Follow the Art Updates
Feb 17-21: Indiantown, FL to St. Augustine, FL
Feb 17th:
We made our way to Indiantown in central Florida to visit with our cousin, Lee! Lee is the genealogist of the Withey/ Woodruff family. Both my dad and Lee have extensive archives of family history, and it was great to have them together to compare notes. From childhood on, our families have raced large sailboats on the Great Lakes. I interviewed Lee for over an hour as he shared stories of his life as a chief engineer on ocean-going ships, and talked of family history both in Michigan and on the Grand Turk Islands.
While Dad and Lee talked long into the night about past adventures, I digitized hundreds of family photos from his collection. I never met my grandparents so it was exciting to see photos of past generations. They were all adventurers and lovers of the lakes! Now I know why it lures me so.
Thank you dear cousin for sharing the treasure!
Feb 18:
Before we left Lee’s home we got a surprise visit from our cousin Doc! We sat with him and enjoyed some coffee. Doc got his pilot's license at a young age, and my dad flew with him several times. Boy, did they some have stories to share! Lots of laughs, luck, and love.
The next stop was a visit with our friends Jim and Rose from Michigan. We drove to Placida, took a car ferry to an island, loaded our film gear on a golf cart, and cruised over to their beautiful home! Both Jim and Rose have been family friends for years. Last year they commissioned a carved sign from my dad. Recently, my dad retired from stained glass, and wood carving so he was proud to see his last sign hanging on the home it was made for and the smiles on their faces. Now, Dad is focusing his energy more on finishing paintings, teaching classes, and working with me on this film. So with great effort, he’s finally learning to say no - or the more successful,“Talk to my manager, Liddy.”
We spent the evening on their porch overlooking the ocean. We cheered the day with our mocktail margaritas and watched the dolphins play in the distance. We concluded the night with a southern feast of Argentinian shrimp, corn, potato salad, and caprese salad.
Feb 19:
The next morning we were treated to the best oceanfront coffee. We suited up for a windy walk on the beach. Our pockets soon filled with shells and shark teeth both new and old. It felt like an untouched island. Later in the day, we watched the sunset while the silhouetted palms danced in the breeze.
On the menu was pizza in the wood fire oven!
My dad admittedly made the worst pizza he’s ever made in his life by using leftover ingredients. The funny thing is he spent about ten minutes artfully designing a visual treat with things he knew did not belong together. Our hosts said that he’s a much better sign-maker than a chef. We all settled in to watch Stuck on You for some serious comic relief.
Feb 20:
In the morning I interviewed Jim, and we bid farewell to our wonderful friends! It was hard to leave this magical paradise, but we did so with unforgettable memories. We took the ferry over to the mainland and made our way north to Bradenton, Florida. Our hosts, Wendy and Dean are career-long friends of my dads. We interviewed them back in 2022 when we first started this project! It was so wonderful to see them again, along with their beautiful blue-eyed mini Aussie pup! Such a wonderful night of puppy love and reminiscing.
Feb 21:
In the AM we got a full tour of Wendy and Dean's beautiful community, then headed northeast to meet up with our friends on the Nao Trinidad in St Augustine. We got to know the town pretty well while looking for a place to park! We walked the docks to find our friend Paulina. She offered us cake and Cuban coffee in the ship's galley where we met the bosun and gifted them prints of the treehouse. We shared our adventures, and they shared theirs. I expressed great interest in signing on as a deckhand after this film. The boat has a magical pull. We’re all now friends for life. With lots of hugs and gratitude, we said farewell just for now, and continued walking the streets of the old city to the car. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and caught one awesome blues song at an Irish bar.
We made the drive to Brunswick, GA to stay for the night!
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