Connie's Corner

Micanopy

I rode down to Micanopy yesterday, mostly known to outsiders as the scene of Michael J. Fox's movie, Doc Hollywood. To locals it's a haven for antique browsers, not that you need be antique to browse but sometimes it helps . It's not far from my house, around 12 miles according to Google maps, but I like to travel the scenic route instead of I-75. I drive down 441 through Payne's Prairie. I-75 crosses the Prairie but it seems "removed". Timewise, it took me around thirty minutes.

The town is named after a chief of the Seminole Indians, Mikanope. When I first came to Florida, I pronounced it "my can o' pee" and later discovered many people do the same. The accent is actually on the "nop" with a long "O" and the "mi" having a short "I". The main street is Cholokka Boulevard...antique alley.

I normally hit the shops upon arrival, but yesterday I decided to walk out the kinks from the drive. The entire street is not very long and I managed to go from one end to the other crossing over to opposite sides for the journey to and fro. There was a very old Episcopal Church which I would have recognized by the red door without the prominent sign. I was raised Episcopalian and Jim and I were married in a small Episcopal Church, but now I'm not sure what I am???? A sign outside caught my eye and made me wonder..."Paid Child Care". The church pays for childcare, you pay for childcare, don't expect to bring your children into the sanctuary...what?

A little farther on stood an old, old building, the Mosswood Farm Store. Inside were jars of honey, vials of essential oils, and homemade pastries...and lots of other homemade stuff. It seemed like a family affair with a couple of generations present, the cutest little blond-haired girl running around. She kept eyeing me like I was from outer space. Here is a pic, http://www.mosswoodfarmstore.com/ Yes, I said it was old.

On the way back down the boulevard I stopped in at the Micanopy Historical Society Museum. Originally it was a warehouse for cotton or maybe turpentine and then for the shipment of wooden boxes before cardboard came into being. A railroad spur came close by. The thing that amazed me most....did you know a bobcat is smaller than a big-mouthed bass? Stuffed examples of each resided in a glass case. There were lots of old tools for men and women. I would consider two tubs with a wringer in between a tool...old typewriters, sewing machines, etc. Lots of pictures of Seminoles, old Army uniforms, lots of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings stuff (her home is nearby).

After traipsing through a few antiques shops, I treated myself to a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I ate it outside on the old porch and got friendly with the resident kitty (no ice cream for kitty, though, chocolate is poison to cats). A family passing through sat at a table near me. I know this to be true because they were discussing how they had never heard of "My can o' pee" .

After getting my antique "fix" for a few months, maybe years, I came home and started a new library book, Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian, and then of course there was Mad Men at 10...

until next time...c