EL LAGARTO AND FRIENDS

Stephanie and I got back from Gainesville yesterday evening after a 17 hour white-knuckle ride from Atlanta to Beloit in pouring rain, sleet, and then whiteout blowing snow where you couldn't tell where the interstate ended and the great blue yonder began.  We're exhausted, but safe and sound.

While I was down there (running a 5-Day Comix Workshop at SAW), Tom Hart and I put together this little booklet of Florida Wildlife.  A portion of all proceeds go to the Sequential Artists Workshop, as fine an institution as I have ever seen.  More on the trip soon, but meanwhile, ordering info is below.  Thanks!

16 pages, drawn by John Porcellino, 4.25" x 5.5"

Two-color risograph printed by Tom Hart at SAW in Gainesville, Florida

(10 animal illustrations inside)

USA: $3.00 ppd check or mo / $3.40 via PayPal*

OTHER COUNTRIES: $4.46 USD via PayPal

Check/MO to:

John Porcellino

PO Box 142

South Beloit, IL 

61080 USA

PayPal to: kingcat_paypal AT hotmail DOT com

*Wisconsin residents, please add 5.5% to your total.  Thanks!

POOL RESCUE SQUAD

One of my favorite things to do when I was living in Florida was to head out to the Cee-ment Pond, with the pool skimmer and the dogs, and rescue little creatures that had fallen in the water.  Mostly I snagged various types of wasps and bees, from tiny little metallic green things to big old bumblebees and hornets.  And I caught a lot of grasshoppers too.  But occasionally I'd pick up something more unusual, like the time I pulled out a wee black snake, or these amazing beetles:

I've never seen anything like this guy before.  (See below for scale.)

I picked this next fella up the same day.  He held on tight to the skimmer's edge while he dried out, and then suddenly took flight, buzzing up to the top of a very tall tree.

I lived in Florida for a month and then went on tour.  Heading back across the Florida stateline six weeks later I was surprised to notice that I felt like I was coming home.  That was something I couldn't have predicted.  But a week later I found myself on the road, driving north, homeless again.  I don't know when I'll have paid my dues.

I remember one time, standing out in the backyard on a moonless night, looking up at the amazing array of stars out there, the light warm breeze, the chorus of frogs.  I told myself, "No matter what happens, please remember the peace of this moment right now..."

So I try.

* * *

SOME MORE FLORIDA WILDFLOWERS

Persian Silk Tree*

(Albizia julibrissin)

All species remain unidentified (except*).

GOD'S GREEN EARTH, PT. 2

A TRIP TO THE DEVIL'S MILLHOPPER

So the other day I finally managed to make it to the Devil's Millhopper.  When Dan and I were in Gainesville on tour in the spring, everyone told us to go check it out, but we ran out of time.  So after I dropped Izzy off at class last week, I headed on over at last.

The Devil's Millhopper is a huge sinkhole NW of town.  When I asked people earlier what it was, they were like "oh, it's just a big sinkhole..." like sinkholes were simply a way of life.  WELCOME TO FLORIDA.

Anyhow, the Devil's Millhopper is a big sinkhole that caved in about 10,000 years ago, and has since filled with a unique variety of plant and animal life.  Since the pit is usually cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter, it sustains a more diverse ecosystem, including many plants and animals that are not otherwise found in the area.

I did two laps around the sinkhole, including two trips down to the bottom. It was beautiful, and so quiet you could practically hear the sweat dripping down your back. I saw a ton of stuff including a new type of lizard, a big black snake, a gigantic hornet, tons of ferns, and many gorgeous waterfalls. The place is definitely worth a trip out of town if you're ever in the area.

Walking down inside the sinkhole.

Waterfall.

Looking up.

From the loop path around the top of the sinkhole.

Twining trees.

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

Hot enough for you?

Goldenrod?

I finally ID'ed this one:  Butterfly-pea (Clitoria ternatea)

Loop path.

Saw palmetto and Pine woods.

Unknown flower.

Southern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus undulatus)

Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor priapus)

At the bottom of the sinkhole I found this ENORMOUS hornet, about two inches from snout to tail.  It enjoyed posing for me, so I took a bunch of pictures.

Some type of Shelf Fungus.

Waterfalls and rivulets, at the very bottom.

Lastly, I found this guy on my way back up the walkway.  Freaky. 

(I turned the picture sideways to make him easier to see.)

All in all, not too bad for a couple hours in the woods!