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Accordion, Instrument of the Gods Tampa Bay

I’ll be playing at Clearwater’s Ukulele Fest in the District on Saturday, April 23rd!

"Ukulele Fest in the District" logo.

Two Saturdays from now, I’ll be the one of the distinctly non-ukelele players at the Ukulele Fest in the District, which will happen at the District on Cleveland Street in downtown Clearwater on Saturday, April 23rd from noon and straight on through to the evening!

The event is free to attend — come on down to Clearwater and enjoy some music!

Afternoon jams

Ukulele Fest in the District acts: Spirit Band, Ukulele Russ, Chris Tracy, Roaming Busker, Connie Mason Project, Moon Dog, Tom Hood and the Tropical Suns, and Joey Davilla [sic] The Accordion Man
I’ve tried to get them to correct my name a couple of times, but I’m honored to be in the lineup!
I’ll be playing with Tom Hood and the Tropical Sons from noon to 3 on Cleveland Street, along with a lot of other fine bands:

  • Spirit Band
  • Ukulele Russ
  • Chris Tracy
  • Connie Mason project
  • Moon Dog

Just listen for the accordion!

Evening concert

The evening concert starts at 6:30 with Steve and Amanda Boisen

Steve and Amanda Boisen publicity photo.

…and The Birdwatchers:

The Birdwatchers publicity photo.

Come and play ukulele! "Strum and stroll" ukulele players playing on Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater.

You don’t have to be a spectator at this event — there are many opportunities for you to play the ukulele in a group, or learn how to play!

  • There’s a “Breakfast Jam” session at 11:30 where you can get started with your fellow ukulele players with some warm-up numbers.
  • At noon, the first “Strolling the District” walk will begin, where you’ll stroll through the District and make a few stops to play a number or two. If you have a ukulele and can play the chords C, Am, F, and G, you’ll be good to play along with most of the songs. Emily Stehle, Mike Stehle, and Cosmos Sagristano will lead this one.
  • There’ll also be a “Happy Hour Jam” session at 5:15. Once again, it’s a chance to warm up with your fellow uke players.
  • The second “Strolling the District” walk starts at 5:30, and once again, it’s a walk roll through the District with stops to play a number or two. The stroll winds up at the Peace Memorial Lawn where you’ll play the last medley at the pre-concert reception. Cosmo Sagistrano and Two Happy Ukers will lead this one.

Learn how play ukulele!

There will be three 45-minute “Introduction to the Ukulele” classes — they’ll be held at 12:30, 2:00, and 3:30. Bring your ukulele if you have one, and they’ll have some ukuleles on hand if you don’t.

Are you an experienced ukulele player looking to sharpen their skills? There’ll be a couple of classes for you:

 

Categories
Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay freezes this weekend

Tampa Bay is under a freeze warning this weekend. That’s right, out-of-towners, there are times when the temperature here drops to freezing or even slightly lower.

If you’re in the area and haven’t taken the right precautions, this list is for you:

Categories
It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

“Can I get a COVID vaccine here?” “Sir, this is a car wash. But to answer your question: Yes.”

Car wash with a banner that says “COVID shots here”
Photo taken at by Yours Truly on Sligh just east of I-275 on December 31, 2021 at about 3 p.m..

There’s probably a demographic that needs their car details and could use a COVID vaccine booster, but I’m not so sure about getting shots at this car wash that’s just a short walk from our place.

Categories
Florida of the Day Stranger than Fiction Tampa Bay

Just a goat at night glowing in purple light. Nothing to see here.

Photo credit: Katy Sierra Tap to see the goatiness at full size.

Seminole Heights’ seal, which depicts a two-headed alligatorThe combination of many purple-hued street lights (which are the result of a manufacturing defect) and someone’s runaway pet goat have given my neighborhood, Seminole Heights, a Final Destination or The Omen kind of feel.

Fortunately, I am prepared for this eventuality:

Once again, tap to see the goatiness at full size.
Categories
It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

Scenes from this morning’s bike ride

Tap to view at full size.

Seminole Heights’ seal, which depicts a two-headed alligatorI like to start most days with a 10-kilometer bike ride around my neighborhood, Seminole Heights. It’s also how I do the groceries; unless it’s raining or I need to get a lot of stuff or something large, I do most of my grocery shopping on the bike.

It was a pretty morning, so I took a couple of photos. The photo above was from the start of my ride and features our yard. The one below is of Lake Roberta, which is a great cycle track — the street that surrounds it is a quarter-mile circle.

Tap to view at full size.
Categories
Florida Florida of the Day Tampa Bay

Florida of the day: Parking lot pants

Tap to view at full size.

Seminole Heights’ seal, which depicts a two-headed alligatorBecause the Walmart at 15th and Hillsborough (a.k.a. Supercenter #5964) is a bike-able distance from home, has Coke Zero (a vice that makes you productive can’t possibly be a vice) at the best per-unit price, and reasonably well-stocked “ethnic” and “specialty” food sections, I’m there about once a week.

And since I go on bike, I see everything that happens in the parking lot. And at a Walmart — a Florida Walmart — that can be a lot.

But I was really surprised when I saw a pair of jeans, fairly neatly laid out — just as you might lay out your jeans on a dresser for the next day — on a trash can, and on top of them, a black cloth mask, also laid out as if on a dresser.

It was in the middle of asking myself “Now why would someone need to remove their pants and mouth covering in a Walmart parking lot?” that I figured out the answer.

“Well,” I thought, “now’s a good time to leave.”

And I did just that.

Tap to view at full size.
Categories
Tampa Bay

Pumpkin spice brake pads!

Seminole Heights’ seal, which depicts a two-headed alligatorIt’s the time of year when Ice Cold Air (in Seminole Heights, at the corner of Sligh and Central) puts out this seasonal promo.