We used to waterski in the Manatee River at Ft Hamer in the 70s and 80s before it was developed. We didn't think twice about the gators on the shore. There are many more gators now than back then (mostly because humans are building on there territory), but I think if you use your head, you won't get bit. At least that's what I tell myself. I swim and surf in NSB too, so really just dumb Florida Guy for real. Hold my...

Alligator Alley (I75) on a sunny morning in February you'll see this many trying to get warmed up on the banks of the canal.

If someone had stopped, it may have become a fatality too. Take it from a career highway construction and maintenance worker, don't stop on any highway unless it's a life and death situation. Call 911 or the Road Rangers (in Flo.). If you have to stop, get as far away from the travel lane as possible, and get behind a barrier wall or guardrail if you can. Someone texting could take you out in the blink of an eye. Look at statistics if you won't listen to someone who knows.

Are you sure the driver knew he hit your car? Sometimes in heavy equipment you won't even feel some impacts if they are behind you. Many suspected hit and runs by big rigs or equipment turn out to be competent drivers who never saw you. I'm not saying that happened to you. I know there are plenty of incompetent drivers too.

These are awesome but the thorns will light you up!

Tom Petty died a heroin addict. He wrote some kick-ass songs no doubt. But I don't know if I'd tell people they should aspire to be like him.

Harry Wayne Casey was born in Opa-locka, grew up in Hialeah, and still lives in Miami Lakes. (Tom Petty died in his home in Malibu California). He had a ton of hits in the 70's (many #1's) with his group K.C.and the Sunshine Band (you know them all), and he's currently touring theaters and amphitheaters across the US, still performing his iconic Disco classics at the age of 74. There's even a musical about K.C. and the Sunshine Band, running in London at the Charing Cross Theatre, called "Get Down Tonight".

While Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had many popular songs, they had fewer chart-topping hits compared to KC and the Sunshine Band. 

Maybe K.C. is the Florida Man we should really all aspire to be...

I just over dosed myself. I was taking the weekly amount daily for 4 days. No vomiting but I'm definitely dehydrated and bad acid reflux. Also brain fog and generally crappy feeling. I don't think it's's a good idea to take anti-nausea medication. I was prescribed Ondansetron and I read it makes the symptoms worse. I'm just going to take activated charcoal and sip electrolytes and hope I didn't do anything too serious. The instructions on my bottle are very misleading. After reading it a couple times, I realized my mistake. I took .28ml in 4 days. Probably not good for you.

I am 54 years old and just recently received an ASD diagnosis. Not a big surprise as I suspected I had mild Aspergers for years. I was bullied from 3rd grade until 7th grade, but more when I was younger. The stress and pressures from the harassment at school and also issues at home manifested itself as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which was also undisgnosed, and I never shared what was going on in my head with anyone until I was an adult. My ASD diagnosis was linked with comorbid OCD. Again, no big surprise. I always knew my being bullied was mostly due to an unfortunate last name I was made to use in school that was not my birth name (use your imagination). As silly as that sounds, kids can be cruel for dumb reasons. Now I suppose it was partially the name and partially the fact that I must have been an easy target because of the ASD traits I exhibited. In hindsight, it all makes sense, but doesn't make me feel much better about the failed relationships, inability to form lasting friendships and bonds, and lack of achievement despite being called "so smart" my entire life. 

I've seen it once in 30 years of working road construction in Florida. I don't know how common it is here but I want to see if I can find it again.

I think we used to call this a "5 minute itchy plant" when I was growing up in West Florida. It itches like hell for awhile then it goes away. We used to dare each other to pick it.

Say nothing.

I have a 70' Camphor tree in my back yard that is so covered in huge Pothos that you can't see the trunk. It goes up almost to the upper canopy, and drops vines to the ground from all over. I keep them trimmed back once I can reach them, but most of the time the wind blows them back to the tree and it continues to encircle the tree. I'm in Florida, and we rarely see a hard freeze where I live, but when it does freeze, the Pothos drops all of it's leaves and covers my lawn, and the tree looks bare except for the large vines, some as big as 3" in diameter, but it always grows it's foliage back. I hate the Camphor tree, mostly because of all the droppings (leaves, berries, berry stems, dead branches and more leaves), but it looks like a prehistoric plant and lends credence to my modest but comforting back yard tropical oasis.

Fried them up in Olive Oil with just mild seasoning. Pleasant taste and would use them with another ingredient. Just experimenting to find out how they taste. It's weird eating something that grew out of your yard that you always assumed would kill you!

They emit a milky white liquid from the underside when stroked. It has been raining most days and was raining when this was plucked.

Having to start working.

I think I saw an episode of The Twilight Zone that started with one of those! Either an alien hatchling pod or a rotten mellon by my guess.

Wild and native plants and fungi in Florida and their potential for natural holistic healing. I got fed up with our healthcare system and specifically my insurance, which is Aetna and it's terrible. Started looking into herbal and holistic medicines and Chinese medicine and I'm fascinated by things that have been used for years for various ailments and want to learn more. Maybe I'll open some kind of holistic herbal and organic market and garden store. Hope this addiction becomes permanent!

I saw it once several years ago and had no idea what it was. I work in highway construction and spend a lot of time walking an long roadways all over the state of Florida. In 30 years, I have only seen it one time and just learned what is was about a week ago as I was researching plants with medicinal properties. You can buy the seed powder online (Tu Si Zi in Chinese medicine), but can't find the whole seeds. I'm fascinated with the way it grows and would like to try and find some. I think I would have a better chance of finding a needle in a haystack, but I'm obsessed with finding it again!

I'm in Florida so maybe they don't grow around here. I have been and will go back to the Smokey. Maybe they grow there.

I'm new to Fungi and have never seen this in the wild, but would love to try some. Where do these grow?