You see crowds of otherwise normally-behaving people stroll past an entrance to the mosque right in front of a whole wall---three stories high---that lights up in bright flowers. They don't even notice.
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a big deal---not exactly visiting the Vatican but maybe Winchester Cathedral (with apologies to St. Swithun).
Probably no one took notice when three or four admiring tourists shot video of the mosque from a respectful distance. The mosque-keepers provided the lighting.
The light show was added digitally afterward. And it's fantastic---a most interesting blend of eastern and western ideas that form a different kind of praise that's right on the border of awesome.
No doubt some of the followers of the Prophet Mohamed will find this video awkward or worse. But it communicates a great deal of respect and works as an act of faith and reverence.
In January 1880, Chicago Times correspondent George M. Barbour followed ex-president Ulysses S. Grant on a campaign tour that criss-crossed Florida, cruised down the Ocklawaha River and ventured into the wilds of what are now Lake and Sumter counties on their way to Brooksville.
Here's Barbour on the Ocklawaha:
The steamer began its journey late in the afternoon, to give us a night view of the river, and we all spent the evening, night and morning on deck, deeply interested in watching the scenery, which begins its strangeness at the very outset, and is worth the seeing every rod of the route ["rod" is a surveyor's measure of 16 feet].
It is grand, impressive, strange, tropical---now gloomy and awe-inspiring, now fairy-like and charming, and again weird and wild.
The great forest trees of that region are all of immense size, oaks, gums, magnolias, cypress, etc., interspersed with the more tropical palmetto and palm, all laden and interlocked with a perfrct network of immense vines, too tangled for description, brilliant with vegetation---leaves of all colors, flowers of all shapes, sizes and hues, and loaded with great clusters of mosses.
Every visitor to Florida should make the famous excursion "up the Ocklawaha," and no one who has once made it will be likely ever to forget a night-journey upon what has been called "The Mysterious River."
Here's where the idea came from. Okay, not really, but it's a fun clip from the movie My Cousin Vinny. And it tells a little truth about our stone-ground whole-kernel yellow grits.
Denny Pewsey, 62, a regular customer at the Fruitland Park Cafe and father of cafe owner Niki Pewsey, finished ___th among the more than 26,000 runners in the 114th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 19 with a time of four hours, _ minutes and _ seconds.
The weather was perfect---52 degrees and partly sunny. Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot collected a $150,000 prize and the First Place medal for finishing the 26-mile run with a time of 2:05:52. Ethiopians Tekeste Kebede and Deribe Merga finished second and third respectively, winning $75,000 and $50,000.
Pewsey said he wasn’t in it for the money.
“This is something I thought about since I was a kid,” Pewsey said after finishing the grueling race. Held annually on Patriot’s Day, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest long distance competition.
Pewsey, who lives in Apopka, wore number 20214 in the race. An avid distance runner, his flowing white beard and rail-thin six-foot, six-inch frame are a regular sight along Apopka roads and streets during his daily training jaunts.
A typical warmup run---just to keep his legs loose---averages 10 miles.
“Raising a family and running a business, I never had time for sports,” Pewsey said. After 25 years as owner and president of ScreenMaster in Orlando, Pewsey sold the business. Now, he says, he runs to relax.
An usher at Church of the Holy Spirit on Sixth St. in Apopka, Pewsey took up distance running five years ago and ran his first half-marathon across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys in 2006.
In 2007, he ran the Disney Marathon, his first 26-mile event. His finish times in the Detroit Marathon in 2008 and the Grand Rapids Marathon in 2009 qualified him to compete in the Boston Marathon.
In March, Pewsey placed seventh overall and first in his age division at the 2010 Fruitland Park 5K race during Fruitland Park Days.
Pewsey hopes to run more marathons, but after finishing in Boston he said he doesn’t want to think about it for a while.
“The hardest part is running with 26,000 other people,” Pewsey said. “It takes an hour or more before the crowd thins out enough so you can run at your own pace, and even then you have to pay attention not to create a pileup.”
The entire Pewsey family followed the race---Pewsey’s wife Angie accompanied him to Boston to wait at the finish line. Niki took the day off from Fruitland Park Café to monitor the race results online along with Pewsey’s sister Jan, who lives in Ocoee. His 86-year old mother, Armetta Pewsey of Albion, Michigan, sat by the telephone awaiting regular updates from Angie in Boston.
Fruitland Park, Fla. --- Leesburg attorney Chuck Johnson, 55, (above right) a partner in the law firm of Sellar Sewell, Russ, Saylor & Johnson, P.A. in Leesburg and one of our best and favorite customers at Fruitland Park Cafe, has announced his decision to run for Lake County Judge Group 1.
Chuck (with Fruitland Park Police Chief Mark Isom and Charlie Rector, president of Rector Construction in photo above), is a Lake County native and longtime community advocate. A veteran of the United States Army and former police officer, Chuck served as a Lake County Deputy Sheriff, where he was promoted to Chief of Detectives. He has practiced law in Lake County since 1991.
Johnson, viewing slides of a recent missionary trip to Cuba at right with Gregory N. Frescoln, Administrator of First Academy in Leesburg and Greg's son Sawyer, is a staunch advocate of youth activities programs in Lake County and has served as a longtime volunteer at Leesburg High School. Chuck played a key role in establishing the Leesburg Lightning baseball team of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, and still serves as team’s game announcer and “Voice of the Lightning.”
In 2003, the Lake County League of Cities recognized Chuck’s community work with its Community Service Award. On Monday, he pre-filed campaign documents with Lake County Supervisor of Elections Emogene W. Stegall.
Here's the best thing we know about Chuck Johnson: he's the kind of guy who will make Lake County a better place to live by serving on the bench. He's a straight-shooter, with a deeply evident sense of honor and integrity. He knows the law, but judges need more than knowledge to be good at their jobs. Chuck is the real deal.
We plan to support him to the fullest and we encourage all our friends and customers to consider his virtues---they are many.
Fruitland Park Cafe celebrated its one year anniversary on Dec. 1, 2009, with a special offer for our customers---we turned off the cash register.
During breakfast, our customers "wrote your own tickets," with a garden bucket on the counter for contributions.
For the lunch crowd, we distributed anniversary cake, choice of Pumpkin Spice and Carrot.
It was a cold and dreary morning on December 1, 2008, and our first month was not much better. Fruitland Park had seen a total of five owners come and go over three years and most area residents were tired of the constantly shifting menus, prices, and people.
It took us a long time and a lot of hard work to earn the respect and trust of our customers---our most valuable asset. Thank you to all who participated in our First Anniversary celebration, and we look forward to a bigger, better one next year!
Fruitland Park, Fla. --- Rear Admiral Jeffrey S. “Scott” Jones, U.S.N., returned home from duty in Baghdad, Iraq, for a brief visit with his father, longtime Fruitland Park resident Luther C. Jones, on Sunday.
The Florida native and Leesburg High School graduate enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1974 and currently serves as the Director of the Coalition Naval Advisory Training Team (CNATT) in Baghdad.
Admiral Jones has led a storied Naval career. He commanded the U.S.S. Hawes, the first U.S. Navy ship to respond to and assist USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, when it was attacked by terrorists on Oct. 12, 2000.
As commander of the USS Bonhomme Richard, right, Jones was among the first responders to the Indonesian tsunami December, 2006.
Most recently, Adm. Jones served as the youngest commander of the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, R.I.
From his U.S. Navy official bio:
Following commissioning, Jones served aboard USS Hepburn (FF 1055) as main propulsion assistant. Following this tour he was assigned as engineering officer on USS Joseph Hewes (FF 1078) and USS Semmes (DDG 18). In 1991, he joined Fleet Training Group in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as both propulsion training and international training officer until 1992 when he received orders as commanding officer, USS Guardian (MCM 5) in 1993. While in command of Guardian, the ship changed homeports to Sasebo, during which time the crew exchanged with, and he assumed command of USS Devastator (MCM 6). Following these command tours, he attended Naval War College. Upon graduation, he reported to U.S. Atlantic Command's (USACOM) Joint Operation Planning and Execution System Division, and served as a member of the USACOM's Deployable Joint Task Force Augmentation Cell detaching in July 1999.
Jones assumed command of USS Hawes (FFG 53) in November 1999. During their 2000 deployment, Hawes was assigned to participate in Mediterranean and independent Black Sea operations before engaging in Maritime Interdiction Operations in the Arabian Gulf. Hawes was the first U.S. Navy ship to respond to and assist USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, where he was assigned as Sea Combatant commander for the duration of Operation Determined Response. Following this third command, he was named the 2001 recipient of the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.
Reporting to OPNAV in August 2001, Jones served as deputy for Warfare Assessments and Analysis Division of N81 and was subsequently selected to lead the Warfare Integration Branch N70. He detached and assumed command of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in August 2004, and was part of the first responders to the Indonesian tsunami crisis. Detaching in 2005, he served as executive assistant to the commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command until July 2007 when he assumed command of Surface Warfare Officers School Command. Jones reported to his current position as director, Coalition Naval Advisory Transition Team (Iraq) in September 2009.
Jones' personal awards include the Legion of Merit (Three Awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (Two Awards), Meritorious Service Medal (Two Awards), Navy Commendation Medal (Two Awards), the Navy Achievement Medal (Two Awards), and other service medals and ribbons.
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of an influx of thousands of seasonal residents to north Lake County and Fruitland Park. We don't call them snowbirds, though some do.
Linda and Bob Breeden, left, arrived on Saturday from Bloomington, Indiana, and plan to stay in their Lake Griffin Isle Park home for two weeks.
They drove down from Kentucky Lake (Benton, Ky) Friday night and stopped by the Fruitland Park Cafe for some black bean soup and sandwiches before they continued down the street to Lake Griffin Isle Park.
In January, Bob and his friend and fellow Indianan Steve will return again for a whole winter of fishing on the Harris Chain of Lakes and dining at the Fruitland Park Cafe.
Bob is retired from Indiana University. Linda, alas, is still a career woman ---with 33 years of service at the Bloomington Herald Times. They both plan to visit Fruitland Park Cafe regularly while here.
When Bob and Steve return in January, we'll see them twice a day. Avid bluegill and spec fishermen, Bob hopes to pick up a few tips from tournament spec specialist Mark Isom, affectionately known as Chief Isom of the Fruitland Park Police Department.
Joan and Jim Mergelas, right, just returned from Niagra Falls---the Canadian side---where they spent a summer with their two sons, four grandchildren and their own sisters and brothers.
"Everyone's healthy," Joan reports.
Seasonal residents are an important part of the Lake County economy, and a whole lot of them are good friends too. They bring their smiles with them when they coma home to Lake County. Yes, traffic is busier when they're here, and yes, it's hard to get a seat at the Fruitland Park Cafe in the winter months, but they make a valuable contribution in our churches, schools and community events and they are a welcome addition at the Fruitland Park Cafe.
Besides, during our busy hours most days you can't find a seat at the Fruitland Park Cafe in the summer either.
An uncontrollable mob of teenage hooligans invades Fruitland Park Cafe every Wednesday morning, committing mayhem and leaving the place in shambles. What to do? We asked some of them what they think...
...celebrates honest, hard-working families every day from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., earlier if it's not busy, later if we have customers. We serve a great cup of coffee for 50 cents (you gotta pour it yourself, so "serve" is ambiguous), breakfast for $3, lunch for $5, and it's all cooked to your order. But the best thing about our place is our customers.
Ping Pong Victory Dance
When "oops" is not enough...
Watch out for little old ladies...
You gotta pay attention...
Denny Pewsey, 62, a regular customer at the Fruitland Park Cafe and father of cafe owner Niki Pewsey, finished ___th among the more than 26,000 runners in the 114th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 19 with a time of four hours, _ minutes and _ seconds. 
Johnson, viewing slides of a recent missionary trip to Cuba at right with Gregory N. Frescoln, Administrator of 
Fruitland Park Cafe celebrated its one year anniversary on Dec. 1, 2009, with a special offer for our customers---we turned off the cash register.
Fruitland Park, Fla. --- Rear Admiral 
As commander of the USS Bonhomme Richard, right, Jones was among the first responders to the Indonesian tsunami December, 2006.
Linda and Bob Breeden, left, arrived on Saturday from Bloomington, Indiana, and plan to stay in their Lake Griffin Isle Park home for two weeks. 
Joan and Jim Mergelas, right, just returned from Niagra Falls---the Canadian side---where they spent a summer with their two sons, four grandchildren and their own sisters and brothers.