrandt of reclamation, the wizard of odds and ends, and the savior of salvage.” Once his neighbors learned this they started dropping off random items for him (besides, back then the county didn’t have a landfill).

I have some equally talented family members who possess that rare vision to create something out of nothing. I remain in awe of all these artists.

We didn’t have time to join an official tour but we still had a great time wandering the grounds. Life even imitated art when a gopher tortoise crossed our path, not far from Howard’s sculpture of one.

We capped off our afternoon with a quick bite from the onsite Boat in the Moat cafe. Remember that flooding issue? Howard had dredged a small drainage around his castle, to move water away from his masterpiece. The process created a moat, so Howard was inspired to build a replica of a Portuguese galleon.

By the 1980s visitors began stopping by to admire Howard’s handiwork. As visitation grew, the family started giving tours and repurposed the boat into a small restaurant that offered light meals. Though Howard passed away in 2016, his daughter and other family members are still welcoming visitors to the property.

We wrapped up our visit with a snack and a beer while sitting under the massive oak trees while listening to live music. Such a relaxing way to spend the day!

This. This is the life I think we all deserve. Westley excels at pointing out the absurdities of my life. Why do yard work when you could be relaxing?

This afternoon I decided to clean and refill the bird bath in the front yard because I noticed it was looking a little green. The birds around here are a messy bunch, since some of them like to wash their food.

I was not expecting a lump in the bottom of the dish to start moving! It was an adorable baby Red-eared Slider. How in the world did that tiny cooter get up into my bird bath which is 18″ off the ground?

My best guess is that a bird caught it and brought it in for a quick rinse. Or did my crow friends gave me a gift? I took the little turtle over to the canal and set it free, I hope it does well!

Now I want to set up a little camera in my front yard so I can see what goes on out there…

Just came across this listing in my local Facebook Marketplace. Thought I’d share it in case any of you are looking to replace your couch. To be honest, if it were a different color, I’d be interested (but only if that completely unrepentant doggo came with it).

At least someone has a sense of humor about their dog’s handiwork!

Thought I’d share a smattering of the signs I’ve spotted over the past few months. Some were creative, some were funny, and some (like the last one) were quite truthful.

Thought I’d share some photos of the seasonal colors in my yard. Our winter was cooler and wetter than normal but it has warmed up nicely over the past few weeks. While I enjoy all the flowers (and the pollinators they attract) I’m just as excited to see the mushrooms and slime mold.

To me, these simple lifeforms mean that my yard is nutrient-dense. By the way, did you know that slime mold blobs can move? They aren’t speedy but they are able to meander across a landscape. Nature is weird!

I’m pretty pleased with how my yard is coming along, though there is always still room for more greenery.

My Texas friends rented this Polynesian paradise for Music on the Bay. Not only was it conveniently located across the water from the event but it was an experience in itself. As you can see in the video below, the owners went all out decorating the space.

Talk about ambiance! They even had island music playing on a hidden speaker and the scent of frangipani wafting through the air (just like the smellitizers at Disneyland). Besides sitting on the balcony and listening to the performers across the bay, my favorite part was the animatronic talking parrot. He was a pretty bird and he knew it!

As charming as those things were, thankfully, they were all on a remote control so they could be turned off when they became annoying. I was impressed and inspired by this themed tiki, kudos to the owners!

I may be a couple weeks late in posting this but I’m still basking in the afterglow of this amazing event. In my humble opinion, the 12th annual Music on the Bay was the best one yet (and I’m not just saying that because I’m friends with the organizers).

The weather was perfect for a long weekend of dancing in the sand with friends new and old. It’s not just a music festival, Parrotheads party with a purpose, the entire goal is raise money for our local Shriners Hospital. Last year’s event raised $70,000!

While volunteering at the registration tent (the entire event is organized and run by volunteers) I learned that we broke the previous attendance record. Hopefully, that means we’ll also beat the fundraising record! It was such a phantastic time, so much phun hanging out with friends from all over the country.

Especially the Texas contingent, I didn’t know a single soul when I moved to Texas in 2019. Before relocating I found the Parrot Heads of Port Aransas club online and joined. I figured that people who love Jimmy Buffett’s music and get together to do good things in the community must be pretty cool. I wasn’t wrong, they welcomed me into their phlock with open arms and it’s been years of shenanigans ever since. Lucky me!