This is still one of Tampa's prettiest and oldest neighborhoods and because of its lack of sidewalks, curbs and fancy street-striping, it still, thankfully, has the look and feel of old Florida. That's why these folks love to live here. It's a not a well-known place to many newcomers who call Tampa home, especially if they never ever travel south of Gandy and follow Interbay as it meanders along its brick pavers to this intersection. Low-hanging, moss-draped oak trees and sleepy lanes are close by the horse stables, Ballast Point Park and the Tampa Yacht & Country Club founded on the Hillsborough Bay in 1904. It is one of the sleepiest, quietest and least-traveled roads. Its low traffic count and out-of-the-way nature are why most everyone would agree it's near perfect. Don't change a thing. Certainly don't improve it. As so many of us in Tampa endure the current drought, we've been anxiously awaiting the Summer rains that begin in June. But as we watch helplessly as our yards and plants die, we find ourselves begging for the skies to open up and dump buckets of rain on us. Well, yesterday and today we got the deluge. Hours of rain. It thundered, and stormed and rained down 1, 2, even 3-inches of rain. Flooded streets overflowing curbs into yards. A most welcome sight. As I slowly made my way out in this afternoon's heavy downpour, I came to a near stop to slowly navigate the flooding in Ballast Point. It's a beautiful place to live and play, just yards off the open bay, but street drainage is not its big selling point. Caution. Stop sign ahead. Underwater. It'll drain off pretty fast and the old brick and asphalt will sizzle and stream as the sun slowly breaks through. Maybe. But who's complaining about a little shower. Ah, old Florida. Just keep those rain clouds coming.Monday, May 18, 2009
Ask for RAIN and the skies open up.
This is still one of Tampa's prettiest and oldest neighborhoods and because of its lack of sidewalks, curbs and fancy street-striping, it still, thankfully, has the look and feel of old Florida. That's why these folks love to live here. It's a not a well-known place to many newcomers who call Tampa home, especially if they never ever travel south of Gandy and follow Interbay as it meanders along its brick pavers to this intersection. Low-hanging, moss-draped oak trees and sleepy lanes are close by the horse stables, Ballast Point Park and the Tampa Yacht & Country Club founded on the Hillsborough Bay in 1904. It is one of the sleepiest, quietest and least-traveled roads. Its low traffic count and out-of-the-way nature are why most everyone would agree it's near perfect. Don't change a thing. Certainly don't improve it. As so many of us in Tampa endure the current drought, we've been anxiously awaiting the Summer rains that begin in June. But as we watch helplessly as our yards and plants die, we find ourselves begging for the skies to open up and dump buckets of rain on us. Well, yesterday and today we got the deluge. Hours of rain. It thundered, and stormed and rained down 1, 2, even 3-inches of rain. Flooded streets overflowing curbs into yards. A most welcome sight. As I slowly made my way out in this afternoon's heavy downpour, I came to a near stop to slowly navigate the flooding in Ballast Point. It's a beautiful place to live and play, just yards off the open bay, but street drainage is not its big selling point. Caution. Stop sign ahead. Underwater. It'll drain off pretty fast and the old brick and asphalt will sizzle and stream as the sun slowly breaks through. Maybe. But who's complaining about a little shower. Ah, old Florida. Just keep those rain clouds coming.
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5 comments:
Wonderful post Frank! Up here we call it the "other Florida". We got that same deluge yesterday and now everything is nice and green again. It turned chilly though, I passed a bank sign on my way home from work at 5:00 that said 54 degrees! I'm sure the heat will be back soon enough.
When it rains, it pours. We're getting the same thing and now flood watches are posted for Marion County. We needed it badly, though, so I'm not complaining.
Well, my house is on high ground, so that helps, too.
Don't be offended but this time your prose was no match for the photo, a good illustration of a very interesting and amusing post.
Your description of the rain and what happens after sounds a lot like Manila. But I don't think we have old neighborhoods this sleepy, quiet and beautiful.
It looks just like here. We are making up for the draught in three days.
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