Friday, October 15, 2021

I Am Good Tired


Since I knew I was going to take a very short walk this morning, I decided to do a little loop light here in the burgeoning center of Lloyd. 
That's a joke. There is nothing burgeoning in Lloyd. There is also no true center in Lloyd because honestly, there is no true Lloyd. I mean, we can be found on a map but as I have said before, in the entire county of Jefferson, here in North Florida, there is only one real town and that is Monticello which lies somewhat northeast of here a few miles. This is what Jefferson County looks like. 


Geographically, it is a large county, its borders reaching up to Georgia and down to the Gulf of Mexico. 
As you can see, however, it is not a densely populated county. I mean- I've lived here forever and I'm not even exactly sure where Waukeenah is and quite frankly I don't know that I've ever even heard of Cody before. We have lots of farms and pasture land and wildlife areas. We have rivers and forests, lakes, swamp, and the cut-up remains of old plantations and the descendants of people who lived and worked on those plantations. There are a few incredibly wealthy people who live in Jefferson County and there are many, many people who live below the poverty line. 
Our tax base is for shit and the schools are so bad that young families who would naturally be attracted to the area to live in while working in Tallahassee, do not move here. 
That's just the facts. 
Amazon is building a huge, huge distribution center right off of I-10 in East Tallahassee and I wonder if that will affect our situation here in Lloyd. I do not know. 

Anyway, there's your little lesson about Jefferson County, Florida today. For old retired people who aren't raising children and who feel comfortable in a rambly place with a very mixed population with an extremely rural feel and who love giant live oaks, it's a great place to live. And when I say "mixed" I do not just mean by race or income, but also by political, artistic, educational, religious, and philosophical differences too. Some of the most raging liberals I've ever met live here and of course my next-door neighbors still have their Trump signs up. 

Somehow we all seem to be able to fit in and mostly the attitude I find is "I'll mind my business and you mind yours."
And yet, the people are friendly for the most part, polite when we meet up at the post office which is the only place to meet up in Lloyd except for the dump depot. 

So I took my little stroll around this part of the county today, 



ending up at said Post Office and collecting my mail and coming home. After I'd cooled down a bit and done some laundry (sheet day!) I did what I said I'd do and got that garden almost 100% weed-free. It is now ready for planting and mulching. 


I left the still-bountiful pepper plants along with the volunteer sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Also, a few volunteer zinnia plants which popped up from reseeding that I can't bear to pull. 

I had to work in two different time shifts today as it got up to almost 90 degrees. It hasn't rained in quite awhile and the dirt was as hot as asphalt in the sun. But. I did it. And it feels very, very good to have it done. It is now ready for planting and mulching and watering and watching the magic begin anew. This year I vow to thin my seedlings with more abandon and less personification or concern about the possible sentience of microscopic kale and carrots. 
We shall see how this goes. 

So. It is Friday. I have done some things and gotten some things accomplished. I am marinating a venison backstrap. I watched an actual cooking video today demonstrating one chef's method of making a loaf of sourdough bread as my bread has not risen worth shit lately. Thinking it was my starter, I rejuvenated it this week but I don't think it needed it. I am just not making my dough properly. The video I watched recommends a very labor-intensive method of having to tend to the dough every half hour or so for hours and hours and that just doesn't seem practical to me. I may, however, try it. One must know the rules in order to break them, as it were. Perhaps I have gotten way too laissez faire in my bread making out of a sense of an egoistic belief that I know what I am doing so shut up your bad self with your fancy techniques
Again- we shall see. 

Martinis have been made and are being sipped. Clean sheets are on the bed. Chickens are out by the hen house, eating their last tasty dirt treats before roosting. Oh wait! They heard Mr. Moon opening the bag of wild bird seed and are now rushing the feeder. They love routine but do not hesitate to take advantage of an opportunity. 
I wish I could say that about myself. 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon


20 comments:

  1. Oh, good, I feel like I worked my own kind of hard today, too.

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  2. Enjoy your martinis and clean sheets and good for you for readying the garden.

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  3. Jefferson County sounds like Wharton County. and when I lived in the city I lived a mile or so off I-10 as well. I cut all six of my heavenly blue morning glory vines off at the ground a couple of weeks ago because they never gave me one single flower. they grew vigorous healthy vines but no flowers. I warned them over and over but did they listen? no, they did not. guess I'll try again next spring. it was so hot and humid yesterday but woke up to very cool weather this morning. yay!

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    1. That morning glory belongs to a neighbor. Can you believe I've never grown any?
      I am starting to think it will never get cooler. I am so tired of sweating.

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  4. I love that morning glory! Even though I've been to Jefferson County (as you know!) I don't think I realized it went all the way to the Gulf. I am always mystified about place names on some maps -- the maps of my home county in Florida also feature names that I swear I have never heard used in real life.

    I'm glad you saved some zinnias. :)

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    1. Yeah- what's up with that place name stuff? Sometimes I'll be driving somewhere I've driven through a hundred times, see a sign and realize the place has a name and I'd never noticed!

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  5. I love learning more about Lloyd after all these years of reading about Lloyd! And I had a martini last night at a steak house where I went on a date with Carl. I thought of you and Mr. Moon.

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  6. I think I'd consider moving to Lloyd just for the giant live oaks. I LOVE your trees!

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  7. Jack and I are back home and I'm happy to be in kitchen again, tired but happy. The little guy is sound asleep on the couch right now, worn out with the stress of the last week. When he wakes up we'll go for a walk at the dog park. It's lovely and warm today but will cool down to 3-5C this week, those are the high temps:)

    I love reading your blog Mary, it sooths me soul in a world where a lot of bad shit happens.

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    1. Seriously- I know you must be SO happy and relieved he is home and safe with you and his Papa.
      If I can make you feel a little bit soothed, that is reason enough to write here. Thank you.

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  8. I can't believe what you accomplish in one day, Ms Moon. It stuns me. I am most curious as to how you may adapt your bread making technique? (if at all). I've never been a *natural* at making bread, though I did find a whole wheat/7 grain recipe that makes 3 loaves at a time.....and I did get that perfected.....but otherwise, never felt I had the *touch* as far as bread. I learn from you!
    Susan M

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    1. At this very moment I feel as if I know NOTHING about making bread. Arghhh!

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  9. I love that map - it reminds me of where I live and some of what I was writing today. But then my late friend was an artist who spent his entire life painting what he found within five miles of his home.
    Take care.

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