Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Greetings of the Morning

Ruskin, Florida

Ruskin's land is, for better or worse, making the transition from agriculture to residential development. The light this far south, literally in the tropics, is fascinating to someone who has always lived in the Northeast. I find myself looking forward to seeing what the light will do, the next day of my stay here. But between the idiotic extension, deep into Autumn, of Daylight Savings Time that's now in effect, and the placement of the Florida Gulf Coast in relation to the Eastern Time Zone, when the sun rises down here the clocks have circled all the way to 7:29 AM! I can't sleep that late on a bet. Who asked for this stupid DST anyway? At least it gives me an hour or more to reload film holders—I almost don't need the changing tent—and do other chores before the morning light begins.

This area was almost entirely engaged in agriculture, specifically tomatoes, for many decades of the last century and into this, but the fields are turning into housing developments, though the process has been slowed by the economic downturns of the past decade.

Ruskin, Florida 

Yesterday when I left my room(s)—more later on that—and drove to the town center, I saw this woman walking purposefully along West Shell Point Road, headed west, either for some sort of business or perhaps just for a constitutional. This morning I'd pulled the car off the road and made a picture (above) and out of the corner of my eye saw her striding along again. So I guess she is walking every morning for the exercise. I said "Hello" but she had already launched what must be a standard two-phrase greeting. I didn't quite get the first phrase though it may well have been "Praise the Lord," but the second phrase was "and read your Bible."

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