Let’s plan the weekend May 31st – June 2nd

 

Grand Fiestsa Parade tonight at 7pm at 2121 W. Intendencia St, Pensacola. Beads, bands, and floats. In addition to the dozens of local krewes parading , special appearances will be made by a masked DeLuna LXX, his queen and their court. I read that it gets pretty busy so plan to be there by 6pm.
64th Annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival in Fort Walton Beach. May 31st – June 3rd. It is a weekend PACKED with fun stuff. It kicks off at 3pm today and ends when the fireworks are done. Be sure to look on line for more information, copy and past the link http://www.billybowlegspiratefestival.com/ This years theme is Booty Calls. They will have a parade on June 3rd at 7pm. Come as you are or dress up! There is something for everyone at this weekend festival!
June 1st at Andrews Square in Wellborn from 7am to 3pm. They will have arts & crafts, festival foods, children activities, blueberries and blueberry plants, local entertainment, pancake breakfast, country store, live animal show and more.
June 1st from 8am to 12pm Poplar Head Farmer’s Market is having opening day! It is at 126 N St Andrews Street, 36301.
Gainer Blueberry Farm $10 a gallon. Because of the extreme heat in May the blueberries ripened sooner then expected so tomorrow is the first day this season. Hurricane Michael took a lot of their shade trees in the parking lot so it is no longer a shady place to park while picking. The hours are on this photo and the address is 2876 Orange Hill Road in Chipley.
The grand opening of The Lazy Acres Family Farm- Farm Store will be June 1st from 3pm to 7pm. Located at 4318 Lafayette St in Marianna. The ribbon cutting will be at 3:30pm. They will have fresh from the farm: soap, candles, raw honey, pork chops, pork sausage, steaks, and ground beef.

As always the weekends during the summer in the panhandle are full of events. Here are just 6 of them. I hope at least one of these is something you and your family and/or friends want to attend. If you are having something going on that you would like to pass on for me to share please email me at debson1999@gmail. com and be sure to put “blog” in the subject line. Enjoy your weekend and remember sunscreen and plenty of fluids. The temperature is cooler then last week but still in the 90’s!

 

May 31 – June 6th Sales Tax Hoilday

October 10, 2018 is a date everyone in the Florida Panhandle remembers. Hurricane Michael hit our counties hard at a category 5. It was the 3rd strongest hurricane every recorded to hit the US. Almost 8 months later and we are still trying to rebuild. Most of us were without power for close to a month. So we have already bought generators and gas cans. However for those new to the area, this is a great time to buy one. Hurricane season starts this Saturday June 1st. The 2019 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. The sales tax holiday begins tomorrow, Friday May 31st and extends through Thursday June 6th. You can click the link below for more information. This is for everyone in the state of Florida not just the Panhandle.

As I read the list of things that are tax exempt I thought of a few more things I used daily that were not on this list that I plan to add to this years hurricane kit. Heavy duty lawn trash bags, we went through boxes of those during clean up and they can also be used as a temporary tarp if needed. Wet wipes, with no water for those on city water we got dirty from clean up and the heat from no ac made us all need personal wipes of some kind. Also when the trees went down so did the bee hives and we were swarmed and those ants were everywhere. So bug spray, for the air and for yourself. This tax break is a great time for everyone in Florida to get a hurricane plan in place. Be proactive and prepare early!

FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep

Vacation Bible Schools

Vacation Bible School often referred to as VBS. Many of the local churches host VBS during the summer months. Very few of them require you to attend that church to participate and all that I have ever heard of are free. Most need volunteers as well. Here are just a few I saw when looking through FB this morning. However if you attend a church you may want to contact them and ask if they are having one your child can attend.

VBS ‘In The Wild hosted by FBC Blountstown. June 2nd to June 6th from 5 pm to 8pm. 16693 SE Pear St. Pre-register at 5:45pm May 29th. For potty Trained 3 year olds – 5th Grade Finishers. For more information copy and paste here: bit.ly/vbs2019inthewild
VBS The Wacky World of Water hosted by Holmes Valley Community Church in Vernon, July 15th to July 19th from 5:30 pm to 8:30pm. 3685 Reno Drive. To pre-register call Erin @(334)791-4115. For ages 3 to 11 years. For more information check FB or contact the church.
VBS Roar! Hosted by Shiloh Baptist Church in Chipley. June 10th to June 14th from 8:30am to 12:00pm. 1976 Shiloh Lane. Pre-register begins May 20th. For ages 4 -6th grade. For more information copy and paste here: www.shilohbaptist.net/vbs

 

Paddling in Franklin County

Did you know that 80 percent of Franklin County’s 545 square miles are publicly owned, preserved wilderness areas? There are more than 40 designated State Paddling Trails across the state of Florida. These interconnected trials wind their way through the Sunshine State’s rivers, lakes and along the coastal shoreline.  You can float on calm pristine rivers by canoe or do a long-distance sea kayak adventure along remote coastlines. No matter what “floats your boat,” the Forgotten Coast has something for every paddler! Great news, you don’t have to take your own kayak, paddleboard or canoe. There are plenty of paddling rental businesses across Franklin County! https://www.floridasforgottencoast.com/

 

Memorial Day

This a Veterans Memorial Plaza in Apalachicola. The highlight of the plaza is the bronze replica statue, known as the Three Soldiers, Detail. The original stands on the National Mall in Washington DC’s Constitution Gardens. The sculpture depicts a realistic image of Vietnam servicemen from various ethnic backgrounds and is a symbol of their courage and devotion to their country. Learn more at http://www.threeservicemenstatuesouth.org/
The 4th Annual Pensacola Memorial Day concert honors and reflects the bravery and sacrifice of American veterans and members of the U.S. Armed Services. The concert begins at 5 p.m. at the Hunter Amphitheatre at Community Maritime Park behind the Blue Wahoos Stadium. Concert goers should bring blankets or lawn chairs to enjoy the concert. The concert is free and remember to bring chairs or blankets for outdoor seating. Several vendors will be onsite with food and beverage available for purchase. For more information, please visit www.pensacolaremembers.org/

As we spend time with family and friends this Memorial Day, let us remember the courageous men and women who sacrificed their lives for this great nation. Thank you for your selfless devotion. 🇺🇸

Free Blues Concerts at Maritime Park in Pensacola

Tonight from 6pm to 8pm at the Community Maritime Park in Pensacola “Not Quite Fab” will be preforming your favorite Beatles songs! They have been doing Beetles shows since 2001.

Pack your coolers, don’t forget your lawn chairs, and join them at the Hunter Amphitheater for the Blues Angel Music Blues on the Bay Concert Series. All shows are free and family friendly. Check the website for the schedule for the summer. Here are the dates for the Blues on the Bay Concert Summer Concert Series: June 9, June 23, July 7, July 21, July 28, August 11, and August 18. They have a different band for each date.

https://www.facebook.com/bluesonthebaypensacola/

Pitt Spring Recreation Area partially reopening

If you are going out this weekend sunscreen, shade, and lots of water is on the schedule for sure! It is going to be hot. Here is a place to hopefully help you keep cool. Pitt Spring Recreation area is now open. Located along State Road 20 in Bay County. You can swim, picnic, and enjoy nature along Econfina creek. Today May 25th at 8am they are reopening for the 1st time since Hurricane Michael. They will only be open on weekends for weekend use until the repairs are completed. Due to the extensive damage only the parking lot, general recreation area at the spring, temporary restrooms and dock will be open. The boardwalks and walking trails to Sylvan and Williford Springs remain closed. No lifeguards on duty and no pets except service dogs. Be sure to check out the link below for more information.

www.waltonoutdoors.com

Dogs and heat

If you live in the Panhandle I am sure you have heard we are going to have record high’s this weekend. This blog isn’t so much about just our Panhandle but for dogs everywhere. I just wanted to post a few reminders about caring for your pet during the heat. I know we all watch out for heatstroke during the summer in our human loved one’s but do you know what to watch for in you dog? Here are a few photos with advice. Hope it helps. And don’t forget to take care of yourself too, be sure to drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen/hats, and find shade where you can!

On hot days rolling the windows down and parking in the shade doesn’t stop dogs from getting heatstroke. I know we all love to take our dogs with us but when it is really hot consider leaving them home or at least taking them inside with you.
A dog’s normal temperature is 101 degrees. This has some good ideas and things to keep an eye on to prevent heat stroke for you fur baby!
7 seconds rule. Press the back of your hand on against the asphalt for 7 seconds. If it is too hot for your hand, it is too hot for your dog’s paws! Try and walk your dog during the coolest parts of the day.

 

Graceville Public Library~free book

I LOVE this! If you are in the panhandle and you have a kid, adult, and/or family who loves to read, be sure to call the number on this photo (soon) and reserve a FREE copy of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe! Then you can attend the event on June 25th for a discussion and supper! This is open to all ages and is at the Graceville Jackson County Public Library. Pick up for the book is June 1st. The public library is such a great resource for getting to learn things about your area and meeting new people, no matter where you live.

FARM DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM 5-22 7PM

For more information about this meeting contact the Jackson Extension office @ 850-482-9620.  Hope you are all having a good start to the week! I am trying to find things locally that will help you where you live and where you are looking to live. I saw this and thought I would pass it on for those living in the Florida Panhandle and are farmers. There will be a meeting to explain the Disaster Bridge Loan program and the Sales Tax Refund Program. This will be a great opportunity for farmers to learn about the programs from the agency representatives who will administer them. The meeting is going to be held at the UF IFAS Extension Office in Jackson County. It is located at 2741 Penn Ave suite 3 in Marianna. Wednesday May 22nd at 7pm.https://floridadisasterloan.org/