It has been a while since I stopped at Dagny Johnson State Park on Card Sound Road, but when I recently had reason to drive to the mainland I planned a stop here with Cheyenne for a walk.
Florida's robber Governor has announced several ways he plans to improve the quality of life in the state, not by closing loopholes on the state sales tax laws but by cutting services to all and sundry. The state faces a budget deficit of less than four billion dollars, peanuts compared to the crises facing equally large states Up North and now we are supposed to lose all sorts of services that irritate Republicans- health benefits, medication supervision, clean water and boring stuff like that. Oh and several state parks have been targeted for closure too, including this one.
Gold medal winners? Yeah well, not for long apparently. Saving money here seems odd as this park isn't even staffed. I stuffed a five dollar bill in the honor box, twice the going rate, as I lacked $2:50 in smaller currency. Dagny Johnson is an unusual place in that it is a strip of land cut down the middle by a large paved street, one lane inbound and the other out, a massive freeway effectively for pedestrians, dogs and bicycles. The shrubbery on either side is amply labelled too. 
Cheyenne was enjoying the park.
I was enjoying the sky and the rising sun.
The road leads to a sort of traffic circle with an arbor in the middle and I have no clue where this came from or why.
Unlike the Governor I'm not at all keen to do away with it, whatever it is. 
And then I ask myself, not being a botanist, where else might I get this wealth of information, if not here? 
The bark didn't look particularly strong but I'm glad it wakes up tired Bahamian men. I have no doubt that the lack of TV and other diversions made Bahamian women exceptionally ferocious in decades past. 
The park is a rather narrow sliver and one gets the feeling the neighbors aren't entirely friendly.
The morning light was lovely, and it was fairly late too, around seven thirty. I am quite looking forward to the summer time change in ten days. Dark mornings are my friend, not least because my neighbors aren't awake when I get home from work.
Florida's robber Governor has announced several ways he plans to improve the quality of life in the state, not by closing loopholes on the state sales tax laws but by cutting services to all and sundry. The state faces a budget deficit of less than four billion dollars, peanuts compared to the crises facing equally large states Up North and now we are supposed to lose all sorts of services that irritate Republicans- health benefits, medication supervision, clean water and boring stuff like that. Oh and several state parks have been targeted for closure too, including this one.Gold medal winners? Yeah well, not for long apparently. Saving money here seems odd as this park isn't even staffed. I stuffed a five dollar bill in the honor box, twice the going rate, as I lacked $2:50 in smaller currency. Dagny Johnson is an unusual place in that it is a strip of land cut down the middle by a large paved street, one lane inbound and the other out, a massive freeway effectively for pedestrians, dogs and bicycles. The shrubbery on either side is amply labelled too. Cheyenne was enjoying the park.I was enjoying the sky and the rising sun.
The road leads to a sort of traffic circle with an arbor in the middle and I have no clue where this came from or why.
Unlike the Governor I'm not at all keen to do away with it, whatever it is. 
And then I ask myself, not being a botanist, where else might I get this wealth of information, if not here? 
The bark didn't look particularly strong but I'm glad it wakes up tired Bahamian men. I have no doubt that the lack of TV and other diversions made Bahamian women exceptionally ferocious in decades past. 
The park is a rather narrow sliver and one gets the feeling the neighbors aren't entirely friendly.
The morning light was lovely, and it was fairly late too, around seven thirty. I am quite looking forward to the summer time change in ten days. Dark mornings are my friend, not least because my neighbors aren't awake when I get home from work.
The useful labels came fast and furious:
Lacking any women around to lift their shirts obligingly I plunked myself down on the nearest bench after lifting my 85 pound Labrador up next to me. 
By then it was breakfast time so we strolled back to the car where I fished out supplies.
If, on rolling down Card Sound Road, closing in on Highway One, you see the famous arch, stop and check it out. If nothing else the loo is open apparently at all hours and that could be a handy thing. The Governor needs to re-think his strategy and weirdly enough Republicans in the state's part-time (!) legislature are asking him to do just that. Dagney Johnson is a hundred miles from my home and rather too far for frequent visits. I hope it will still be open when next I stop by. 
Lovely Card Sound Road looking north toward the Ocean Reef Club and Alabama Jack's, a long way away but in that general direction.
Lacking any women around to lift their shirts obligingly I plunked myself down on the nearest bench after lifting my 85 pound Labrador up next to me. 
By then it was breakfast time so we strolled back to the car where I fished out supplies.
If, on rolling down Card Sound Road, closing in on Highway One, you see the famous arch, stop and check it out. If nothing else the loo is open apparently at all hours and that could be a handy thing. The Governor needs to re-think his strategy and weirdly enough Republicans in the state's part-time (!) legislature are asking him to do just that. Dagney Johnson is a hundred miles from my home and rather too far for frequent visits. I hope it will still be open when next I stop by. 
Lovely Card Sound Road looking north toward the Ocean Reef Club and Alabama Jack's, a long way away but in that general direction.
10 comments:
I'll mail you ten bucks (Canadian, so that would be about $10.20 US), four times the going rate, to pull some of the vivifying bark off one of those bankrupt trees and mail it to me up north.
I will setup a paypal account and you can donate there (I bet there is one already).
We discovered this park back in 2005 by accident. I would be interested see what parks are slated to close. Do you have a link CS? FL State Parks are one of the best places we have as a resource in the state.
Dear Esteemed Friends and Conchscooter:
At this stage in my life, I wouldn't presume to speak for any US political party. For one reason, my knees are so bad that for me to sink that low, into the gutter, I'd have a hard time getting up again. Cutbacks to state park funding are made possible by the fact that these facilities have no lobby nor union to speak out for them. There will ne no strikes nor highly publicized demonstrations on their behalf. While it is true that there will be some finger-pointing in blogs like this one, none of you are going to camp out on the capital steps and shit in your pants over this issue.
However, big fucking corporate business has long since adopted the stance that it is good for their tarnished, whore-ish images to pay to put their names on sports arenas. This is a very popular move with shitbag banks who would fuck your grandmother out of three cents, if they had the chance. Why not start an action to get big business to sponsor state parks, instead of basketball arenas. It would cost less, support their bogus claims that they are socially responsible, and would actually be good for the economy.
Now I'd love to hear from people who'd rather tell me why this won't work, and how sitting around with their thumbs up their asses and complaining about Republican's is a better idea. You can always do both... And if you try and fail, then there is one more thing to legitimately bitch about.
Fondest regards,
Gus The Leper
119 Shithole Street, Trenton, NJ
Mr conchscooter:
you sure had to travel a long way to use the WC, but even if it closes you could use the moss side of the tree.
and Gus the Leper must be related to that old guy in PA. I'd recognize his handwriting anywhere.
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
They don't televise state parks for the large of butt who never leave their homes - save to stock up on pork rinds and watered-down shite which passes for beer in the US. No ad revenue - no benefit.
Mutual of Omaha's wild Kindgom is long gone.
Going to look at a Suzuki GS 1000 tomorrow,
chuck on fleming.
This repeat was for you Jeffrey. In the Keys Lignum Vitae Key is also scheduled to close. I talked to the boys (Wayne and Chuck) and we are going to get our asses over to the ferry (not the fairy; there will be enough of those in the expedition already) and take a ride out sometime I hope in the next couple of weeks.
Dear Gus, I have no children, I vote Democrat and don't get much in return but when I see Republicans cut public services, cut taxes to the rich and slam women's rights to abortions I rub my hands and shout "I told you so! There is a difference between Republicans and Democrats. Small it's true but significant. Figure it out for yourselves."
Even my colleagues as apathetic as they are, are starting to notice their Union represented benefits may be on the line soon. I live outside the blog and I am quite well aware that a man of many opinions has few friends so I cherish Jackie, your brother in Amish country all the more.
Dear Bob, here in the States as our Empire crumbles we are being told that our lower class lifestyle has to be sacrificed to placate the men of Wall Street. On our endless diet of sugar fat and salt we are complying because we know it's good for the House of Saud and our neighbors to the North whose currency keeps getting stronger. If we have to walk a hundred miles to take a crap it's all in the new spirit of self sacrifice brought about by poverty. We live to serve our masters in Manhattan, these days, as does our Government.
To lighten the mood a little....Should I assume that the sign for the Bahama Strongbark,the Bahama women using it to revive their "tired" men....they mean tired in the bedroom?????..and if so...where can I score some...!!!!
Buffalo Bill
Lignum Vitae Key and it's house I have seen only in video. Sad. It is one of those oddities of the Key's that all should see (and not just the debauchery of a Duval Crawl).
I am glad I did not vote for Scott. I thought then, and still do, think he is a crook. But the masses have spoken. Democracy is born instead of a consensus (imagine the champaign ads if that were the case).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagny_Johnson_Key_Largo_Hammock_Botanical_State_Park
this link provides a bit of history about what became Dagny Johnson Park, it was to have been a huge residential development called Port Bougainville (~2000 units). I wonder if the gateway is left over from that development. there are two links in the wiki article that shed some additional light on the history of the park. I have always meant to stop there and check it out on one of my trips to the Keys, sad to think that I have waited too long and lost the chance. There's a life lesson in there somewhere....
I find this sort of stuff quite interesting.
Don't give up- the governor's plans are opposed by quite a few people including republican lawmakers who want to get re-elected.
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