Pre-Pandemic Major Carl T. Langford Park

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This sketch is from my series of sketches of Orlando’s significant trees. An Orlando parks department map shows seven locations around Orlando of Significant trees and so I was going to each location to sketch. Carl T. Langford Park (1808 East Central Boulevard, Orlando FL) is a natural refuge near Downtown Orlando, filled with Large Shumard Oak, Swamp Chestnut and Laurel and live Oaks. I had 3 more trees to sketch before the pandemic shut the city down.

One location was Harry P. Leu Gardens which remains open daily but I refuse to enter a crowded botanical garden during a pandemic. The  Gardens are still open until further notice. All events,
classes, memorials, weddings and meetings have been canceled through
April 30. The gift shop will close starting Friday, March 20, 2020. The
historic museum remains closed due to hurricane damage that has yet to be fully repaired.The idea that this park remains open astounds me.

A photographer set up a swing on a tree and was taking family photos as I did this sketch. The mom in a flowing red dress was pregnant. She posed with her husband and her two small children.  There was so much love and hope in the photo shoot. I am hoping there was enough social distancing during the shoot. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable sketching outside, but the pandemic had not yet been officially announced yet. That wouldn’t happen until March 13, 2020.

Researchers in Washington state who are studying the spread of COVID-19,
are now saying Florida is expected to see the worst of the outbreak about April 21, instead of the beginning of May. As of April 26, 2020 there were 1074 deaths in Florida with 31,528 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Projections show between 18,000 people dying of the virus in Florida or as little as 1,700 deaths depending on how well people adhere to social distancing measures. To date, 30 people have died in Orange County with 1290 confirmed cases.

#StayHome, #StopTheSpread, #SaveLives.

Leu Gardens Crowds: Business as Usual

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In 2017, Hurricane Irma blew through Central Florida blowing down a tree that damaged the roof of this historic Leu Garden Museum. The upper floors were water damaged. The historic museum has been closed for the past three years for restoration and repairs. At this time, there is no reopen date. The gardens however are open for business as usual.

While restaurants, bars, beaches, and Florida State Parks have been shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Orlando has for some reason left Harry P. Leu Gardens open. The city said it will close all city-owned and operated
playgrounds and the swan boats at Lake Eola Park at 5 p.m. Monday 3/23/2020 until
further notice, but Leu Gardens continues to draw big crowds. Last weekend 400 to 500 people crushed into the gardens each day to escape cabin fever. The gardens have replaced Orlando’s sports stadiums for people to crowd together.

Leu Gardens volunteers and staff are working hard to wipe down the surfaces in the gift shop and entry hall but it is hard to keep up. It seems extreme to expect Garden staff to risk their lives in the face of a pandemic for the City of Orlando. Things might not be so bad if people were practicing social distancing, but they are not. As one expert said, “If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make all Americans
freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart,
epidemiologists say, the whole epidemic would sputter to a halt.” It is human nature to want to hug and shake hands to greet friends, or to hold each other tight when grieving a loss.

“Our outdoor facilities, such as our city parks, Leu Gardens and
Dubsdread Golf Course are open to the public, but residents must follow
necessary social distancing measures while there,” said Karyn Barber, a
city spokeswoman. “We encourage residents to use these facilities
responsibly to get fresh air and exercise, which are important for
physical and mental health always, but especially during this uncertain
time.” I am left wondering, who enforces responsible social distancing? Does this responsibility fall on Leu Gardens staff?

Florida State Governor Ron DeSantis wants to avoid a state-wide lock down leaving local governments to decide what should close and what should remain open. DeSantis still believes targeting the counties hardest hit by the Covid-19 for the most extreme measures is the preferable path.

The Florida Department of Health said Monday 3/23/2020 that there are now 1,171 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Florida with 14 deaths. I put 14 caskets in my sketch in their honor. Stay home, Stay safe.

Central Florida Camellia Society 72nd Annual Show and Festival

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Pam Schwartz and I went to Mead Gardens (1300 S. Denning Drive Winter Park, Fl) for the The Camellia Society of Central Florida’s annual flower show featuring award-winning blooms from Central Florida and the southeastern United States. Of course all the beauty was to be found in the microscopic details in each individual bloom on display. Each vibrant bloom was in a tiny glass vase with a label to note what type of bloom it was. Larger place cards with capital A, B, and C grouped the blooms together.

I was more interested in capturing peoples’ gestures as they admired and photographed the blooms. Some men were stoic with crossed arms, while women might lean forward to get as close as possible. More flowers and plants could be found outside on this gorgeous day.

74th Annual Camellia Show and Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Orlando Garden Club Clubhouse at Loch Haven Park (710 E. Rollins St., Orlando, FL (between Advent Health and US 17). The event is free and Open to the public.

Camellia Show from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Plant Sale  from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

2020 Camellia Show Activity Schedule

7am – 10 a.m. Enter camellia blooms (ANYONE)!  Volunteers available to assist with registration. (Location: Orlando Garden Club)

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Camellias plants for sale.  (Location: Clubhouse Area)

10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Camellia 101 Class – Robert Bowden, director of the City of Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens (Locations: in Clubhouse Library)

1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Camellia Show is officially OPEN to the public.  See thousands of competition blooms up close! (Location: Orlando Garden Club

4 p.m. Camellia Show closes

Harry P Leu Gardens House Museum

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Kathy Miller Patages organized Weekly Paint and Sketch, a local sketch group that held a sketch outing to Harry P Leu Gardens (1920 North Forest Avenue Orlando, FL), and I decided to stop out on this sunny hot day to sketch. I never did notice any other sketchers, but I focused on the task at hand to capture the historic home.

Harry P Leu Gardens is an amazing 50-acre botanical oasis minutes from Downtown
Orlando. Each garden is designed specifically to further their mission:
inspire visitors to appreciate and understand plants. The garden and
historical home were donated to the City of Orlando in 1961 by Mr. Harry
P. Leu and his wife, Mary Jane Leu.

The roof of the Leu Home was still covered with a blue tarp because a tree limb had crashed through the roof of the home during Hurricane Irma. I had helped Orange County Regional History Museum staff one day as they volunteered to help the Gardens move bedroom furniture in the upstairs bedroom, so that it would not be further damaged by the rain leaking through the roof. It was an easy enough task, but a drop in the bucket compared to all the damage done. The smell of wet mold already was prevalent upstairs. The home repairs had to wait while the damage repair in the garden kicked into high gear after the storm. The gardens lost 175 trees, mostly hickory and magnolias, to the storm. 100 volunteers and staff helped clear up the debris.

As of May 2018, Leu Gardens was still seeking contractors to do exterior repairs to the historic home. Needed were replacements of structural members, siding, re-roofing of all shingled areas and repainting of the structure. The Leu House Museum is a restored 19th century home that was added to
the National Register of Historic Places in December 1994. The museum
was closed because storm damage by Hurricane Irma and has since reopened, but repairs are ongoing.

Leu Gardens Gallery

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I decided to participate in a one night art
exhibit at Harry P. Leu Gardens (320 Ferncreek Avenue Orlando
Fl). I framed a sketch of a Rainbow illuminated dinosaur that I did at the Orlando Science Center.
I sketched the entry outside the gallery as artists checked their work in. The
evening had some complimentary food and drink, so that made it a nice social
hour. We all had to take our work back home when things wrapped up.

Many of the paintings were by students. Of
course I am a student of life as well, and I want to learn something new every
day. Each painting in the show had a small box where guest’s cold vote for
their favorite piece. I joked that it would be easy to stuff those ballot
boxes. The person I was there with was upset and appalled at the suggestion,
but I still think it is the American way.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for June 16th and 17th

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Saturday June 16, 2018

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Orlando’s 2nd Annual Solutionary Peace Walk and Festival. Lake Eola Park. Orlando’s Solutionary Peace Walk is back for another great day of
celebrating peace, health, and compassion! Mark your calendar for June
16th to come by the beautiful Lake Eola Park in Orlando to meet amazing
eco-friendly and compassionate vendors and join other peaceful people in
a walk around Lake Eola Park.  Donations for the walk
are welcome.

Featuring a peaceful and educational 1 mile walk
around Lake Eola Park, amazing vegan food, live music, knowledgeable
speakers, yoga, educational exhibitors, eco-friendly vendors, activities
for youth, and more!

This event is brought to you by Solutionary
Events, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational outreach organization with a
mission to create healthy, compassionate, and sustainable communities
through coordinating socially responsible vegan events all throughout
the state of Florida and beyond. Donations are tax-deductible and very
much appreciated!

4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free. Cruisin’ Downtown DeLand Car Show! East Indiana Ave Downtown  Deland FL. Classic cars & rods. Live DJ, giveaways, shopping and dining. Fun for the family! Every 3rd Saturday night!

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free. Improv Class – 8 weeks Improv Training Comedy Class. Orlando Public Library 100 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32801.

Time and space is running out for this summers Improv comedy class
starts Wednesday, June 13th At 6 PM and last for 8 weeks. ending with a
student showcase. This class is for teens and adults ages 13 and above.
The class takes place at the Orlando Library on the first-floor main
stage. Come learn the skills to unleash the improv within you. The class
teaches Short Form Improv in the style of the hit TV show “whose line
is it anyway” This class is taught by Improv Coach Matt Gervia, he has
taught this class for eight years. He is a founder of Power2improv,
Monster Lab, and of the Orlando Comedy Festival. Space is limited so
sign up with the Orlando Library or at Power2improv.com  This is the only
FREE eight-week improv training class in Florida.


Sunday June 17, 2018 Fathers Day

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission. Harry P. Leu Gardens1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, FL 32803 on Father’s Day. 

Noon to 5 p.m.  
Free admission for dad at Orange County Regional History Center 65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801 on Father’s Day. 

Noon to 3 p.m. Free admission Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. This is a great place to take Dad this Father’s Day. On Fathers Day
you can enjoy the music by Guitarist George Grosman as you explore the
historic home.

Valentine’s Concert at Leu Gardens.

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Pam Schwartz and I went to Harry P. Leu Gardens, (1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, FL 32803) to see a concert featuring  Ricky and the Buzzcatz. We packed a picnic basket and a couple off lawn chairs along with a sparkling red wine. Although members, we found out that the members parking lot was blocked off from use. Street parking was packed and we ended up parking a few blocks away on Iowa Place. Pam is from Iowa so that seemed a happy accident.

The stage was set up in front of a small hill which is usually set up as a botanical clock. Two red hearts made from illuminated tubes defined the heart shapes. Most of the stage lighting was red for the first set, and I stayed with the limited palette since I could barely see the sketch page. The songs in the first set were mostly mobster ballads by crooners like Frank Sinatra and  Tony Bennett. Between songs the musicians would occasionally break into the Godfather theme song and everyone was supposed to take a drink. The wine we had was sweet, bubbly and delicious so I looked forward to the Pavlovian Godfather theme.

I finished this sketch in the first set and when done, we broke open the picnic basket. It was an old school basket with the two hoop handles and a flip open hinged top. Those two handles however aren’t comfortable to hold. They pinch the palm as you carry it. We ended up lamenting not bringing the roller cooler (as it seems less romantic than a woven basket). Regardless we had a handsome feast of sandwiches and fruit.

The second set was far more lively with contemporary songs that got us up and dancing. Theatrical smoke billowed out from behind the stage and stage hands ran around with fans trying to contain and direct it. The evening’s billowing breezes had other plans and being close to the stage, we were engulfed. The sidewalks leading to the stage became the dance floor. Only occasionally would someone dance on the grass. One lady just darted around on the lawn, she was comical to watch. It was a very cool night, and I felt bad for the women who decided to dress in tight skirts and high heels. Pam and I tried a few spins and danced traditionally for the slow songs. We joked that we might knock another couple out with our gesturing. If I wasn’t  graceful, at least I was having fun.

A female singer sang “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. It was announced as an anthem for women but any man experiencing separation and a new life can be equally inspired to dance with abandon and conviction. When the music ended we all walked out of the gardens in formation. It was a fun night and Ricky and the Buzzcatz must be a very popular wedding band.

La La Land at Leu Gardens Outdoor Screening.

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Pam Schwartz and I went to Harry P. Leu Gardens (1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803) to enjoy an outdoor movie in a beautiful garden. We brought a lawn chair and Pam has a blue plastic inflatable wind bed that we affectionately call the blue vagina. A woman at the front of the crowd near the movie screen made quite a show of running around to inflate hers and it brought a cheer from the crowd when she finally got is sealed and set up.

The group in front of us had a dinner picnic basket, along with some fine wine. It was still light when I started the sketch, but by the time the movie started it was dark. A storm was forming on the horizon, complete with lightning. The storm never made it over the gardens but it threatened the entire time.

The movie was La La Land which got rave reviews and won several Oscars. The movie opened with an LA traffic jam which of course resulted in a song and dance. It was a love story which unfortunately didn’t have such a happy ending. (Spoiler Alert) The entire movie has you rooting for this young artistic couple and then your heart is ripped out at what could have been if they had compromised. Pam hated the ending but it seems true to life with its grey areas and the ecstatic moments of dancing in the air.

The next movie night is November 3, 2017 with the Gardens arrival time of 6:00 PM and the movie time at 7:30 p.m. Much time has been spent repairing hurricane damage to the plants in the park but the historic home smells of mold. The movie is Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. This movie is rated PG13. Under 13 years of age requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Garden Admission: $6 adult, $3 child (5-17 years of age) Admission is
collected at the door. Major credit cards accepted.  Leu Members
receive free admission, Membership Card and ID required.

Leu Gardens closes at the end of the movie.

Arrival
delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person’s sci-fi
that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a
terrific performance from Amy Adams. 

Movie Etiquette: For the enjoyment of all, please
place cell phones on silent during the movie and smokers may smoke in
the gardens away from the movie audience. Curbie’s Sidewalk Cafe will be selling great food and Peak Season Pops will be selling popsicles and popcorn.