Plant Park, Tampa

Perch

Two egrets perched on the boardwalk rail at Weedon Island.

Found Photo, No. 12

A postcard of Sam Leto, atop "Thunder." Leto, who died in July 2001, was described by the St. Petersburg Times as "one of the Italian patriarchs of Ybor City." Leto, one of Ybor's alcaldes (Spanish for "mayor" -- in Ybor's case, think of a goodwill ambassador), was an unceasing promoter of the historic Latin quarter.

A former stuntman on locally filmed movies during the 1950s, Leto moved to Citrus Park when it was populated by citrus groves and raised palaminos. The postcard was produced for Ybor's Centennial in 1986.

Also:

• Found Photo, No. 11
  

• Found Photo, No. 10

• Found Photo, No. 9

• Found Photo, No. 8

UT

University of Tampa, color-saturated.

Also, more UT-related posts:

• Pre-UT
• Lights on Tampa
  

Holga Four

A saxman keeps in the shade in Ybor during a Sunday afternoon performance.

More Holgas:

• Three
• Two
• One
  

X Styles

Gulfport storefront along Beach Boulevard.

More Gulfport:

• Pagodas
• Sidewalk Geckos
  

It's The Heat

Screenshot, St. Pete Times web site, July 13, 2009.

Staring Match

Development and Old Florida:

Condos and a marina's rusty boat shelter, on opposite sides of Gandy Boulevard.

St. Pete Commemorative Menu #2

Another commemorative menu, this time from the Wild Shrimp Company.
One time, too eager to haul away some shrimp po' boys, gumbo, and cornbread, I left my Blackberry at the order window. The good folks there found it, and called my father from my address book, not realizing they were calling all the way to Pennsylvania. Anyway, I got my phone back, and Dad got an unexpected chuckle. It's sad about the closing.

Also:

• Memorial Menu for The Kitchen
• Gumbo Republic
  

Eyes

(Garage door, Gulfport)

View Larger Map

Saw Palmetto

A saw palmetto tree along one of the walking trails at Weedon Island Preserve.

Retro Buccaneer Advertisement

Here's the last of the mid-fifties ads I've been running. It's a pre-Football Bucs image of the Buccaneer. Has the appearance of the buccaneer image dropped off in local advertising since the arrival of the Bucs? And "Sleepy Lagoon Yacht Harbor"? What a name!

Grove Stand

Continuing with the series of mid-1950s ads, is this ad for a citrus grove. I am guessing that this gentleman, who owns a residential citrus tree care business, belongs to the family mentioned in the ad above. The link contains some early photos and is worth a click.

Resorts on the Gulf

Mid-1950s advertisement for beach resorts in Sarasota
and Longboat Key.

Holga Three

A Holga image of the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum in St. Petersburg.

Also:

• Holga Two
  

• Holga One
  

Florida Real Estate Past

This ad for Bayshore Gardens, located on the Tamiami Trail, is scanned from a playbill, circa 1956. The community appears to still be going strong and remains comparatively affordable.

Damn...

...I sure miss being above the middle of Tampa Bay with a soft sunset light like this bouncing off the Gandy/Friendship Trail Bridges.

Font Circus

Wall poster, Ybor City

Pastry Goodness

Counter-clockwise, from top:
Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Truffle, Apple Turnover, Peach Cherry Cobbler.

Cafe Mozart, on 4th Street in St. Pete