Feeling at home among the ruins

Writing today’s blog on my phone Monday during some idle time at Crystal River Fast Lube:

— A business owner friend told me she's already seen a drop in customer traffic due to snowbirds leaving for the summer.

Every spring I'm reminded of the northern Michigan sheriff who spent his winters in Polk County. I remember that because my Tampa Tribune job interview in 1987 was for the Polk County bureau.

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That's an interview for the ages. The managing editor who set it up stroked me up one side and down the other when we were on the phone. I was exactly what he was looking for as a police reporter in Polk County, which I knew nothing about other than it's where Lakeland is located, and the Spring Training site of the Detroit Tigers.

While in Florida, just to amuse myself, I also set up an interview with the local Citrus County newspaper. Maybe I could pass on some reporter expertise to the bumpkins.

I arrived at the Trib office with plenty of time before the interview. The test came first. I don't know if newspapers still do this, but in those days applicants were given spelling, grammar, and AP-Style tests. To this day, I can't type diarrhea without a spell check. Same with Connecticut.

A good test can take a while and this was a good one. When I finished two hours later, the editor was busy on some breaking story, so I had to wait. Ninety minutes. In the employee cafeteria, where I lost a quarter in the newspaper rack.

Finally, I was summoned to the great man's office. I gave him my 10-minute spiel and waited for a job offer that never came.

He pointed to a stack of resumes on the corner of his desk.

“Those are some of the best reporters in this country, and they all want to work for the Tampa Tribune,” he said, obviously eager to move me along. “What have you done?”

I sat there with a dumb smile on my face. Covering the Ferris State Board of Trustees didn’t cut it against those hotshots.

The editor then sent me on my way into Tampa rush hour interstate traffic. I never heard from him again.

My Chronicle interview was two days later. Quite a bit different. Editor Gerry Mulligan, city editor Jim Hunter…we were on the same page. I had never met these people, but we shared that gleam while talking about small-town politics. We knew one another.

I walked out an hour later determined to return as a Chronicle employee. Two months later, I did. And that worked out for all bumpkins, especially me.

(It was very sad when the Tribune folded. The Tampa Bay Times bought ‘em out and ceased publication immediately, never giving staffers a chance to say goodbye to readers. That has always stuck in my craw.)

— I'm sure most people don't do this, but every so often I have a hankering for a Citrus County landmark. Monday was one of those days. Woke up, started my day, and thought, “You know, I haven't visited the Yulee Sugar Mill ruins lately.”

I enjoy Yulee visits. There is something about those ruins and a very simple park. I close my eyes and try to imagine Homosassa in the 1880s. 

People these days are shocked by changes in our landscape. We heard it a year ago from folks when Target et al replaced the quiet rolling hills of Lecanto. I hear it from Inverness natives all the time about Main Street and traffic. Things are changing rapidly.

So, yeah, I occasionally reach out to the Yulee Sugar Mill ruins for stability. A reminder that some things aren't changing…today.

— Bunny update: She's doing great! Very sweet, fun, friendly, a happy doggy. She brings joy to the house.

Walks, well, there's the adventure. I don't have the time to train, so we're learning as we go. What's funny is the other dogs on the state trail are so well-mannered. Bunny, meanwhile, is EXTREMELY interested in them. Sometimes, she'll bark at another dog walking by on the trail. The other dog looks embarrassed. Bunny doesn't care.

Our early morning walks may include a rabbit or two along the way. Well, when Bunny sees a bunny, all bets are off. Squirrels, birds, and other critters don't grab her attention like a rabbit. Any day with a Bunny/bunny encounter is off to a good start. 

On the other hand, she is terribly afraid of storms. Even a heavy rain can send Bunny shaking into her crate or the laundry room. I feel awful. I'll sit on the floor talking with Bunny and hugging her, but it doesn't seem to help. Any suggestions, pass ‘em along.

That's it for today. Enjoy it, friends.

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