Seacrest Wolf Preserve

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Seacrest Wolf Preserve is located at 3449 Bonnett Pond Rd. in Chipley. You can email them at seacrestwolfpack@yahoo.com and call them at (850) 773-2897. The office is open Monday-Friday 9:30am to 5:00pm. Click on the link to be directed to the website. https://www.seacrestwolfpreserve.org/visitor-information

Seacrest Wolf Preserve offers an unforgettable, educational experience where visitors encounter wolves. This rare and immersive experience allows guests to come face to face with the Seacrest Wolf Ambassadors as they learn important scientific information about this amazing keystone species.They offer several different types of educational tours by reservation only. Seacrest Wolf Preserve is working hard to equip the public with knowledge to become better advocates through their educational programs. The goal is to raise the awareness of the visitors of the urgent needs of wolf conservation that have become extremely immediate. Founded by Cynthia and Wayne Watkins in 1999, Seacrest Wolf Preserve, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to wolf and wildlife conservation. What began as a small rescue effort has now grown to a large preserve focused on education, which is home to 30 wolves (Gray Wolves, Arctic-Type Wolves, and British Columbian Wolves) and a variety of small native species, including a coyote, foxes, raccoons, skunks and foxes. At Seacrest, they teach people about wolves, create awareness of the importance of wolves to their ecosystems and dispel the myths that have been associated with this keystone species for far too long. This wonderful preserve uses science-based educational tours in order to help aid in conservation efforts and bring a better awareness and understanding of wolves.

If ever you’ve wanted to get nose-to-nose with a wolf and have the photo documentation to prove it, then head on over to Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Florida.

Saturday, February 29th

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This Saturday, Feb. 29th is the last Saturday of February and also since this is a leap year it is the 29th which only happens in February every 4 years! It is starting to get busy in the panhandle and below are some things that should be fun for everyone. Pets, drinking, shopping, beach clean ups, vegan, and art! As always below each photo is the details for each event. Have a great Saturday!

 

The Market at St. Andrews will host its 4th annual Salty Dog Day event, celebrating all things dog in Salty St. Andrews, Saturday, Feb. 29, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. This dog-friendly event is an extension of The Market at St. Andrews with proceeds benefiting Bonnie’s Purpose and Operation Spay Bay. The market will include dog merchandise vendors, veterinarians, groomers, a shot clinic, a microchip booth, treat stations, dog play area, food, music, shopping and entertainment, as well as blessing of the dogs, adoptions, a Pup Crawl throughout St. Andrews, a silent auction, raffles, and so much fun for dogs and their humans. Salty Dog Mayor Riley will be in attendance to meet and greet her constituents.
Tallahassee Vegan/Vegetarian Community is proud to present the 6th Annual North Florida VegFest! It will be held on Saturday, February 29 2020, at the beautiful Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. From 10am-4pm. With a focus on healthy, sustainable, and compassionate living, this FREE & FUN festival highlights the many benefits and flavors of eating plant-based food! It’s open to everyone, so be sure to bring along friends & family. Tom Brown is dog-friendly, so leashed dogs are welcome. North Florida VegFest will include speakers, cooking demos, food vendors, healthy living and eco-friendly vendors, animal sanctuaries, non-profits, kids activities, free yoga, and free vegan food samples!
From 11am to 3pm at The Little Mustard Seed on 437 Harrison Avenue in Panama City they will have a soft opening. They may not be 100% ready, but they are 100% ready to open the doors and see all of their friends & customers again. Open 4 hours starting at 11:00 a.m. to make sure everything is working before our Pop Up Panama City Makers Market in March.
SpringHill Suites, Hampton Inn and Bikini Beach resort are teaming up for a beach cleanup and a learning experience with FWC, Audubon Florida, PCB Turtle Watch and Keep PCB Beautiful. Volunteers will be able to check in at Bikini Beach Resort, SpringHill Suites or Hampton Inn. After the beach cleanup SpringHill Suites by Marriott will host a BBQ for all volunteers with live music. This is from 10am to 12pm.
From 9am to 5pm at the Zen Garden Art Market located in Panama City Beach at 707 Richard Jackson Blvd. Once a month, the Zen Garden Art Market will showcase new and upcoming local artists and help promote talent by exposing their work. The goal of the Zen Garden Art Market is to help publicize new and diverse talent that wouldn’t normally be seen in the area. It gives artists a chance to get exposure and experience on what it would be like to distribute and share their work with likeminded people within the community. Every market will also benefit a charity organization of choice. They will have an information booth on the organization and collect donations. Artists will also have the option to donate a percentage of their sales to the organization. The organization of choice for February is the LGBTQ Center of Bay County. Since Hurricane Michael, artists have struggled with finding a new place to connect and integrate within an art collective, and Zen Garden has offered its space to be a new place of coming together, as it always has been. Parking: there are two parking lots, one on each side of the property. There is extra parking next door in front of JUST JUMP on the corner of Richard Jackson Blvd and Hutchinson Blvd.

Friday, Feb 28th~The Circus is coming to Marianna!

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The circus is coming, the circus is coming, the circus is coming to town! This Friday, Feb. 28th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Jackson County Agriculture Center located at 3631 HWY 90 in Marianna. A Real Circus under the Big Top is coming with one Spectacular performance. You can purchase tickets at the Circus entrance or at https://zerbinifamilycircus.com/ $15 per adult. Each paid adult can take two kids free with the coupon in the photo in this blog.The coupon is good for two kids ages 4–12 , kids 3 and under get in free and do not need a ticket, additional children $10 per child, No need to print the coupon. Just save the picture to your phone and show it at the entrance. FOR THE BEST SEATS ARRIVE EARLY! GENERAL ADMISSION SEATING. All seating is General Admission, First Come, First Served. Seating is limited to the full capacity of the show site. All tickets are honored up to the full capacity. In the event of a ‘Sold Out’ or once the full capacity has been reached, tickets will be honored at a subsequent performance.

 

Wheels & Water at Compass Lake~Feb 28, 29, and March 1st

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2020 Wheels & Water Show will be held at 645 Compass Lake Dr. in Alford from 9am to 6pm on Feb 28th, 29th, and March 1st.

They are all about the Off-road community and supporting Wild Life & Habitat Rehabilitation. The show will raise much needed funding and all will have a great time. The event offers fun contests, awesome food, great vendors and entertainment, and also a 50 acre challenge course. So if you like to go wheeling or play on one of our rivers or lakes, then this is the place for you. Tickets are on sale now and onsite lodging is open for reservations. And yes they do have RV and hook up or conventional camping with showers!  Buy your tickets today at 4x4h2o.com

4x4h2o.com was founded by Chuck Unkle and his wife Beth, the idea was to bring the off-road community together through, fellowship, team building, and experiences. They also support wildlife and habitat rehabilitation programs everywhere they can. They will explain more on this in their videos coming out soon on their website.

 

Deer Safety~tips to avoid a accident

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In Jackson County, Florida Highway Patrol has seen two fatal accidents involving deer in the last two months. Troopers say car crashes with deer or animals are common in Northwest Florida. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about one million car accidents involving deer happen each year, killing about 200 people. In Washington County alone, troopers say one in six accidents involve hitting an animal.

Drivers should be aware and attentive when driving where deer are known to cross. “If you’re driving on a four-lane highway, then I would recommend that you stay on the inside lane as opposed to the outside lane if you’re in a rural area where you think you might encounter deer. I would recommend you don’t do anything to startle the deer,” said Lieutenant Robert Cannon, the public affairs officer for the Florida Highway Patrol.
And when asked what if the worst happens and a deer does run in front of your car? Lieutenant Cannon said “Honestly what I would recommend is that you don’t brake, you continue to drive through the deer. Your safety comes ahead of the animal.”

Below are 7 tips to help you know what to do when driving and a deer comes in contact with your vehicle or trying to avoid a deer contacting your vehicle.

1.If a collision is inevitable, if you get the proverbial “deer in the headlights” look from a deer and you know you can’t stop, plow through without hitting the brakes. It is intuitive to want to stop, but often at highway speeds, it cannot be done. Braking will dip the front end of the vehicle and increase the chances the deer will come up the hood and through the windshield. 2. Pay attention to deer crossing signs. 3. Stay alert if you spot a deer. Deer tend to travel in packs – so if you see one deer, slow down and proceed with caution. Even if you spot a deer on the side of the road or surrounding areas, remember that there could be others about to cross your path. 4.Don’t be afraid to use your horn. Animals have a tendency to run when you really lay on your horn, which can often make them get in gear and move.  5. Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer. Do not swerve to avoid a deer collision. By swerving you put yourself at risk for a worse collision with another vehicle or running off the road. Swerving often leads to hitting a fixed object, especially a tree. 6. Get comprehensive coverage for your car. Did you know that physical damage to your car as a result of something other than a collision with another vehicle might not be covered by standard car insurance? With comprehensive car insurance, you will receive additional coverage and protection for car accidents involving animals. 7.Be cautious while driving during dusk or dawn. Deer are most active during sunrise and sunset. Ensure that you and your passengers are wearing seat belts at all times, even in the back seat, just in case you have to make a sudden stop. Use your high-beam headlights when there are no oncoming cars. Deer are hard to see early in the morning and at dusk, your bright lights will help pick up a deer’s eye to give you advanced warning time.

Drive safe!

Leap Year

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This year February has 29 days rather than 28. It’s what is known as a leap year. Do you know why leap years exist? Because it takes the Earth 365.24 days to orbit the sun. That time adds up! So to keep the calendar right we have leap years!

Leap years are years where an extra, or intercalary, day is added to the end of the shortest month, February. The intercalary day, February 29, is commonly referred to as leap day. Leap years have 366 days instead of the usual 365 days and occur almost every four years.

Leap years in the western calendar were first introduced over 2000 years ago by Roman general Julius Caesar. The Julian calendar, which was named after him, had only one rule: any year evenly divisible by four would be a leap year. This formula produced too many leap years, causing the Julian calendar to drift apart from the tropical year at a rate of 1 day per 128 years. This was not corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar more than 1500 years later, when a number of days were skipped to realign our calendar with the seasons.

There is an official Leap Day cocktail and it’s called…the Leap Day Cocktail! This colorful cousin of the martini was invented by pioneering bartender Harry Craddock at London’s Savoy Hotel in 1928. According to the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, “It is said to have been responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail ever mixed”. Whether or not you’re in the market for a freshly soused spouse, you can make your own Leap Day cocktail with Craddock’s original recipe:
1 dash lemon juice
2/3 gin
1/6 Grand Marnier
1/6 sweet vermouth
Shake, serve, garnish with a lemon peel, and enjoy the flood of bittersweet flavors. It’s like a marriage, in your mouth!

10th Annual Apalachicola Mardi Gras Barkus Parade~Feb 22nd

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  St. George Island is ranked at the TOP of Florida’s most pet friendly beaches! Bring your pet have fun let loose and enjoy the day with like minded animal loving folks! The 10th Annual Apalachicola Mardi Gras Barkus Parade. Saturday, February 22rd, 2020 11am-4pm
Riverfront Park in Apalachicola. The theme is: Surf Dogs USA… and they expect guests will be excited by the choice that reflects local coastal character. It offers lots of possibilities for costumes and decorating. Join them in celebrating all the fun of Mardi Gras with dogs! The festivities will start at 11:00 am at Riverfront Park with live entertainment, local food vendors and a variety of arts and craft vendors to enjoy while strolling through the park. The parade begins at 1:00pm. In the tradition of the Mystic Krewe of Salty Barkers, profits from the parade will be donated to help care for the animals of the Forgotten Coast of Florida. Beneficiaries have included Franklin County Humane Society, the Florida Wild Mammal Association and the Apalachicola Dog Park. They greatly appreciate the support of the local businesses and families who sponsor the Krewe in its tradition of charity and service to the animals.

For additional information call 850-670-5064 or apalachdogs@gmail.com.

Lazy Acres Farm~Feb 22nd

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The Lazy Acres Family Farm located on 6512 Americus Road in Marianna from 10am to 4pm this Saturday, Feb, 22nd is a great place to be. Family fun & games, hayride, feed milling demonstration, visit the Farm Store and much more! No cost to attend. They will have popcorn, drinks and snacks available for sale. Also, the Farm Store will be open for business!

Shop, sip, and enter to win great baskets~Feb. 22

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This Saturday, Feb. 22nd in the heart of St. Andrews two local small business owners are coming together to put on an amazing shopping event, it’s going to be a must see. This event will be held at The Blissful Cottage located at 1310 Beck Ave. in Panama City from 10am to 5pm.

Come browse the selection of Fusion paint and the unique furniture pieces The Blissful Cottage has to offer – you can’t find this anywhere close to Bay County. Grab a bubbly drink and sip while you shop the clothing line featured by J. Kelley Designs – if you love trendy and amazing quality clothing items this is going to be the event to go to. As both business owners have a big heart – The event would not be complete without a raffle to win THREE basket options full of goodies including gift certificates and 100% of the proceeds to be donated to our local animal refuge : Alaqua!!

It’s going to be a fun day to shop local and show your support!

Harry Potter Trivia Night~Feb 20th

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Harry Potter Trivia Night!! They will be having a trivia game night at Milk & Honey Soft Serve & Coffee Shop on Thursday, February 20th at 6pm. Each round will be filled with questions from the Harry Potter Series. Prizes will be given to each winner. You don’t want to miss out! The address is 4767 Highway 90, Ste E in Marianna.