Christmas Decorators

If you happen to walk into the clubhouse anytime soon, you'll see the results of the 30 or more dedicated residents who came together Sunday afternoon to set up the trees, the creche, and decorate the hall for this wonderful Christmas Season. In the Information Room, there is a board for posting your Christmas card. There is no reason whatsoever to deliver 2 dozen cards or more to your neighbors. We are GOING GREEN... eliminating paper.

Outlook editor Judy Webb snapped a marvelous photo of the "Memory Tree" which is appearing on the cover of the December Outlook. All residents are encouraged to add a family ornament to the Memory Tree

Please link to Club Regency for more photos.

Christmas Lighting Contest

The Bayside West Neighborhood Association is having it 3rd annual outdoor Christmas Lighting Contest. Decorate your house and we will be around to judge the houses on the weekend of December 12-13. President Jerry Frankhouser will be in the park that weekend for house judging.

Prehistoric Canoe Found at Weedon Island

1,100-Year-Old Prehistoric Canoe Found in
Pinellas County, Florida
Buried in the sand along the shoreline, a prehistoric pine canoe was found on Weedon Island Preserve, located on the southeast region of the peninsula that is Pinellas County on Tampa Bay.
An early mode of transportation, the canoe is attributed to the late Weeden Island Culture (alternative spelling) of Florida Gulf Coast dwellers. Measuring 39-feet, 11-inches in length, but believed to have been upwards of 45 feet in total, the pine canoe holds the distinction of the longest prehistoric canoe ever found in Florida. The canoe features a raised bow that indicates the canoe was used on open water. Under the canoe, a pine pole, used perhaps for paddling, poling, and/or docking the canoe, was also unearthed and dated to the same prehistoric period, approximately 1,100 years ago.
Local Pinellas County resident, Harold Koran, discovered the canoe while fishing among the Weedon Island Preserve’s mangroves. Many other investigators and archeologists from across the state have been called in.Only a pre-excavation dig was
performed, along with thorough radiocarbon dating and wood sampling, which confirmed the wood as pine, a prevalent local timber after which the county of Pinellas is named.

“This discovery expands our understanding and the significance of the not-well-known people of the Weeden Island Culture,” said Dr. Bruce Rinker, Environmental Lands director for Pinellas County. “A tremendous thank-you is owed to
the team involved with the research and documentation of this discovery, including Dr. Robert Austin, Dr. Donna Ruhl,and the Friends of Weedon Island, who helped provide supplies and radiocarbon dating.”

Using Strong Words

The next time you cut your finger chopping vegetables, or hit your thumb with a hammer, go ahead and let out a few expletives. British researchers at Keele University reported that swearing may increase your pain tolerance. It was discovered that swearing may trigger a fight-or-flight response that aids in reducing your body's perception to pain. Go figure.

Blessed Thanksgiving To All

(This is the 500th post of this blog. I'm glad that this is a special occasion)


The newest issue of Time magazine, coming out in a few days, will feature a cover story entitled "The Decade From Hell". In another month, our nation will be closing up a tumultuous decade, one that began with the worst terrorist attack on our nation, proceeded into multi-military conflicts in the Mid-East, and is ending up with the financial ruin of many of our primary businesses, industries, and, oh hell, the nation, as well. Unemployment is unprecedented, in MY lifetime.

It may be difficult to reflect upon the reasons to give Thanks on this day. Indulge me a moment while I consider this:

I have a wonderful husband who loves me, supports the things I do, and tolerates all the time I spend away from home, working on boards and committees, avoiding housework. I have a loving son and a family who miss me, and love the days we actually get to spend together. I have friends, here and back home, who know me and understand me, and love me in spite of myself. I live in a wonderfully diverse community. There are movers and shakers, whiners and complainers, and a few folks just hiding out all alone, but we all co-habit the same lovely residential community, and respect eachothers' individuality. I am honored to be serving on the board of directors with 8 other individuals who each have a passion to serve their community. We are just as diverse in our thinking as the community we serve. We have a manager and maintenance crew who are industrious and flexible, able to respond to emergencies, sudden demands, and resident needs, at the drop of a hat. I belong to a church; I am able to worship, hold hands and pray with my friends and neighbors, whenever I want.

My "Decade from Hell" may include some unexpected job transitions, an eventual retirement, a bout with malignant melanoma, my mother-in-law's death, my mother's death, and a move to Florida, involving a total change in life style. It truely is NOT any sort of decade-from-Hell... It's just 10 years in the life of..... little old me.

All considered, I am truely blessed.

I hope that you all are able to find some comfort in your reflections on this Thanksgiving day, and the decade. The official future predictions are: It can only get better! God bless you all, and have a meaningful day. Its not about the food, today is all about Thanks.

Palm Tree Update

A huge THANK YOU goes out to the volunteers who planted the 11 palms today: Barb and Jerry Williams, Roger Des Rosiers, Manny Maldonado, and Mike Ross. In a little over an hour the seven Sylvesters were planted on Pelican Point.


Barb Williams christened her new golf cart acting as water girl, shuffling buckets up and down the point.



There are actually 4 new palms at the pool, these three Chinese Fans, and a Sylvester on the other side of the pump house. These should eventually provide some cool shady spots around this area.



We will need volunteers to bring water out to the Point this entire weekend, if it doesn't continue raining. Call Sandy Ross to help out.

Volunteers Needed to Plant Palms

Through a remarkable donation to the park, we were able to pick up 11 beautiful palms today at a palm tree nursery in Plant City. Eight of the palms cost $5 each, those are called Sylvester Palms, and they were placed on Pelican Point. Three remarkable Chinese Fan Palms were also purchased for $20 each. If the economy wasn't so bad, they would normally wholesale at $49. The Chinese fans will grace the pool area, and soften the landscape there.




I had a delightful field trip out to the dump with our maintenance man Mike Barnes this morning. This will be another story for the Outlook sometime soon. After the truck was emptied, we continued on to Plant City. The owner Cecil met us with the tractor and helped get the trees over to the truck for Mike to load. Despite fire ants and some nasty thorns, our brave Mike loaded the the truck to the top.




Volunteers are needed tomorrow morning on Pelican Point, at 8:30 am to plant and water them. Please wear long pants, long sleeves, GLOVES, and eyewear, and bring your shovel. If you can't dig, stop by and bring refreshments or some words of encouragement. We LOVE our volunteers in Regency Cove. Watch tomorrow for photos.