Gottfried Green

Labels: Englewood

Buchan Airport is a small craft, grass runway airport. We took our bikes up to see some of the planes on display, a few of which were vintage. We also caught a few at take-off. It made for something to do close by on a sunny Saturday in Englewood.

Labels: Englewood

I had posted a few days ago about, Olga, my 92 year old neighbor who has lived in Englewood since the 60's. Back in January, The Englewood Sun printed her story. The Englewood Water Board apparently didn't get the concept of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". She has a cistern system that has been working off rainwater and providing her the water needs of the household for over 40 years. They water board was trying to enforce a law which demanded that she hook-up to the public water supply. I'll need to find the law makers on this one because as the news is highlighting everywhere, a blurb in the NY Times here, we are in a water crisis. Not yet quite as severe here as in Atlanta but anyone who has lived in this area for a few years has noticed it just hasn't been raining as much during the time of year when it is supposed to be raining a lot. I have so many issues with the waste of my big tax dollars locally in Sarasota County. FL embodies somehow the idea of doing things wrong the first time so that you have to go back and fix them i.e. the everglades restoration. She should be featured in every local newspaper as what you should be doing and celebrated for having done so for so many years. Why would someone who has been a water conservationist for 40+ years have to suffer anything but celebrity in the area?

Labels: Englewood, permits, water

We finally got the boat in the water and took the trip up Gottfried Creek, across the Lemon Bay and over to Stump Pass which is the gateway to the Gulf. This took us about a half an hour going mostly no wake speeds(up the creek)and minimum wake speeds around the bay. Although, I didn't have my own camera but here's some photos from the website that capture most of what we saw there. Stump Pass Beach has been left alone and thrives in its natural beach habitat. There is only a walking trails to the tip of the beach that meets the waterway that cuts through to the Gulf. By boat, you can just pull up around back through the inland waterway, drop anchor a few feet from the beach and jump in.

Labels: Englewood, Nature

We finally hit pay dirt. On our front lot (partially separated from the main lot) we not only found the big bayan tree but realized there were 2 more just beginning their climb. A visit to wiki gave me some great info that helped me understand these Florida Strangler Figs. "They are large trees that usually start life as a seedling epiphytic on another tree (or on structures like buildings and bridges), where a fig-eating bird has deposited the seed. The roots descend over the trunk of the host seeking out the soil below, once they have rooted into this the fig roots rapidly thicken and lignify. Where the fig roots cross each other they fuse, thus creating a lattice around the host tree's trunk." Our trees are using palm trees as their host. You can see this above.

Labels: Englewood, landscaping

I've seen 2 of these creatures so far. It appears to be vines and round thorny fruit dangling from palm trees. I hope this isn't obvious but what is this? It looks like it will start moving its tentacles any minute. I hope it is something I can find and plant on our lot but it seems to have come from another world.

Labels: Englewood, landscaping

Little Miss Gottfried
sat on a tarp
being as cute as ever...
We finally got on the property enough to really get a feel for its potential. So far so good.

Labels: Englewood, landscaping

The top picture is of the neighbor's drive way leading back to the creek. The bottom picture is our lot leading onto Oxford Drive (neighbor's drive way to the left). We'll probably use shell or mulch for our drive as it's supposed to be something porous. The drive will run perfectly through these 2 palm trees to our house.

Labels: Englewood

If I have the map right I think our 2 acres is part of the 30 acres that was Gottfried farm sitting on Gottfried 100 years ago. At the Link, The Sun-Herald printed a fond recollection from Fred Gottfried about being in Englewood in 1919. "She (Fred's mother) was not an enthusiastic visitor to Englewood. She was a city person who was content with her little circle of friends and relatives and the easy mobility of city life. Here she was limited to what few neighbors had occasion to stop by for a few minutes. She did not rebel, but she was not amused by the area." Hmmm, I wonder if I will share the feelings of Fred's mother when I think of Brooklyn.

Labels: Englewood

"1898 -- Col. James M. Lewis, wealthy sportsman from Old Point Comfort, Va., builds hunting and fishing lodge at Gottfried Creek and sells home sites for New Point Comfort." View a complete timeline at the Link.

Labels: Englewood

Here is the bank as it looks from Gottfried Creek. There is a house on the left. Our lot begins where it becomes overgrown. There are mangroves that border most of the bank and the banyan tree sits just behind the bank.

Labels: Englewood, Nature