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Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

J U LY 2016

Preservation Through Education David Gieger, a volunteer for Seacrest Wolf Preserve, joins Echo, a young female of the Brat Pack, in her habitat. To learn more about the largest wolf preserve in the southeastern United States, see page 4. PHOTO BY KRISTIN EVANS

$100 Credit Winners PAGE 8 Graduates Awarded Scholarships PAGE 28 n

Gulf Coast

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Inside

July 2016 Vol. 5, No. 9

An Obsession With Collections 12

Whether motivated by sentimental attachment or potential financial gain, it is in our nature to collect. Also In This Issue Side Roads 10 In the Kitchen 16 Great Picture Hunt 18

Travel Journal 20 Festival Roundup 22 Parting Shot 30

Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32

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Gulf Coast

Preservation Through Education Seacrest promotes respect for and understanding of the role endangered wolves play in the ecosystem By Kristin Evans

When you think about what draws visitors to our area, you probably start with the world’s most beautiful beaches—and with good reason. However, you may not realize our area also is home to the largest wolf preserve in the southeastern United States. Seacrest Wolf Preserve— which offers an opportunity to connect with wolves—attracts visitors from around the world. It covers more than 430 acres, with nature trails and T.J. Davis pets Forrest. Visitors are allowed to touch the wolves. spring-fed ponds and lakes. conservation,” says Cynthia. “The future It is licensed by the state of Florida of wolves is bleak due to their removal and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. from the Endangered Species Act. Other The 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation laws have also been removed, which is organization was founded in 1999 by Cynthia and Wayne Watkins on The Oaks leading to their abuse and death. Farm in Washington County to bring “They are a tormented and misunderstood species, but by participating in our greater understanding of and respect for tours, myths can be dispelled. It is our wolves and their role in the ecosystem. prayer that our visitors will leave with “Our goal is to raise the awareness of an inspiration to join us in our efforts to our visitors to the urgent needs of wolf keep the wild alive by speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Seacrest Wolf Preserve offers wolf encounter tours every Saturday yearround. Gates open at 11 a.m., with the 21/2- to 3-hour guided walking tour beginning at 1 p.m. Visitors enter into large, natural habitats that are home to gray, Arctic and British Columbian wolves. The tour includes a small animal adventure in which visitors can feed the raccoons, hug a skunk and play with foxes. They also meet Pacos, the coyote, and Billie, the groundhog. Fees are $25 for adults (12 and older) and $15 for children ages 6 through 11. Children younger than 6 are not allowed in the wolf enclosures.

Cynthia Watkins, who co-founded the preserve with her husband, Wayne, gives the Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative crew a brief tour during a break from their work setting poles for a pavilion at the preserve. 4

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Continues on page 6

Forrest, a gray wolf, gives Jeremy Horton a special thank you, as T.J. Davis strokes the wolf’s chest. According to Cynthia, wolves are able to sense those who help them and respond accordingly.

Lending a Helping Hand Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative partnered with Seacrest Wolf Preserve on construction of a pavilion to serve as a gathering place for events. A four-man crew drilled holes and set eight poles for the structure, which will provide shade during warmer months and keep in heat from a stone fireplace during colder months. “We would like to give a special thanks to this wonderful group and power company who gave their time and effort to support the important work of Seacrest and wolf and wildlife conservation,” said Cynthia.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve offers a unique opportunity for visitors to join the wolves in their habitat. Wolf ambassadors Echo, Canyon and Forrest are pictured with Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative crew members, from left, Jeremy Horton, T.J. Davis, Chad Creamer and Will Coatney.

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Gulf Coast

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative crew members Will Coatney, Chad Creamer, T.J. Davis and Jeremy Horton drill a hole, right, and set eight poles, above, for a hexagon-shaped pavilion at Seacrest Wolf Preserve.

Preservation Through Education Continues from page 5

No bare legs or arms, open-toed shoes or cell phones are allowed on the tour. Photography opportunities are available. Private bookings for field trips, group tours, special events and VIP tours are available during the week. Appointments are required for all events and tours, and are based on availability. The preserve also features concessions, a picnic area, a camping area with shower facilities (primitive as well as electric hookups) and a wildlife gift shop with apparel, jewelry and toys. Gift certificates with no expiration date are available to cover tours, gift shop 6

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purchases and photos. All Seacrest wolves and small animals are available for “adoption” through onetime and monthly sponsorships. Details are on the preserve’s website. The preserve also offers an opportunity to give back through volunteerism. Labor-intensive work requiring adult volunteers is scheduled seven days a week. If interested in volunteering, please call the preserve. n For more information, visit www.seacrestwolf preserve.org, email seacrestwolfpack@yahoo.com or like Seacrest Wolf Preserve Inc. on Facebook. To make an appointment for a tour, call (850) 773-2897.

Gulf Coast

Gulf Coast Electric Employee and Trustee News Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is proud to announce staffing changes and honors. Chris Melvin, a graduate of Cottondale High School, was Chris Melvin hired as a line technician. Two employees were promoted to new positions. Chad Brackin was named supervisor of service for the Southport district. He has worked for the cooperative since 2000, and previously held the positions of lead line technician; crew leader for the overhead, service and underground departments; and foreman. Chad is a graduate of Chipley High School and completed the TVPPA Lineman Apprenticeship Program. He is certified in voltage regulation and

Chad Brackin

Shannon Burton

TWACS metering, and has attended metering and switching training. Shannon Burton was promoted to supervisor of member services. She has worked for the cooperative since June 2007 and previously held the positions of cashier/receptionist and member service representative. Shannon is a graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School and Northwood University. She completed the Continuum Customer Service Training Program. Waylon Graham, District II Group

Waylon Graham, right, is recognized for his service to the PowerSouth Energy Board of Trustees by PowerSouth President and CEO Gary Smith.

I trustee and president of the GCEC board, was recognized for his service to the PowerSouth Energy Cooperative Board of Trustees. He served from 20122015 and was on the Engineering and Operations Committee. n

Co-op Visits Deer Point Elementary Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative participated in Deer Point Elementary School’s career day. Students who stopped by the GCEC booth listened to crew members Chad Brackin and Jacob O’Bryan, who demonstrated safety equipment, tools and the bucket truck. The presentation concluded with students receiving GCEC goodies. The cooperative is committed to providing electrical safety information to the communities it serves.

Above, students practice picking up coins while wearing rubber gloves. The exercise shows students the skill it takes to perform tedious work while wearing required safety equipment. Left, students realize using some of the linemen tools is not as easy as it looks.

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Gulfâ€‚ Coast

$100 Credit Winners Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative used a mail-in ballot system for registration and voting at the 68th Annual Membersâ€™ Meeting in April. In appreciation for taking the time to vote, $5 was credited to the account of each member who returned a ballot. All of those members were entered into a drawing for 10 $100 bill credits. Pictured are the lucky winners of the $100 drawing. n

Mrs. and Mr. Howard Bissonnette

Ronald Harper

Lana Harrison

Cody Mount

Cleve Pridgeon

Ralph Ranew

Nick Rivera

Donna Vann

Not pictured: June Hunter and Jason Sander.

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Side Roads

Discoveries Off the Beaten Path

A Confessed Sock Monkey Junkie ‘Best present ever’ starts a treasured collection that honors the special people in her life By Anna Hagans

It was Christmas 2006 when Anna Hagans received her first sock monkey. “I vaguely remember talking to my sister about how cute they are and how I would like to make one someday,” says the Panama City woman. “I guess she realized I probably wouldn’t ever make one, so she got me one. I opened it and said, ‘Best present ever.’ “I love anything nostalgic, and it was all I could talk about. Number 2 was a sock monkey dog toy I found while on a trip to Jacksonville. Number 3 came by way of my niece: a purple striped one with Velcro hands to hug my Number 2.” Number 4 was in a red wagon and was left by a friend on her bed one day. “It made my day!” Anna says. “I guess I told everyone about my cool sock monkeys, because they started appearing. I got little ones, big ones, costumed ones, patterned ones, holiday ones, personalized ones, a sleeping one, and even one that sings ‘Jingle Bells.’ I have an allwhite one that sits in the back seat of my car and one that is custom made into a Christmas present that came from some special friends. My friends say, ‘I saw this and thought of you!’” Anna has around 40 actual stuffed sock monkeys and numerous

Anna Hagans of Panama City is taken with sock monkeys, collecting 40 renderings of the character.

collectables. She has hats, mugs, salt and pepper shakers, coasters, a clock, novelty toys, baskets, blankets, socks, pajamas, slippers, books, journals and cards. “I have only received three duplicates,” Anna says, noting she immediately passed them on for others to enjoy. “They all make me smile, but it is the memories of the special people in my life when I see my collection that is the true treasure. My first grandchild was just born and, of course, she will be adorned in sock monkey onesies and blankets. “She may trump the sock monkeys as ‘best present ever.’ ” n

A Shot in the Dark Leaves Much of Collection in Pieces

Martin “Hammer” Runyon of Marathon collects shot glasses, McDonald’s toys and sports memorabilia. 10

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It was 2009. Martin “Hammer” Runyon was awoken from his sleep by the sound of crashing glass. His wife, Susan, whispered, “Oh, no, someone must be trying to break in!” Hammer answered, “I know what it is. It’s the shot glasses!” Upon investigation, he was right. His 1,000-plus collection had been too much weight for the metal shelves, which had bent and caved in. Hammer spent days sorting through the broken glass (opposite page), salvaging the shot glasses that had not been shattered. He made a vow then to install the strongest shelves possible, and started replenishing his collection. The past seven years, the collection has outgrown his new shelves. Hammer has placed ones from the Hard Rock Café—his favorites—and Planet Hollywood on separate shelves and cases. Most of the shot glasses are from beach towns he has visited. When he hears someone is traveling, his response is, “I have a favor to ask. Could you bring me back a shot glass?”

One Piece Leads to Another —and a Collection is Born It started innocently enough with a single gift. Elizabeth Ardis could not have known it would lead to a hobby and collection more than 40 years in the making. “My daughter bought me a small white hobnail bowl with a handle,” Elizabeth says. “It sat on the end table by the couch.” Hobnail is a style of glass with bumps. Fenton Art Glass Co.’s hobnail pattern came out in 1940 and is still made today. Dozens of hobnail patterns and variants have been made. Clear, colored and opalescent hobnail are reproduced. One day, the kitty cat knocked the bowl off the end table and broke it. “I finally found a replacement for it,” Elizabeth says, noting that before she knew it, she added one, then another. “Every time I would go to a garage sale, flea market or antique shop, I’d look for another piece to go with number one,” Elizabeth says. “My daughters bought me some. I don’t pay much for them. If they are expensive, I pass them up. I’ve enjoyed collecting them. I now live in a trailer in Florida, so I don’t have much room for many more.” n

He encourages them to find a Hard Rock Café, noting, “If you do a shot, you get a free shot glass.” Hammer also scours yard sales for baseball cards, other sports memorabilia and McDonald’s toys. He has a history of begging the local franchise manager to give him the latest Happy Meal toy displays. When the Runyons turned their duplex into a single-family home, one of the kitchens was converted into Martin’s hobby room. It is the first place the nieces and nephews head when visiting. “I just worry about the day when someone has to get rid of all this stuff,” Susan nervously laughs. n

Elizabeth Ardis of Wauchula with her milky hobnail glass. She says the only one she paid much for is the large water pitcher on the bottom shelf next to her. J U LY 2 0 1 6

An Obsession With Collections Whether motivated by sentimental attachment or potential financial gain, it is in our nature to collect By Lori Tobias

Some families play board games or cards or trivia. But when the Schaffhausens gather, they play a different sort of game. They call it counting the loons. A slight variation on the theme is the challenge of finding the new loon—and odds are good there will be at least one. Lee Ann Schaffhausen started her collection of loons more than 30 years ago after moving from her home state of Minnesota to Florida. “Moving in 1984 was a culture shock for me,” says Lee Ann, a member of Florida Keys Electric Cooperative. “To feel a bit closer to home, I started collecting loons, the Minnesota state bird. “At first they were just decoys or small carvings, but soon my husband and daughter caught on to my obsession and began making or giving me loon gifts.”

Hooked on Angling I collect antique fishing tackle. The picture is of me and my wife, Faye, with part of my collection of steel fishing rods. It was taken at the Florida Antique Tackle Show at Daytona Beach. It was the club’s 25th anniversary. I have been a member for 20 years. —Charlie Tanner, Lake Wales

Today, Lee Ann’s collection numbers about 70 loons and includes paintings, signs, quilts, totes and even a lamp. “My favorite piece was a surprise from my husband,” Lee Ann says. “He found an artist who created an oil painting of a loon on a lake, with my childhood home in the background. It meant a lot to me to remember the place where at 5 a.m. I awoke to the lonely cry of the loon, where we would spy with binoculars to see a mother loon with a chick on her back, and where I actually, yes, won a loon-calling Lee Ann Schaffhausen’s collection of pieces featuring loons—the Minnesota state bird— reminds her of home. contest.” 12

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Collecting is in Our Nature Lee Ann is one of countless collectors who find pleasure in accumulating multiple variations of a particular object. “Everyone collects something,” says Meryl Starr, a New York-based personal organizer and author of “The Home Organizing Workbook.” “People have been collecting forever,” says Meryl. “Years ago, people collected wood just for warmth. It’s as simple as that. People collect materials to work on a project. It’s almost in our nature to gather and collect. “People collect figurines, dishes and tea sets; stacks of newspapers, believe it or not; antiques, books, letters; things their children have made in school.” A recent search on eBay for collectibles revealed categories

Nancy Balmer’s collection of teddy bears is so large it won’t even fit in these multiple photos.

ranging from advertising to transportation, with nearly endless subcategories for each. Under “Breweriana and Beer Collectibles,” the curious could search 318,261 listings under at least 27 headings. Advertising collectibles numbered more than 1.6 million objects. An old favorite, trading cards, came in at more than 1 million. Collecting often begins in childhood with marbles, dolls, stuffed animals and, of course, trading cards. “Most children will put together collections of something,” says Randy O. Frost, professor of psychology at Smith College and author of “Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.” “It may be tiny. Sticks. Early in life people start this process. Some people continue

and others drop out of it.” There are generally two reasons for collecting: the sentimental, nostalgic connection or for investment purposes. Collecting for sentimental reasons is different than collecting as an investment, though often the lines between the two become blurred. Randy says collecting should not be confused with hoarding—an exaggerated form of collecting that can lead to unhealthy behavior. “In collecting, there is the courtship process,” Randy explains. “There is a lot of thought and preparation for the hunt. There is a specific object that is identified, an attempt to find it and to bring it back and incorporate it into the collection.” Once acquired, behaviors involve organizing the

collection and then displaying it, so the collection tells a story. “It goes back to something that psychologists call essentialism,” Randy says. “The notion is that possessions have an essence that goes beyond physical characteristics—like a ticket stub from a concert. That ticket stub has an essence, and that essence is the connection to the concert. That essence is in your head. That is where the connection is. It is the essence of the thing that gives it meaning.” Home for Wayward Bears Nancy Balmer’s collection of teddy bears began in 1999. She was suffering the lingering effects of a traumatic marriage. Nancy had remarried her husband, Dudley, but remained in such a state of confusion doctors believed she was in the

early stages of Alzheimer’s. Desperate to lift her spirits, one day her husband gifted her with a teddy bear. She was a new Bible reader at the time and named the bear Jacob. Soon there was a second bear—which was a little darker than the first—so she named him Esau. Then came Matthew, Timothy, John and Mark. One dressed like a doctor became Luke. “Going through the Bible more and more looking for names to fit the bear and his qualities was a lot of fun,” says Nancy. Whether new or left orphaned at yard sales or second-hand stores, more and more bears made their way to Nancy’s Wewahitchka home. As often is the case for collectors, once friends catch on, they are eager to contribute. “They would always ask, ‘What is his name?’” Nancy says. “So I would think quickly and come up with another Bible name. A few times I listed them all with their names and descriptions like the yearly census.” Her collection numbers about 400, though the number changes as she adds new ones and adopts others out. “Once, a lady who took in foster children came to visit, and the children were like, ‘Oh, bears,’ ” Nancy says. “I said, ‘Each of you can pick out two.’ I gave away six that day.” In 2013, Nancy donated 40 bears—dressed as cheerleaders, football players and more—to J U LY 2 0 1 6

A Pie Safe As any veteran collector can tell you, the hobby can easily get out of hand. The thrill of searching antique and thrift stores for a treasure from the past is captivating. Even better is receiving a family heirloom either from its owner, or finding it in the old homestead or barn. I collect antique and vintage glassware, McCoy pottery, brass figurines and other old things. All the collecting has led to a problem: where to store all those treasures. After my mother-in-law, Louise Durrance, passed away last year, I inherited her pie safe and a place to store some of my most treasured collectibles. This pie safe was not found in any dusty antique shop, but was built four generations ago by William Oliver Durrance for his wife, Fannie Albritton Durrance. Oliver was the father of Huston, whose son, Doyle, married Louise in 1950. The tall and heavy pine cabinet stood in Fannie’s old home place until Doyle and Louise moved it to their home in the 1980s. When I married their son, Danny, and moved to Bowling Green, I remember admiring that old pie safe from the first time I saw it. Louise proudly told me it would be mine one day. Now that Oliver and Fannie’s pie safe has passed to the fourth generation, it is even more precious—not just for the treasured pieces stored inside, but for the family history it represents. I imagine Oliver’s work-worn hands cutting and shaping the pine boards, turning them into a functional and beautiful heirloom Fannie must have been proud of. I imagine her hands preparing and preserving food during hard times, storing it all in her sturdy pie safe. And I have seen Louise’s hard-working hands canning jar after jar of tomatoes, carefully storing the delicious bounty on those very same shelves. Although I’ll always enjoy searching for a new piece of antique glassware or McCoy pottery, family history is still the best collectible of all. Those heirlooms passed down from generation to generation, and the stories behind them, are priceless. I hope when I am gone that Oliver’s pie safe will pass to the fifth generation, ready to store a new collection of treasures and family memories. —Julie Durrance, Bowling Green

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a church sleepover as prizes for the little girls program. She says she now has “a home for wayward bears.” “As people wanted to get rid of theirs, they donated them to me,” Nancy says, noting she has fun figuring out the unique characteristics and personality of each bear. Some star in Sunday school lessons. “Once on a business trip to Canada, one of the bears was smuggled inside hubby’s briefcase,” Nancy says. “He laughed about it until his boss came over to the car to say goodbye and saw his teddy bear friend sitting next to him in the front seat.” At home, the bears camp out in the bedroom on shelves, racks, doors and dressers. The collection has multiplied to the point that they are edging their way into the hall and other rooms. “My husband still doesn’t understand why he needs to sleep with 400 teddy bears, and is seriously remarking that he should run away,” Nancy says. “I told him if he does, he will miss the teddy bear picnic coming up soon.” From Hobby to Investment People who collect purely for financial reasons do not have the same connection to the objects as sentimental collectors, Randy says. “The connection is not so much the object, or that the object represents something else,” he says. “It’s a means to an end. The connection to the objects is different. There is not an attachment. “With the other stuff, we’re talking about an attachment. It’s part of their history, part of their identity, part of their self. It is about ownership.”

But what starts as a pleasurable hobby easily can end up as an investment. It did for Loretta Geotis of Marathon, who collects CocaCola memorabilia. “Back in the early 1980s, I had a friend who collected Coca-Cola memorabilia,” Loretta says. “We would be driving down the road and she would spot that eye-catching red color from the corner of her eye and it was, ‘Slam on the brakes, we’re going to see if we can buy that sign on the side of that barn.’ And so it began! I was hooked. “Coca-Cola had been my drink of choice since I was old enough to reach a Coke machine anyway, and red is my favorite color.” Loretta joined the national Coca-Cola Collectors Club— which boasts some 1,200 members—and a local club. “The obsession to collect grows as the years go by,” Loretta says. “My house is full of Coke items.” Her latest treasure is a restored Vendo 44 Coke machine—made in the early 1950s—which sits like a monument in her living room, away from the saltwater that could damage it. “I know a lot of collectors who choose not to restore anything, and I like the originals as well,” Loretta says. “The bullet holes in tin signs and turning up of the corners of cardboard items gives the item character, much like wrinkles on people over a certain age. The sign or the cardboard earned every defect and proudly displays them in many of my pieces.” Her machine dispenses the small glass bottles she still can buy at the store.

A Penny for Your Thoughts

My collection consists of over 600 crushed pennies. These coins have designs embossed on them. Crushed pennies are good souvenirs because they are inexpensive, long lasting and can be found at many interesting locations. Looking at my collection brings back fond memories of the places visited. If someone says, “A penny for your thoughts,” I have plenty. —Bill Gates, Panama City

Grapefruit, Anyone?

A vintage Coca-Cola vending machine is one of Loretta Geotis’ most prized items.

“There’s nothing I love more than coming home from work, popping a dime into my machine, and hearing that cap come off and fall into the cap catcher,” Loretta says. “Then that first ice-cold drink just makes my day.” Her kitchen is decorated entirely in Coca-Cola items. She also has a collection of neon Coke signs. While Loretta collects because she enjoys it, she is aware of the investment her collection now represents. “When you collect something, your friends always think of you when they’re traveling or at garage sales or out and about,” she says. “And they bring me gifts. All the time. “People I didn’t even know brought me a bottle they found

in the ocean with the Key West embossing on the bottom from the time Key West had a bottling plant. What a treasure. “It really does have value. The nostalgia value is huge, but as the years have gone by, it is an investment. If I didn’t have grocery money, I would have something to sell if I needed the money.” Memorable Moments Whether for sentimental reasons or as an investment, the thrill of the hunt often leads to memorable moments. “One year I was working at my daughter’s school for a fundraiser,” recalls Lee Ann, the loon collector. “I was in the PTA office, and my daughter, who had taken ceramics in school that year,

When my husband and I married almost 25 years ago, my mother passed her set of bamboo-handled grapefruit spoons on to me. My motherin-law was visiting one day when she noticed my spoons. She advised me to buy any that I happened to come across, because they weren’t being made any longer. So began my collecting! Since then, when I go to flea markets, estate sales or thrift stores, I always check to see if I can find some. I’m thrilled when I find one or two. Recently, however, on one of my shopping trips I found a matching set of six spoons to add to my collection. I have around 65 grapefruit spoons so far. —Barb West, Southport

walked in and said, ‘Oh mom, I made you something.’” It was a ceramic loon. “I said, ‘That’s the best gift anyone has ever given me in my life,’ ” Lee Ann says. “I guess when I said it, it sounded like I was crying, and everyone came running into the room.” The loons made an

impression when Lee Ann hosted a piano concert. “This woman walked in, and it was really kind of funny because the first thing she said to me was, ‘Who’s from Minnesota,’ ” Lee Ann says. “I guess you can leave Minnesota, but you can’t take Minnesota out of the person.” n J U LY 2 0 1 6

In the Kitchen

Recipes That Satisfy

Summer Peach Delights Tantalize your taste buds with juicy fruit flavors

Peach Tortellini Salad with Basil Vinaigrette 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini 3 cups sliced peaches 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into match sticks 1/4 cup basil vinaigrette (recipe follows) 4 cups mixed fresh salad greens

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Rinse until cool; drain well. In a medium bowl, combine the tortellini, peaches and red pepper. Chill until ready to serve. Drizzle vinaigrette over the mixture; toss. Place greens on a large serving platter or four salad plates. Arrange the tortellini mixture over the greens. Yields 4 servings

Basil or Cilantro Vinaigrette 1/4 cup peach preserves 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon seeded, finely minced jalapeño pepper 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil or cilantro 1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yields 1¼ cups

Peachy Chicken Salad 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 16

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Peaches and cheese tortellini served on top of mixed greens make for a cool, refreshing salad. Photos by Brandon Pomrenke

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon) 21/2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved 1 cup frozen tiny peas, thawed 2 large peaches, peeled and chopped 1 cup pecan halves, toasted Lettuce leaves

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper and tarragon until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Stir in the grapes, peas, peaches and pecans. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl. Serves 4 to 6

Just Peachy Ham Roll Ups 16 slices thinly sliced ham 1 cup peach preserves 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Dash ground clove

Roll each ham slice into a tight roll. Stick with toothpicks and place in a shallow baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small pan and heat just until well combined and syrup-like. Spoon the sauce over each ham roll. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Baste frequently with half of the sauce. To serve, portion four rolls on each plate and spoon the remaining sauce across the center of the rolls. Serves 4

Top thin slices of ham with a peachy sauce made with preserves, then bake until flavors combine.

Peach Upside-Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add the sugar and melted butter to a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment; beat until combined. Add the eggs. Whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract. With the mixer set on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture by thirds, alternating with the liquid ingredients. When all is fully blended, pour the batter into the pan over the peaches and bake, rotating it front to back after the first 15 minutes, for about 50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a platter. Remove parchment paper.

Caramel 6 tablespoons butter plus additional for pan 1 cup sugar 4 to 6 fresh peaches, halved and pitted

Butter a 10-inch cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Stir together 2 tablespoons water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over high heat, swirling the pan until the mixture turns a golden caramel color. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter. Be careful余 the mixture will foam. Pour the caramel into the bottom of the cake pan. Cover with peach halves, cut side down. Cake 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup melted butter 11/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Peach French Toast Cobbler 1-pound unsliced French bread loaf 5 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cornstarch 41/2 cups sliced fresh peaches 2 tablespoons butter, melted Powdered sugar

Slice the bread into eight 他- to 1-inchthick slices余 arrange in a shallow baking pan. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, baking powder and vanilla. Pour over the bread, turning to coat evenly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Heat oven to 450 F. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Gently stir in the peaches until well coated. Spread three-fourths of the peach mixture in the prepared pan余 place the bread slices on top of the peaches. Brush tops of the bread with butter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toast is golden and peaches are bubbling. To serve, place toast slices on plates. Top with the remaining peach mixture and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Recipes courtesy of Dickey Farms

J U LY 2 0 1 6

The Great Picture Hunt

Photo Tips from David LaBelle

Reflecting on Shiny Objects A man at the post office shared his frustration in trying to photograph some coins he was selling online. “The reflection is ruining my pictures,” he groaned, adding, “I learned photography is all about lighting.” Through trial and error, he found the key that unlocked all the deep secrets to photography. It is about the quality and direction of light. Since nobody was behind me in line, I gave him a quick tutorial on light and how to best use it to photograph shiny objects, such as his coins. I explained how the direction and quality of light influence how we see and feel about people and objects. Light changes our experience. When light comes from behind a subject, it shows shape. When it comes from the side, it reveals texture. If the main or primary illumination—often a pop-up flash—is blasted at the front of your subject, it generally washes away shape and texture. When the postal worker flooded his coins with light from above, it gave him enough light for a good exposure, but created hard-to-manage reflections, and eliminated the contour and design of the

coins. He would have been better served to grab a household lamp and place it to one side or the other, which would create small shadows. Like photographing shiny objects such as coins, making interesting pictures of glass can be challenging—especially managing reflections. Reflections can be annoying, especially on eye glasses during portrait sessions. But they also can be helpful aids— accents that add visual excitement and energy to otherwise bland still-life pictures. Just as photographing the wind is to photograph what it touches, photographing glass or shiny objects such as silverware often is to capture what is reflected on their surfaces. • If your camera has a built-in flash, disable it. Look for a setting in your camera’s menu. If not, block the flash with a piece of dark tape or cardboard. You might even fashion a little black hoodie to place over your pop-up flash. The camera will still fire, but the light will be blocked. • If showing the shape of the object (or person) is important, consider backlighting. If you know your way around a studio, you might want to add an accent light

David LaBelle is an internationally known photographer, teacher, author and lecturer. He has worked for newspapers and magazines across the United States and taught at three universities. He applies many of the lessons he learned during his magical boyhood years in rural California to photography. For more information, visit www. greatpicturehunt.com.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

Using two lights—one on the backdrop and one on the left to light the base and create a reflection—the wine glass is silhouetted, showing its shape. © David LaBelle

from above or the side. • If you light glassware from above, the light will reflect and follow the shape of the glass. • If your object is transparent, fill it part way with a liquid. Photographing glass or water is to photograph the color behind, beneath or reflected on it. • Make yourself a little studio in the corner of your garage or empty room and experiment with different colored backdrops. They don’t need to be large or lavish. A piece of dark cloth or paper— red, blue or black—can do wonders for your pictures.

• Bracket your exposures. Take your camera off Auto, put it in the M (manual) mode, then vary settings for the desired results. Underexpose. Overexpose. Experiment. • Change angles and focal length of lenses. • Turn off all lights, except the ones used to illuminate your subject. Experiment by adding a second light source. • Look for online tutorials. Feeling confident with any concept or technique requires study and practice. • Remember that reflections can be friend or foe— annoying distractions or happy helpers. n

JULY 2016

PA I D A D V E RT I S E M E N T

U .S. SECURE COINS

Bullion or Numismatics: Which Makes More Sense For You?

Although rarity adds to a coin’s appeal, it is amazing how people shy away from buying antique coins due to their commonly big premiums over bullion metal. While we make no claim to be an investment counseling service, our many years in the collectible coin business have left our team of numismatic experts with a unique ability to identify the most opportune time to buy specific gold coins due to their historical trending in the collectible markets. People are seeing the wisdom of owning antiques because it outweighs the cost average of simply buying the metal as close to spot as you can. People are giving collectible coins a hard look, evidenced by the surge in sales of collectible gold coins. Is The Cost As A Whole Reasonable? Bullion may initially appear to be a better value than collectible coins since it carries a lower premium above melt value than the premium over melt of most collectible coins. And while this might seem to be a sound perspective, if this were the sole deciding

dear, or from a time they might wish to see society return. Whether based in reality or an unrealistic assessment of times past makes no difference; the appeal is still there. This is why many collectors are willing to pay more for a 100-year-old piece of history than a chunk of metal.

opportunity for many Americans looking to buy reasonably priced gold that has value and worth whether the base metal is going up or down. For those people seeking a safety net, these lower grade coins offer the opportunity to acquire precious metals at a low percentage over melt.

factor, there are numerous collectible coins Why VF, XF or AU? whose premium over melt isn’t much We take our concierge approach to our clients’ accounts very seriously. Our job is to greater than that of bullion. recommend the best purchases for our When you consider other factors, such as clients and not our pocket books. Currently being able to own something that not every- the best bargains come from the many coins one else owns or the ability to reap the ben- in the lower grades, such as VF, XF and AU, efits of a finite supply, that slightly higher or the higher grades, starting with MS 64 premium doesn’t amount to as much as you and higher – and we are advising our custmight think. Unlike bullion, collectible coins omers to grab them up. are prized for factors apart from their intrinsic gold value: memories, rarity, historical im- Coins in lower grades, such as VF, XF, or portance, and family legacies, just to name a AU, represent great bargains to those who few. Just imagine owning a 1909 $20 Saint - can time it right. We noted earlier that there Gaudens or a 1908 Bella Pratt $2.50 coin are numerous collectible coins whose premithat will never be minted again. Scarcity um over melt isn’t much greater than bullion. drives their value more than the metal they This is truer than ever in the lower graded are made from. Conversely, gold mining antiques. XF, VF and AU gold are selling and smelting companies constantly pro- at a very low premium over melt, unlike duce more gold, all of which is indistin- their mid-range graded counterparts (MS guishable. This gives collectible coins twice 60-63), which means that even if purchased for the value of their gold alone, they aren’t the protection if gold metal takes a dive. Collectible gold coins also offer many people significantly more expensive than bullion. nostalgic pieces of art from a time they hold Because of this, they represent a great

Take advantage and buy coins that are in the current “best buy” categories that you find appealing, and it will add to the pride of ownership that is a significant element in any collection, without putting undue strain on your budget. And as all collectors know (but some refuse to admit), the excitement of buying new pieces and integrating them into your collection is priceless. Last but not least, you may rest assure that we will be here to give you the best possible numismatic advice, to do our best to guide you, whether you are just beginning to put together a collection, expanding an existing one, or putting together a “go-bag” as a hedge against future economic turmoil. To paraphrase a series of baby food commercials from generations past, “Numismatics is our business; our only business!” We look forward to being a trusted partner and helping you grow more familiar with the world of collectible coins that we love.

INDIAN-2.5-64

500%

INDIAN-2.5-62

$2.50 INDIAN

(AU, VF, XF)

375% 250% 125% 0%

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

We’ve heard the saying, “Good things come in small packages.” That’s true when talking about US gold coins. One of the most fascinating and undervalued gold pieces from the early 20th century is also the smallest: the American Quarter Eagle, a $2.50 piece that was an innovative and daring work of art. As is the case with many daring works of art, it had its share of critics back in the day.

2000

2005

2010

2017*

*PROJECTED PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE

PREMIUM PERCENTAGE

US Fractional Indian Gold: History of the $2.50 Indian Head

sizes. The Quarter Eagle had a diameter of 18 millimeters, while the Half Eagle’s was 21.6 millimeters. The obverse (heads) depicts an Indian brave in a warbonnet, circled by the date, thirteen stars, and the motto, LIBERTY. On the reverse (tails) is an eagle perched on a sheaf of arrows and an olive branch, symbols of preparedness and peace. Four noticeable inscriptions accompany this image: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, The dawn of the 20th century saw four diff- E PLURBIUS UNUM, IN GOD WE erent US gold coins in circulation; all had TRUST,and the statement of value. gone without a major design change for more than fifty years (which, to put things However, Pratt’s coins caused a heated in perspective, was longer than the average debate in the numismatic community and American life expectancy). In the early the general public when they were released 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt had ambitions in November of 1908. Unlike all other US to revamp the image of the US for the new coinage before or since, the features on the century. He believed one way to improve the Pratt coins were incuse, or recessed into the country’s image was to redesign its coins. surface, rather than raised. Philadelphia coin dealer Samuel Hudson Chapman and others Roosevelt commissioned Irish-born sculptor thought these designs would be easier to Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign all of counterfeit, and could lead to illness and the US coins. Unfortunately Saint-Gaudens disease, as the recessed areas could harbor died of cancer in 1907 after only completing germs. Chapman found the designs aesthetdesign work for the $10.00 (Eagle) and the ically unpleasing as well; in a letter to Presi $20.00 (Double Eagle) gold pieces. Soon dent Roosevelt he groused that the Indian one of Saint-Gaudens’ most gifted students, looked “emaciated” and its outlines were Bela Lyon Pratt, was commissioned by “crude and hard.” More-over, he thought that Roosevelt to redesign the $2.50 (Quarter Ea- the eagle (a replication of Augustus Saintgle) and $5.00 (Half Eagle) denominations. Gauden’s eagle) more closely resembled a Pratt came up with an identical design for golden eagle, which is indigenous to Euboth coins, the only difference being their rope, than the American bald eagle.

Controversies aside, production went full speed ahead – sort of. The Philadelphia mint produced the majority of the $2.50 Indians with sporadic production from the Denver Mint in 1911, 1914, and 1925. There was little demand for the coins in everyday commerce, but production increased to meet the demand for Christmas gifts. By late January, however, most of the Indian Head Quarter Eagles had found their way back into the Sub-Treasury vaults. Between 1916 and 1924, production of the Quarter Eagles was suspended, and many were melted in 1916 as unsold. Production resumed in 1925, and continued for five more years before they were suspended for good in 1929, the same year the economy collapsed. It was the end of an era in more ways than one: not only the end of the prosperity and excesses of the Jazz Age, but also the demise of the American $2.50 denomination. Pratt’s Indian Head was the last American Quarter Eagle.

The good news is that this series has a mere fifteen different date-and-mint combinations (twelve issues from the Philadelphia Mint and three from Denver), making it one of the smallest in U.S. coinage. This means a complete set is attainable for many collectors despite the relatively high cost of buying anythingmade of gold. Its affordability is increased by the fact that only one coin – the 1911-D – is markedly scarce. Only 55,680 were struck, making it the only coin with a mintage of less than 240,000. The Denver mintmark appears on the reverse, to the left of the arrowheads. In addition, relatively small numbers of matte proofs were made in every year from 1908 through 1915, though not in the final five years. The American Quarter Eagle – the small coin that once caused such a big uproar – is a worthy addition to any coin enthusiast’s collection.

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VAULT VERIFICATION # UFLCMIM0716U PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE • GOLD SPOT: $1281.30 Business Alliance ®

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Travel Journal

Satisfying the Appetite for Wanderlust

Naturally Wonderful, Part 2 Wonders never cease—especially in Florida, which is filled with numerous natural and man-made wonders. Back to the Deep The first underwater park in the U.S. is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (www. pennekamppark.com) off Key Largo. Designated a state park in 1963, it protects part of the nation’s only living coral reef. It is a national treasure that brings snorkelers and scuba divers from around the world. The 9-foot-tall submerged bronze statue of “Christ of the Deep” is one of three in the world. The other two are in the Mediterranean Sea near Genoa, Italy, and in St. George’s Harbor in Grenada. All three were cast from the original mold created by Professor Guido Galletti in the mid-20th century. The statue in Pennekamp was commissioned by an Italian dive equipment company and donated The Underwater Society of America. It was installed in 1965 in shallow water at Key Largo Dry Rocks Reef. The Sounds of Cannons Built by the Spaniards in the 16th century from native coquina rock, St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos (www. nps.gov/casa)—fondly known

Re-enactors cover their ears after firing historic cannons at Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

by locals as “the Old Fort”—is an architectural wonder. Its more than 400,000 blocks of coquina rock were cut and laid by hand. With 30-foot-tall bastions at each corner and walls 14-feet thick, it was never captured in battle. Historic weapons demonstrations by re-enactors take place on the weekends. A self-guided tour of the 20-acre national monument and grounds can be even more informative when you pick up a brochure at the fee booth. The Park Service offers periodic programs about the fort’s history, traditions and culture. Summer is a great time for families to visit.

Florida native Pamela A. Keene is a freelance journalist who specializes in travel, gardening, personality profiles and feature writing. The avid traveler also is a photographer and accomplished sailor. Her website is www.pamelakeene.com.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

The Flutter of Wings Monarch butterflies are a traveling bunch. In October on their annual migration en masse to Mexico for the winter, they stop off at St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/ st_marks), where they literally cover areas of the park, including the lighthouse, with their solid mass of orange, yellow and black wings. These adults are offspring of monarchs that migrated north the previous spring. In July, see flocks of white ibis and Eastern kingbirds. In August, visit the park for the arrival of the blue-winged teal. Travel Tips The internet is wonderful when you are dreaming about travel. Here are some websites that can help you find bargains, learn the insider’s

approach to traveling smart or dream about your next trip. Sign up for their newsletters for up-to-the-minute info. • Clark Howard (www. clarkhoward.com) is known around the world as the travel guru. He shares deals galore, but also check for consumer tips, including how to shop for a mortgage. • The Travel Voice by Becky (www.thetravelvoice bybecky.com) features I Heart Radio’s Becky Beall, who takes you along on her adventures across the country. She also is an automotive journalist. • Johnny Jet (www. johnnyjet.com) is filled with bargains, the latest travel news and a travel tip of the week. • Travbuddy (www. travbuddy.com) features blogs from around the world, travel tips and the ability to share your own experiences. n

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Festival Roundup

Things to See and Do

Include Your Upcoming Event Want to share a family-friendly event with the readers of Florida Currents? Please send details to info@florida currents.com. Include the date, town, times and a way for readers to register or get more information. Please submit the item at least 60 days before the event (due to press deadline). If you own rights to a high-resolution photo promoting your event— perhaps from a past year—please include it along with photo credit information. Thank you.

Saturdays through September 3, Pensacola Jacksonian Guard Colors Ceremony Soldiers, fifers and drummers perform a colors ceremony in period 1821 uniforms at 6 p.m., offering military salutes, manual of arms, fife and drum music and the lowering of a replica 23-star flag that first flew over Plaza Ferdinand. The ceremony lasts about 25 minutes, including questions and photos with tourists. (850) 466-5220

Wednesdays through September 21, Islamorada Movies Under the Stars Cheeca Lodge and Spa celebrates its 70th anniversary with weekly 7:30 p.m. screenings on the sundeck. July movies are “Top Gun,”“Goodwill Hunting,”“Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Grand Budapest.” Admission is $10 (free for lodge guests), and includes complimentary gourmet popcorn. www.cheeca.com; (305) 517-4505

Saturdays, Panama City Beach African Caribbean Drum and Dance Project After a walk and stretch at 8 a.m., join the African Caribbean Drum and Dance Project from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Global Arts Society. Students

learn basic rhythm and percussion skills and gain consciousness of African and Caribbean culture through dance. A donation is requested. Proceeds benefit the Global Arts Society. www.globalartssociety.org

July 2, Lake Placid Fireworks Show Watch fireworks over Lake June beginning at 9 p.m. www.visitlakeplacidflorida.com

July 2, Pensacola Ronald McDonald Firecracker 5K Head to the Seville Quarter for the 7:30 a.m. event that benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida. Wear your most patriotic attire and run or walk the 5K as part of an annual costume contest. The 5K is followed by a free “Rock Our Socks Fun Run” for kids. www.rmhc-nwfl.org; (850) 477-2273

July 2-4, Key West 4th annual Key Lime Festival A wacky talent show, pie-eating and cooking contests, and tasty temptations await visitors. www.keylimefestival.com

July 4, Panama City Beach Star-Spangled Spectacular Celebrate Independence Day with dueling fireworks from the city and county piers. www.visitpanamacitybeach.com

July 4, Islamorada Spirit of Islamorada July 4 Celebration Founders Park is the site of an old-fashioned celebration, with entertainment and activities for kids, teens, parents and dogs from 6 to 9 p.m., followed by a fireworks show. Nonresidents not staying at a participating hotel are asked to make a $10 tax-deductible donation to attend. www.islamoradachamber.com; (305) 360-1917

Photo by Jan Larson

26th Annual Caladium Festival Travel by bus to the caladium fields, buy caladium bulbs and plants, and enjoy food, entertainment and fun at Stuart Park in Lake Placid Friday, July 29, through Sunday, July 31. The event includes an art exhibit, wine industry display and art competition. Nearby Devane Park hosts an antique and classic car show, and an airboat and swamp buggy show. For more information, visit www.visitlakeplacidflorida.com.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

July 4, Wewahitchka Fourth of July Festival and Street Dance Enjoy a fun-filled day with the family at Lake Alice Park, with food, arts and crafts, a free play area, music, chainsaw sculptures, a blacksmith demonstration, live and silent auctions, fireworks at dark followed by a street dance. The event is sponsored by Wewahitchka Search and Rescue and the city, with fireworks provided by Gulf County TDC. (850) 832-4843; shabarr@fairpoint.net

July 4, Key Largo Parade and Fireworks Show An old-fashioned parade begins at 10 a.m. at MM 98 and continues to MM 100. At 10 p.m., Blackwater Sound provides a mirror-like surface that makes the fireworks show a 3-D experience. www.keylargofireworks.com; (305) 451-4502

27th Annual Independence Day Celebration

Photo courtesy of www.pensacolafireworks.com

A hot dog-eating contest begins promptly at noon as part of the holiday fun Monday, July 4, in Pensacola’s Seville Square. Activities continue to 6 p.m. and include arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment on the gazebo stage, food vendors and a free children’s area with inflatables, pony rides, a rock climbing wall, meet and greet with characters and face painting. Starting at 4:30 p.m., there will be live music on the bayfront stage. Festivities culminate at 9 p.m. with a fireworks show over Pensacola Bay, synchronized with music broadcast on Cat Country 98.7. For more information, visit www.pensacolafireworks.com or call (850) 434-1234. July 4, Sebring Fourth of July Fireworks Watch fireworks at 9 p.m. at City Pier Beach. www.visithighlandscounty.com

July 4, Marathon Beach Party and Fireworks Show A patriotic parade leaves Marathon High School at 10:30 a.m. and heads to Sombrero Beach for a daylong celebration with food, kids’ crafts, entertainment and fireworks after dark. Admission is free. www.floridakeysmarathon.com; (305) 743-5417

July 9, Big Pine 32nd annual Underwater Music Festival Reef preservation is the emphasis of the submerged songfest featuring costumed participants at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Music from US1 Radio 104.1 FM is broadcast underwater. www.lowerkeyschamber.com; (305) 872-2411

July 9, Sebring Saturday Night Cruise Celebrate classic cars and listen to live entertainment from 5 to 8 p.m. in the downtown circle. www.visithighlandscounty.com

July 4, Avon Park Fourth of July Fireworks Fireworks will be shot over Lake Verona at Donaldson Park starting at 9 p.m. www.visithighlandscounty.com

July 8, Pensacola Hill-Kelly Drive-In Movie Community Maritime Museum hosts a free, family-fun night watching “Minions.” The show begins at 8:15 p.m. Watch from your car or the grassy lawn. www.pensacolamaritimecommunitypark.com

July 16, Pensacola Beach 2016 Pensacola Beach Air Show Witness exhilarating stunts and heart-stopping maneuvers as the Blue Angels, Fat Albert and others perform over Santa Rosa Island. The show begins at noon, and the Blue Angels fly at 2 p.m. www.visitpensacolabeach.com; (850) 932-2257

July 19-24, Key West 36th annual Hemingway Days Celebrate the legendary author’s work and lifestyle with literary readings, the running of

the bulls, a short story competition, fishing tournament, 5K run, paddleboard race, look-alike contest and a birthday party. www.fla-keys.com; (305) 296-2388 (look-alike); 797-0579 (literary)

July 20, Islamorada “Immerse Yourself” Todd Yabough of Diver’s Alert Network talks about hazards of marine collecting events at a free lecture at 7 p.m. at the History of Diving Museum, MM 83. www.divingmuseum.org; (305) 664-9737

July 23, Panama City Women’s Fishing Clinic The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission introduces women to saltwater fishing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Andrews State Park. Equipment is provided. www.floridastateparks.org; (850) 487-0554

July 28, Pensacola “Heroes Among Us” Veterans Speaker Series The U.S. Coast Guard is featured at 6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park. www.veteransmemorialparkpensacola.com; (850) 434-6119 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Outdoor Pursuits

Enjoying the Natural World Around Us

Seven Tips for Keeping Your Cool It’s hot out there, so keeping food and beverages cold on outings is more important than ever. One of those fancy coolers from Yeti or Rtic would be nice, but it is hard for most of us to justify the expense. So we have to be content using the cooler we’ve got. Not to worry. Here are seven tips that will maximize your cooler’s potential, whether it is a cheap one or a high-end, mega cooler. • Right-size your cooler. Keeping contents as cold as possible begins with the right size cooler. Don’t use a massive, 65-quart cooler when a 20-quart will do. Empty space means warmer internal temperatures and faster ice melt. • Pre-cool your cooler. That goes for contents, too, especially beverages. Avoid putting them in the cooler while they are warm. In the field, you can pre-cool the cooler or beverages by sinking them in the nearest stream or other water source before

The cooler wars rage on. Yeti’s dominance in the high-end cooler arena is being challenged by the likes of Rtic, Pelican and other worthy opponents. That is good news for consumers, as features and warranties improve and prices decline. For example, the 45-quart Rtic cooler is half the price of the 45-quart Yeti—$175 vs. $350— and the Rtic’s seven-year warranty is two years longer than the Yeti’s. Photo by iStock/Grafner

loading. • Load contents before adding ice. Then, let gravity and thermodynamics do the rest. For larger coolers, consider layering the ice, beginning with a layer in the midde and one on top. • Keep it in the shade. If shade is in short supply, wet a light-colored towel and drape it over the cooler. You will be amazed at the difference this makes. • Keep the lid closed. This is a no-brainer. It doesn’t matter if you have a $40 or a $400 cooler, the ice will melt much faster if you leave the lid open. • Use the right ice for the job. Block ice lasts longest, but it is not ideal for partial loads or when cooling warm, irregularly shaped items, such

Many of Curtis Condon’s fondest memories involve outdoor adventures with friends and family, whether fishing with old school buddies, backpacking in the mountains of the Northwest with his sons, or bird watching along the Gulf Coast with his wife. He feels fortunate having the opportunity to write about the outdoors and other subjects for more than 30 years.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

as bottled and canned beverages. Ice cubes work best for those items. • Retain melted ice water. The water you dump is colder than the air that will replace it. The only time you should consider draining a cooler is if contents are getting soggy and spoiled. A better solution is to repackage or reorganize items that might get soggy in a cooler.

that are adequate in most circumstances. However, camping on atypical terrain— such as sandy or rocky ground—requires pegs designed specificially for that use. A peg with lots of surface area so it stays in place even in loose soil works well on sandy ground, while a tough, hard peg that can take a lot of pounding is best on rocky ground.

Crank Up Your Summer Bass Fishing a Few Decibels Bass fishing in summer requires a change of tactics. One option is to use lures that vibrate and make noise. Bass get lethargic in hot weather and it sometimes takes something obnoxious to shake them out of their stupor. That’s why spinner bait and chatter bait should be included in your arsenal of warm-weather lures.

What Day is It? July 3: Stay Out of the Sun Day July 20: Ugly Truck Day July 22: Hammock Day July 28: Take Your Pants for a Walk Day

Outdoors 101: All Tent Pegs are Not Made Equal Most tents come with general-purpose pegs

Got a Tip or a Whopper? Send us your favorite outdoor tip, photo or story. If selected for publication, we will send you $25 for one-time use of the item. When sending a photo, identify people and pets, and tell us the story behind the picture. Email your submission to info@ floridacurrents.com. 

Gulf Coast

Trading Post For Rent Horse barn with five stalls, paddock and about 4 acres of pasture in Wewahitchka, one block from the old courthouse. Lease by the stall, with discount for multiple horses. (740) 334-0341. Three-bedroom, two-bath home in Lynn Haven. Garage, ceiling fans and inside laundry room. On a cul-de-sac with a wooded area behind the backyard. Lease/purchase possible. $1,035 a month. (850) 271-0289.

For Sale One pair of ATV loading ramps, aluminum, used twice, $45. Also tailgater Dish Network satellite in excellent condition, $150. (850) 529-8958. Above-ground swimming pool. 24'x18', new liner and rails, two-speed pump and vacuum system. $500. (850) 819-3771. 14 ft. 1974 Queen CFT with 30 Yamaha motor, trailer and trolling motor. Asking $1,500. (850) 348-0138 or (850) 381-4027. Guns N’ Roses pinball machine in perfect condition. $4,400. (850) 814-1162. Shop Rider wheelchair in excellent condition., $500 OBO. Footrest, captain seat, adjustable arms and headrest, new batteries, battery charger, antitip, complete service in December 2014. Chair weight 164 lbs. Holds up to 300 lbs. Overall length 38", width 22", height 40". Maximum speed 5 mph; can go 18-20 miles on a standard charge. Must be able to pick up. (850) 814-8899. Like-new 2015 22 ft. Passport Ultra Lite Keystone. Murphy queen bed, couch, full bath, flat TV/AM/ FM/CD/DVD, electric awning and jack. Can be seen at 1803 Marvin Ave. in Port St. Joe. Priced below NADA at $15,500. (850) 229-6694. Twin size hand-crafted, solid wood captain’s bed. Six storage drawers underneath. Like new, excellent condition. $300. (850) 693-4791. Sago palms starting at $10; any size available. (850) 532-2691.

Chicken feeder, 300-lb. capacity, heavy duty, excellent condition. Purchased for more than $300; selling for $100, firm. (850) 303-1460.

Miscellaneous Home service installations including surveillance equipment, child protection devices, pet doors, closet and garage shelving, flat-screen TV mounts, surround sound, whole-house water filters, digital thermostats, washer and dryer, weather-stripping, curtain rods and blinds. (850) 722-4619 or (850) 596-2788; proactivems@outlook.com. Vacation Bible School for all ages, July 10-15 evenings at Sand Hills Baptist Church, 6758 Highway 77, ½-mile south of the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 77. Call (850) 7738900 for times and transportation. Home maintenance: replace filters, clean dryer vent and drains, flush water heater, lubricate hinges, clean A/C coils, inspect home equipment (fireplace, garage door opener/motor, well pump and sprinkler system). (850) 722-4619 or (850) 596-2788; proactivems@outlook.com.

Real Estate Two- or three-bedroom cabin. About 1,200 sq. ft. with large screened porch. 150’ on West Arm Creek in Meeks subdivision. (850) 271-9040. Four Chipola River front lots for sale. High and dry. $100,000. (850) 933-6150.

½-acre corner lot. (850) 639-2220. FSBO. Two adjacent lots, about 2.5 acres on paved road, 10 miles north of Wewahitchka, 45 minutes from beaches. Border the Chipola River and Cypress Creek. Cleared and ready to build. Quiet and peaceful; no neighbors. Deeded restrictions. Underground utilities, deep well and many fruit trees. $69,900. (850) 648-4214. 4,000-square-foot heated and cooled (6,000 square feet total) home on 59 mostly wooded acres (7 acres of pasture). Five bedrooms and bathrooms, six-car garage on ground level, sixpassenger elevator, separate living room and den, dining room, three wood-burning fireplaces, courtyard, horse barn with three stalls and tack room, and tractor barn. Plentiful wildlife, including turkey and deer. Acreage bounded by Two-Mile Creek on the east and Ten-Mile Creek on the south. 55 miles to Panama City Beach, 75 miles to Tallahassee. $729,500. Linda, (850) 819-9816. 13+ acres with 624' on a paved road 5 miles north of Wewahitchka off Highway 71, minutes from Dead Lakes. Ready to sell. $29,050 (half off appraised value) OBO. (850) 832-1726. 2,700 sq. ft. (heated and cooled) brick home on a 100'x100' lot on the Chipola River front in Scotts Ferry. One bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and living room downstairs; two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen and living room upstairs. 20'x24' garage; 8'x36' covered glass sunporch; and fireplace. $159,900. (850) 933-6150.

Trading Post is a FREE service to members of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative. GCEC reserves the right to edit or reject ads. PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY OR TYPE. Please circle the category that applies: For Rent

For Sale

Real Estate

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Miscellaneous

Trade

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Items:

Purebred Llewellin setter puppies. Excellent hunting dogs, great family pets. (850) 532-2691. Quarter horses. Ride well on trails, gentle, good for lessons. (850) 773-1957. Miniature donkeys. Jacks and Jennys, black, brown, gray and paints. All ages. $300 and up. Make great pets. Also standard donkeys. Betty, (850) 899-7424. 1996 C4 Corvette convertible. Six-speed manual, 330 hp, backup camera, hands-free phone, Sony amp, 34,000 miles. Very clean. $19,000 OBO. (850) 271-5534. Fresh, delicious and healthy figs. Wonderful for snacking and canning. Peak of season is midJuly. (850) 722-4226.

Name: Address: City:

Phone:

Mail your ad to: The Trading Post; Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative; P.O. Box 8370; Southport, FL 32409; return with your electric payment; or email ad information to tradingpost@gcec.com. ** Due to press deadlines, please expect up to 60 days from submission for your advertisement to appear.

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Gulf Coast

I Hope You’ll Visit Me Global warming is an important concept in the electric utility industry. Reaction to this concept has set actions in motion that will all but eliminate coal-fired electric generation—an affordable, reliable and proven resource. These actions will also increase your cost of electric service. Some of you have disagreed with my articles on global warming and have let me know. A recent note said, “Isn’t the fact of global warming a reason to pause in endorsing the coal industry? Is the almighty dollar always the bottom line? I do not think it is right to use this publication to promote that, and I am willing to pay MORE for clean energy for future generations.” Unfortunately, not everyone is willing or able to pay more for electricity. While I differ with the recent note on multiple points, the implication that I should not deny global warming in this publication is the most troubling. It is a restriction on my right of free speech. Many others are now attempting to restrict free speech if it questions the science and economics of chasing a low-carbon energy dream. Restricting speech or punishing opposing views is not new. Galileo Galilei was convicted by the Catholic Church in 1633 for stating the Earth orbited the sun. He was put under house arrest for the rest of his life. After 350 years, the church finally admitted its 26

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conviction was in error. As the scientific case for a global warming catastrophe becomes more doubtful, models created by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change— the world’s presumed climate change authority—project that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan will have minimal impact. Specifically, those models indicate CPP will reduce global temperatures by only 0.03 degrees and will reduce the rise in sea levels by a depth equal to the thickness of only a couple sheets of notebook paper. This is hardly the type of return we should get for billions of dollars. The global warming movement is now focused on silencing and punishing people who disagree with the climate change “consensus view.” The leading advocate of the cause is Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who has called on the Department of Justice to charge those who are behind a “coordinated strategy to spread heterodox views on global warming.” The senator encouraged the DOJ to use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to target climate skeptics as the scapegoats for an insufficient U.S. policy response to climate change. Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated in recent testimony that the matter has been referred to the FBI “to consider whether or not it

meets the criteria for what we could take action on.” Additionally, she told the committee that the DOJ has discussed a civil action against the fossil fuel industry for expressing doubts about the dangers of climate change. Other U.S. senators and state attorneys general have threatened legal action and subpoenaed oil and gas companies to release information related to climate change science, as well as lists of organizations they have funded. This coordinated effort is intended to suppress the First Amendment right of free speech for anyone who denies global warming is an impending danger of catastrophic proportions. These attacks—funded by our tax dollars—are perpetrated on industries that provide oil to move billions of vehicles daily to take people to work, to shop for the necessities of life, to go to the doctor for health care, to move transportation fleets to bring groceries and goods to markets and to keep our military mobile to protect our shores. The attacks are on industries that provide electricity to improve our quality of life in countless ways: to provide heating, cooling and hot water, to refrigerate and cook our food, to energize televisions and computers, to power our hospitals and emergency rooms, and to electrify commercial and industrial businesses. In short, these companies and their

Commentary By Gary Smith President and CEO

products and services provide the foundation of our entire modern life and economy. These companies and their people have done much to build and serve our advanced and successful society, yet they are being vilified, bullied and threatened with civil lawsuits and criminal charges. These companies and their people—contributors to our way of life—are hardly the gangsters, mobsters and racketeers that RICO was designed to control. No damage has been done, but the global warming proponents demand that the voices of these companies and their people be silenced. I will continue to express my disagreement on expensive and fruitless efforts like the CPP. If Whitehouse and Lynch put me away, I hope you will visit. n

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Gulf Coast

Graduates Awarded Scholarships Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative recently awarded $250 scholarships to the following graduating seniors at eight high schools that have students in areas served by the cooperative: • Lindsey Elizabeth Ellis, A. Crawford Mosley High School. • Samantha Potter, Altha Public School. • Shelby Jacobs, Bay High School. • Savannah Smith, Cody Jackson Mills is the scholarship winner for Wewahitchka High School. Blountstown High School. • Harley Tillerson, Deane Bozeman School. • Gabrielle Roxanne Pittman, Port St. Joe High School. • Shawnee Freed, Vernon High School. • Cody Jackson Mills, Wewahitchka High School. “Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative recognizes how important education is to the youth of our community,” said GCEC Vice President of Marketing & Communications Kristin Evans. “For this reason, we are proud to award scholarships to students in our service area who reside with a parent or guardian who is a GCEC member.” n

GCEC District II Group 1 Trustee and President Waylon Graham presents a scholarship to Gabrielle Roxanne Pittman, winner for Port St. Joe High School.

GCEC District I Group 3 Trustee Kinneth Daniels presents a scholarship to Savannah Smith, winner for Blountstown High School. Rebecca Stanley, right, is the school guidance counselor. 28

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GCEC District III Group 3 Trustee Robert Byrd presents a scholarship to Lindsey Elizabeth Ellis, winner for A. Crawford Mosley High School.

GCEC District I Group 1 Trustee Betty Moore presents a scholarship to Shawnee Freed, winner for Vernon High School.

GCEC District I Group 2 Trustee Gary Cox presents a scholarship to Samantha Potter, winner for Altha Public School.

GCEC District III Group 1 Trustee and Treasurer Rupert Brown presents a scholarship to Harley Tillerson, winner for Deane Bozeman School.

GCEC District III Group 2 Trustee and Vice President Jimmy Black presents a scholarship to Shelby Jacobs, winner for Bay High School.

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Parting Shot

Readers Share Their Special Photos

Caught in Flight Timing is everything, and persistence is rewarded. Janet Moon was walking in Istokpoga Shores on a spring day when she saw an eagle fly into a cypress tree. She wanted a picture, but did not have her camera with her. She called her husband to bring it and kept her eyes on the eagle while he was en route. Then she started snapping photos. “I had to walk around and try to get him in my sight because there were a lot of branches in front of him,” Janet says. “While I was shooting, he decided to take off. I was so lucky to get this shot of him in flight. He sure was a beautiful bird, and he couldn’t have given me a more awesome picture than this.” —Janet Moon, Lorida

We always are looking for photos to feature in Parting Shot and Postcards From Florida. We pay $25 for one-time use. Please send your best shots (must be a minimum 1,000 KB file size), along with the story behind the photo and information about where it was taken. Include your name and mailing address (for payment purposes) to photos@floridacurrents.com.

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FL-154

Offices 722 West Highway 22 P. O. Box 220 Wewahitchka, FL 32465 (850) 639-2216 or (800) 333-9392 9434 Highway 77 P. O. Box 8370 Southport, FL 32409 (850) 265-3631 or (800) 568-3667 6243 East Highway 98 Panama City, FL 32404 Phone: (850) 481-1188 www.gcec.com

CEO/General Manager Michael E. White

Trustees President Waylon Graham Vice President Jimmy Black Secretary Eddie Jones Treasurer Rupert Brown Doug Birmingham Robert Byrd Gary Cox Kinneth Daniels Betty Moore Trustees normally meet the third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. CST. The board meets at the Wewahitchka office in even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) and the Southport office in odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September and November). The mission of GCEC: Fulfilling the changing needs of our membership and communities by providing cost effective, reliable and safe utility services through a dedicated and responsive workforce. 32

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GCEC President’s Message

Plan for a Safe and Happy Fourth July has always been a favorite of mine. It’s the middle of sumWaylon Graham mer, the kids are out of school and, of course, we celebrate our nation’s independence with grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, homemade ice cream, other sweet treats and, last but not least, fireworks. It is a time for fellowship with family and friends. Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative wants to make sure members focus on safety, too. To ensure you have the best Fourth of July possible, keep in mind these important tips from The American Red Cross. Nothing says Fourth of July like a spectacular fireworks display. The safest way to enjoy this part of the celebration is to head to a local fireworks show. But if you want to put on your own show at home, follow these safety tips: • Always follow instructions on the packaging. • Never give fireworks to small children. • Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution. • Wear protective eyewear when lighting fireworks. • Light only one firework at a time. • Never attempt to relight a dud. • Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets. • Never throw or point a firework toward anyone or anything. Cookouts are a great way to bring folks together on the Fourth. Whether you are grilling in your backyard or at a community park, make sure your feast includes a generous portion of fun and a side helping of safety: • Supervise your grill at all times. • Use the proper tools for cooking on a grill. • Never add charcoal starter fluid when the coals have already been ignited. • Always follow manufacturer’s instructions. Fireworks and cookouts would not be complete without a sunny day. Here is hoping we have good weather. If we do, make sure you practice sun safety: • Use a broad spectrum SPF sunscreen and reapply often. • Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. • Drink plenty of water. • Be on the lookout for signs of heat stroke, which includes hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; a rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. n

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Have a safe and happy holiday.