Leland Shipp, a voice of Southern leisure and charm, catch his engaging stories in every edition.
The calendar still says winter, but nobody told Florida. The thermometer climbs past seventy before most folks finish their first cup, and the light pours down like it’s got a grudge against shadows. Out on the Nature Coast the manatees drift into the warm springs of Homosassa Springs like gray ghosts looking for mercy. You…
Well, shoot fire, it’s me, Leland. With a fresh RC Cola in one hand and a moon pie in the other just to tell y’all about Christmas in Florida. Now, I know what you’re thinkin’: “Leland, ain’t Christmas s’posed to have snow, chimneys, and folks wearin’ enough layers to look like the Michelin Man?” Not…
Well, y’all, it’s November in Florida, and the air’s cooled off just enough to make you ditch the AC for a screen door breeze. The palm trees are swayin’ like they’re hummin’ a Jimmy Buffett tune, and the mosquitoes are still plannin’ their attack. Down here where the peninsula dangles like a mullet haircut, we’re…
Well now, listen here. October in Florida is like a good, old-fashioned ghost story told by your great-aunt. You know it’s not entirely true, but it’s got just enough spooky charm to make you shiver. Down here, the calendar says it’s autumn, but the sky’s still sweating like a sinner in church. The sun just…
September in Florida is a heat-hazed handshake with football season, where the air is thick enough to fry a flounder. Now, folks, this is just as likely to spark a good old argument about who owns the fall. Somehow, we all end up on the same porch, sipping sweet tea and cheering on Saturdays together….
Y’all ever notice that summer in Florida ain’t just a season? It’s a test of endurance. When the thermometer hits 90 before breakfast and the humidity wraps around you like a wet towel that’s been used to mop the floors of Hell, you realize Florida summer is less about the weather and more about how…
As I sit upon this quiet hill, with the sun dipping low behind the distant trees. My mind drifts back to a time when the world was a storm of chaos and courage. Today, the 4th of July, a day when Americans gather with joy and pride, I find my heart heavy yet full, remembering…
Ah, July in Florida. The month when the sun is so hot it feels like the devil himself is standing just behind you, sweating down your back and whispering, “You ain’t got enough ice in that glass, partner.” It’s the kind of heat that makes you forget what air conditioning is, even if you’re lucky…
Ah, June in Florida! The month when the sun decides to turn up the heat and reminds us all that we live in a giant sauna. You step outside, and it’s like walking into a warm, wet blanket. One that smells suspiciously like the last fish your neighbor tried to grill. That’s right, folks, June…
Well, folks, it’s May. The month when many things bloom, and my allergies kick in like a mule. I’ve sneezed so much that I might as well be a human foghorn. And if I hear one more person say, “Oh, it’s just the pollen,” I might just lose it! Let’s not forget Mother’s Day. It’s…
