Big Ideas

I’ve been reading the most amazing book. It gives the actual word for word translations of eyewitness accounts of the people who first discovered and explored the area where I now live.

Our history books are sorely lacking by omitting the Spanish contribution to the founding of our state. The hardships those explorers faced with amazing courage and determination are knight-like and their survival nothing short of miraculous.

However, despite the survival of a lucky few, many perished in the conquest of Florida. And the Indians of South Florida were no joke—they were violent, tall, muscled warriors that had no qualms about murdering any Spaniard through deceit and trickery. By the time the Spanish made it to the Gulf Coast, they’d learned of Pedro Menendez de Aviles and the way he conquered the Indians on the East Coast through cruel, ruthless force. They’d heard of the Spanish “habit” of capturing Indian women and children, as well as men, to live as slaves and interpreters.

When subsequent Spanish came around on the Gulf side to the tribe of the Calusa, the Calusa knew who they were, and were determined to kill them. The resultant years of bloodshed testify to the name that lingers for certain places in Florida today— Matanzas, which means “massacre.”

Juan Ponce de Leon himself was mortally wounded one an area very near my home. What history of his explorations, and others, remain all around me? I want to find out. I’m curious like that.

Even Naples still has part of a canal the ancient Indians of Florida dug, and the homeowners that live on that canal doubtless have no idea of its origins. That’s a shame, but they probably wouldn’t care anyway.

The experiences of various first-hand witnesses tell a fascinating story I had never heard in any Florida classroom, and it’s a shame. People have built homes right on top of many sites, burying history forever—most likely the result of ignorance.

Many mound sites on the Gulf Coast remained unspoiled, and untouched. I’m joining the SW FL Archeology Society, because they often get permission to dig.  All of this is extremely fascinating to me, and arouses a deep, soulful excitement to explore. I want to be a part of rediscovering Florida.

There’s even a lost town in Florida, did you know that? It’s located somewhere around here, and I hope it’s not covered up by a city. The town was comprised of Indian refugees that had fled to Havana when Menendez tore up the area near St Augustine, and fled back to the Gulf Coast when persecuted in Havana. The chief of the Calusa gave them permission to live in their own town, under his rule.


I’d love to find that city, and the journals of those first explorers describe the place and its approximate location.

I’ve discovered that many of the mounds and previous Indian inhabitations are overgrown with mangroves now (check out Ten Thousand Islands), making many of them inaccessible. But what if they aren’t TRULY inaccessible? What if someone found a way through the thick mangroves to the white shell mound footprint in the middle of the island?

Here’s a Google Earth view of Ten Thousand Islands:

I intend to try. Maybe I’ll create a YouTube documenting my attempts. Lol.

If any of you are interested in the history of your area, you can find old books that tell the real history of your state, and you’ll most likely find it’s nothing like you were taught in school.

I think it so interesting, and I have a new appreciation of what it meant to be an explorer in those times.

In other news, I did my first pour painting since we put the house up for sale (too big now that the kids have flown the nest). It didn’t turn out very good, but it’s growing on me:

Anyway, time to get ready for work. I have a five day break starting Wednesday!