May - IKare Publishing

June / July 2016
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR VAN DYKE FARMS RESIDENTS
Brenda
Darnley
Martin
On Our Residents
Introducing the Dickson family: Allan and
Susan, daughters, Presley (12) and Allyson
(9) and feline members, Snowflake and
Seashell, who moved into Van Dyke Farms
in August 2015.
Though they have been in the Tampa Bay
area for 17 years (first in Westchase and
Carrollwood before VDF), Allan and Susan
are definitely not native Floridians. In fact,
while Susan is from relatively nearby
Winfield, Alabama, Allan is from the land
down under - Sydney, Australia! Upon
learning that bit of news, one has to wonder
how they managed to cross paths! The
answer is that they met when they lived
across from each other in student housing at
Samford University in Birmingham,
Alabama, where Allan had a tennis
scholarship. After graduating from college
in 1996, the couple moved to Sydney, much
to the chagrin of Susan’s parents, who
couldn’t have been more shocked after she
chose to attend a nice, in-state, university,
relatively close to home. (Susan found out
AFTER they moved back to the US in
1999, that her dad had stayed at the airport
and cried for three hours the day she left!)
She worked as an Accountant in Sydney,
where she and Allan were married in 1998.
Susan enjoyed the adventure of living in
Sydney, but found herself homesick and
overwhelmed living in such a large city,
when she was raised in a very small town.
Allan had lived in Tampa prior to entering
college, and agreed to move back here.
Not long after arriving in Tampa Bay, the
Dickson’s found and fell in love with
Odessa and made it their goal to live here.
They especially liked the large lots and
nature preserves in VDF, in addition to the
good schools. Since moving in, they have
not been disappointed! They really enjoy
the relaxed atmosphere, which is enhanced
by the many wild animals who regularly
visit their property; and their wonderful
neighbors as well.
Allan has worked as an Investment Advisor
for 17 years, and finds helping his clients to
achieve their financial goals very
rewarding. Susan, who was an accountant
before her children were born, was a stay at
home mom for 11 years, until she decided
to take a position in the office of her
youngest daughter’s school last summer.
The beauty of that job is that she loves
being near Allyson and interacting with the
other children and their families, while
being able to be at home when the kids are.
In his free time, Allan, who used to race
Porsche’s in Australia, still enjoys sports
car racing and playing tennis. Susan loves
to spend her free time painting and doing
crafts. When not busy with their studies,
Presley and Allyson love doing anything
animal-related, especially riding horses at
Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa.
Is there a Van Dyke Farms resident
you’d like to see featured in this column?
If so, please email your suggestion,
including "who, what, where, when and
why” to
[email protected].
Thank you!!!!
Neighborhood Watch operates in
coordination with the Hillsborough County
Sheriff's Office Neighborhood Watch
Program. Neighborhood Watch is not a
committee of the Van Dyke Farms
Homeowner's Association, Inc. nor is it
affiliated in any way with the Van Dyke
Farms HOA, Inc.
The duty of a
Neighborhood Watch volunteer is to
observe suspicious activity and report. NO
confrontation.
***Be sure to pick up after your
dogs. Please be courteous in how you let
your dog do its business on neighboring
properties.
IT is a county law 0026.*****.
Please pick up after your
dog. The phone number for Animal
Control Services is 813-744-5660.
VDF CRIME STATS: This is a public
records search. March had 13 calls and
April had 9 calls. Of interest in March :
3 traffic control, 2 juvenile troubles,
1 fraud, 3 suspicious vehicle, 1 CRD
(Community Resource Deputy), 1 vehicle
stop, 1 contact, and 1 drug violation. Of
interest in April: 4 CRD, 1 contact,
3 suspicious vehicle, and 1 suspicious
person.
Thanks to the great work being done by the
deputies of HCSO.
Continued on page 5
PUBLISHED BY IKARE PUBLISHING INC. WWW.IKAREPUBLISHING.COM - 813-991-7843
Exceptional Performance Is Guaranteed!
Berkshire Hathaway Home services is the leader for professional and successful techniques to sell your home. Swanepoel ranked us one
of the most powerful real estate companies and THE top growing leader in real estate. Being a true native Floridian, born and raised in the
area, no one understands the market better! I give a percentage of my commission to a charity of your choice.
Sign up for a monthly email “local market watch” update: [email protected]
Berger Rd, Lutz FL- Gorgeous 4 Bed/2 Bath lakefront
home in Crenshaw lakes Pending in less
than a month!
SOLD! Waterfront home in Riverchase.
$430,000 in two months!
Be sure to ask me about the
sweepstakes we have with
our partners at HGTV and
the show Love it or List it!
Stunning 5 bed/4 bath home in the gated
Carrillon Estates SOLD for $485,000!
Join in on Integrative Medicine - Yoga, Essential Oils, Nutrition, Chiropractor,
Zumba, Lecture Series and more ...Come check us out on July 30th 10am-1pm
for more details go to www.sunpedlutz.com
813-948-2679
Hours: Mon.- Fri. 8am-6pm
18934 N. Dale Mabry Highway Ste. 101 Lutz, FL 33548
Open House at our new location! July 30th 10am-1pm
Just in time for Back to School!
Specialties: Ages 0-21
 Walk Ins Welcome
 Friendly and Personal Service
 Well Child Yearly Physicals
 School & Sports Physicals
 HPV Guidance and Gardasil available
 Flu Vaccine Available
 Free Zumba
Saumeel Mehta, M.D.
Board Certified
Payal Patel, M.D
Board Certified






Weight Management
Breast Feeding
ADHD & Asthma
English & Spanish
Nutritional Counseling
Integrative and Natural
Healthcare
WE ACCEPT ALL INSURANCES
COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SERVICE
EC13001826 - Licensed & Bonded
Joe Cruz
Ph: 813.901.8185
11530 Belmack Blvd. S.
Odessa FL 33556
Fx: 813.884.5060
Mobile: 813.924.0063
Email: [email protected]
V AN D Y K E F AR M S
PAGE 3
Publication deadlines are the second Friday of
every other month.
Distribution: 430 copies to residents
Articles of general interest and letters to the
Editor are welcomed for inclusion. All written
communication may be edited for length and
clarity and cannot be returned.The Editor
reserves the right to change policies and
advertising rates without prior notice.The views
expressed in articles in the newsletter do not
necessarily represent the views of IKare
Publishing, Inc.
Please call Kim at 991-7843 for advertising
rates. [email protected]
IKare Publishing Inc. and Van Dyke Farms are
not responsible for the actions or credibility of any
the advertisers in this newsletters. It is the
individual’s responsibility to check references on
all advertisers.
IKare Publishing is provided all articles in this
newsletter by the BOD or residents. IKare
Publishing is not responsible for content.
IKare Publishing is not responsible for content
and as editor reserves the right to edit articles for
content, length, grammar, and readability.
Van Dyke Farms BOD
President
Doug Cornell
Vice President
David Poole
Secretary
Amy Guistina
Treasurer
Jerry Tidwell
Directors
G.J. Minardi
Jack Provenzano
Karen Sanford
Neighborhood Watch
Ray Guistina
926-2016
[email protected]
Please contact all Board Of Director
Members by emailing them at:
[email protected]
Any anonymous complaints will not be
addressed by the Board of Directors or
the Community Association Manager.
Please provide contact information on
all complaints. Thank you.
If you notice a street light
out: Please use the
convenient Lights Out
form on
tampaelectric.com or call
813-223-0800
(in Hillsborough County),
863-299-0800
(in Polk County) or
1-888-223-0800 (outside
of Hillsborough or Polk
County).
The Van Dyke Farms Board of
Directors has approved a
revised Guidelines Manual to
the Architectural Request
process.
This manual is on the VDF
website under
"Documents"
Please provide the light
ID tag number on the light
pole or the nearest street
address or intersection to
the light.
You may view the
Van Dyke Farms
Newsletter
in it’s entirety by logging onto
IKarepublishing.com
Community Association Management
Community Association Manager
Greenacre Properties
Janet MacNealy
4131 Gunn Highway
Tampa, Florida 33618
(813) 600-1100
FAX (813) 963-1326
[email protected]
Administrative Assistant
ACC Forms
Jeanette Wilson, ext 161,
[email protected]
Accounting Department
Questions regarding payments
Joy Thiel, ext 124,
[email protected].
Van Dyke Farms Meetings
HOA Board meeting: Quarterly; Jan, Apr,
July, and Oct, on the fourth Thursday on the
month at 6:30 PM at the Tennis Center.
Violation Policy and Mediation Committee:
The committee meets on the 4th Wednesday
of each month if there is a Van Dyke Farms
homeowner request for same. Homeowner
request must be made no later than 7 days
before the meeting. Please contact
Community Assoc. Manager or Amy Guistina
to arrange meeting.
ARC: All requests should be sent to
management office.
Landscaping Committee: By email
notification to members and interested
homeowners. Volunteers needed for this
committee.
Check website for dates of meetings.
We encourage resident involvement, please
make plans to attend.
Specializing In Van Dyke Farms
Because every move counts!
RE/MAX ACR Elite Group
14823 N. Dale Mabry Hwy,
Tampa FL 33618
Direct: 813-728-3880
Email:
[email protected]
Craig & Linda Nowicke, P.A.
Realtors
Find out the Fair Market Value of your
home in 18 seconds by visiting:
www.TampaRealtyNow.info
PENDING!
NEW PRICE!
SOLD!
16901 EQUESTRIAN TRAIL - $475,000
17043 WINNERS CIRCLE - $399,900
17305 CARRIAGE WAY - $399,900
5BR/3BA/Pool/Side Entry Garage
Attached 913 sf Guest Suite!!
3,435 sf .49 acres on waterfront
5BR/2.5BA/3 Car Garage 3,267 sf
Hardwood floors, Brand New Stainless, Staged
Sparkling Pool on .43 Acres
New 18” tile floors, Heated Pool & Spa,
Newer Roof & A/C
2705 Sf, .4 Acres, Outdoor kitchen!
80% of our homes sell in 45 days or less!
www.TampaRealtyNow.com
V AN D Y K E F AR M S
PAGE 5
Neighborhood Watch
Continued…
If possible, we ask residents to drive around
VDF when they can: early morning, late
afternoon, middle of the day or night to
look for any suspicious activity. Please
drive through the park on your way
home. The more we are visible, the
better. This is what the watch program is
all about. Let’s keep up our vigilance and
watch out for each other. THANK YOU.
We have a NO TRESPASS ORDER on file
at District III Sheriff’s HQ. If you see
anyone trespassing or suspicious activity in
the park after sunset and before 6 am, you
can call the Sheriff’s office to report it. The
address at the park is: 17304 Van Dyke
Farms Blvd. Call 247-8200 and report
any
suspicious
activity
or
trespassing. We do not allow dirt bikes
riding in the fields, in the park, in the
streets or on the sidewalks. We do not
allow alcohol or drugs in the park. It is our
community playground and our tennis and
basketball courts. Let’s keep it a safe and
fun place to play for our residents. The NO
TRESPASS ORDER was just recently
signed March 6, 2015 and is now on file
at District III.
***The Sheriff’s Office reminds all
residents to LOCK THEIR VEHICLES
AND SHUT THEIR GARAGE
DOORS. And please DO NOT LEAVE
VALUABLES in your cars.***
According to the FDLE Sexual Offenders
website (free public record search) the
number of offenders is 4 that are living
within 2 miles of VDF. They are released
and on supervision so please remind your
kids to be careful. There are 58 offenders
within a 5 mile range of VDF.
Remember – If you are the victim of a
crime, ALWAYS call the Sheriff’s Office
first (or 911). Take care of the immediate
situation and your SAFETY first. Then,
later call your block captain to let them
know. They can decide if we need to alert
the community by starting the phone chain
for all VDF, or just the affected street or
area. If you see a suspicious person or
activity……call the non-emergency
number for the Sheriff’s office which is 247
-8200 and report what you have seen. A
deputy can be dispatched to check it out.
We want to look out for each other. Thank
you all for participating in this important
community program.
Remember to check out the
Website: www.vandykefarms.com
VDF
Hillsborough County
Parking Ordinances:
Specifically PARKING OVER
THE SIDEWALK:
The below listed infractions are all
violations of Hillsborough County
Ordinance 98-48 and carry a fine of
$40.00.
These are non-criminal county ordinance
violations; deputies that observe these
violations can issue citations at their
discretion:

On a sidewalk (sidewalks are for
pedestrian use, and are to be left free of
obstruction; if you are parked over
the sidewalk, please pull your car
forward or back in your driveway
enough to keep walkways open for
pedestrians)

Parking that obstructs the flow of
traffic

Parking where prohibited by an official
traffic control device (official
government issued "No Parking" sign)

On county right-of-way when vehicle
is "for sale"

In front of a public or private driveway

Within 30 feet of a stop sign or
flashing traffic signal

Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
My Father
(Author Unknown)
When I was:
Four years old:
My daddy can do anything.
Five years old:
My daddy knows a whole lot.
Six years old:
My dad is smarter than your dad.
Eight years old:
My dad doesn't know exactly
everything.
Ten years old:
In the olden days, when my dad grew
up, things were sure different.
Twelve years old:
Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn't know
anything about that. He is too old to
remember his childhood.
Fourteen years old:
Don't pay any attention to my dad.
He is so old-fashioned.
Twenty-one years old:
Him? My Lord, he's hopelessly out
of date.
Twenty-five years old:
Dad knows about it, but then he should,
because he has been around so long.
Thirty years old:
Maybe we should ask Dad what he
thinks. After all, he's had a lot of
experience.
Thirty-five years old:
I'm not doing a single thing until I talk
to Dad.
Forty years old:
I wonder how Dad would have handled
it. He was so wise.
Fifty years old:
I'd give anything if Dad were here now
so I could talk this over with him. Too
bad I didn't appreciate how smart he
was.
I could have learned a lot from him.
V AN D Y K E F AR M S
PAGE 7
“48 Things to do in Tampa Bay
with Your Kids Before They
Grow Up.”
List compiled by Steve Johnson
[email protected] ǀ
http://publichealthlibrary.org/
1. Beat the heat at Adventure Island,
Tampa’s premier 30 acre water park.
2. Take a pirate-themed day cruise or sunset
cruise on Captain Memo’s Original Pirate
Cruise.
3. Travel back in time with jugglers, jesters
and jousters at the Bay Area Renaissance
Festival.
4. Better than a zoo, take the kids to Big
Cat Rescue, the largest big cat sanctuary in
the world.
5. The Bits-n-Pieces Puppet Theatre puts on
fantastic puppet shows with professional
puppeteers
6. Kids love riding the miniature trains at
the Largo Central Railroad. The first
weekend of the month they are open and
offer free public run days.
7. Take a hot-air balloon ride in the Big
Red Balloon
8. See all of Tampa from CK’s at the
Marriott, a revolving rooftop restaurant
with extraordinary views, particularly at
sunset.
9. The David L. Mason Children’s
Museum is a great museum where
touching, manipulating and handling the
kid-centric exhibits is permitted and
encouraged!
10. Life-sized dinosaurs (and lots of
fossils!) still exist at the campy Dinosaur
World attraction off I-4.
11. Take a 90 minute cruise on the Dolphin
Queen and see friendly dolphin swim
alongside the boat and possible spray you
with water! Dolphin sightings are
guaranteed or you’ll receive a voucher for
another cruise at no cost.
12. Visit The Florida Aquarium, regarded
as one of the best in the nation.
13. Go hunting for prehistoric fossils
with Paleo Discoveries Fossil Hunting
14. Celebrate Tampa’s heritage with beads,
coins and lots of pirates at The Gasparilla
Extravanganza and Children’s Parade,
followed by a fireworks and music display.
15. Guavaween is a Tampa’s very own
unique, wild and crazy Halloween
celebration but it’s not really kid-friendly.
There is, however, the Guavaween Family
Funfest, which happens on the Saturday
afternoon right before Halloween every
year and it’s 100% kid and family-oriented.
16. Help your kids appreciate all of our
modern conveniences at Heritage Village, a
fascinating and historically accurate village
from the 1800’s.
17. Spend the day in Africa at Busch
Gardens theme park.
18. Kids will love all the different things
they can do at Lowry Park Zoo, a family
friendly zoo that has been named the
number one zoo in America.
19. MOSI, the Museum of Science and
Industry, is endlessly fascinating, with
numerous permanent exhibits just for kids,
as well as an Imax theater and an enclosed
butterfly garden outside.
20. Check out a New York Yankees Spring
Training game! They have their own stateof-the-art stadium where kids can see the
players in action while they train for
baseball season.
21. Spend an afternoon at the Salvador Dali
Museum, which boasts the world’s most
comprehensive collection of surrealist
painter Dali’s work. Also, Every Saturday
is Dali Family Fun Day and they feature a
craft relating to some part of his work.
22. Let your kids be junior marine
biologists for a day aboard the Sea Safari.
23. Ride glass bottom boats and see tons of
underwater wildlife at Silver Springs, a
park built around crystal clear natural
springs.
24. Got a budding car enthusiast on your
hands? Then you have to visit the Tampa
Bay Automobile Museum.
25. Go to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football
game.
26. Go to a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey
game.
27. Go to a Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball
game.
28. Ride one of the TECO Streetcar
trolleys from Hyde Park to the Florida
Aquarium at Channelside or Historic Ybor
City.
29. Kids love eating at The Melting Pot, a
fondue-themed where everything is eaten
off a stick!
30. Safely climb ancient oak trees with the
kids at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and have
fun
with Pathfinder Outdoor
Education’s harness and rope system.
31. Take the kids to the Big Bend Power
Station Manatee Viewing Center where
they can see the gentle manatees playing
and feeding in the warm water discharged
by the power plant.
32. See the real Florida of days gone by on
a Wild Bill Airboat Tour. Don’t be
surprised to see giant wild alligators, wild
boar, otters, eagles, osprey, deer and other
exotic wildlife!
33. See over 600 wild birds of all varieties
at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, the
largest wild bird hospital and rehabilitation
center in the United States.
34. Take a canoe trip down the
Hillsborough River.
35. Join your kids in learning through play
at Great Explorations: the Hands-On
Museum.
36. Visit the numerous Gulf Coast beaches.
37. Let Tampa Bay Ghost Tours take you
and the kids on an early evening tour of the
area’s ghostliest legends and haunted
locales.
38. Go-karts, arcades, bungee-jumping,
batting cages and mini-golf are all kid-faves
and can all be found at the newlyrenovated Grand Prix Tampa amusement
park.
39. Every day is Christmas at the five
Victorian houses of Roger’s Christmas
House. Be sure to check out the upside
down Christmas tree and the Story Book
House!
40. Go rock climbing at Vertical Ventures
41. Take a self-guided tour of the American
Victory Ship, a sixty-year old, 455 ft
marine vessel used in the Vietnam and
Korean wars.
42. Take the kids to see a classic film at or
go on a tour of Tampa Theatre, one of
America’s best-preserved examples of
grand movie palace architecture and a
community treasure since 1926.
43. Treasure hunts, water gun battles, facepainting and a swashbuckling dance party
await your family on the Pirate Ship at
John’s Pass day cruise!
44. For three days in the spring, The Honda
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg renders
downtown St. Pete a 1.8 mile professional
raceway that will thrill the kids as the cars
zoom by and take hairpin turns at top
speed.
45. Check out the underwater mermaid
Show at Weeki Wachi, a place reminiscent
the days when campy road side attractions
prevailed, and then take the kids on a boat
ride down the river or to the Buccaneer Bay
water park.
46. Boys (and maybe girls, too) will get
kick out of the Army-Navy Surplus Center.
It’s crammed floor to ceiling with all
manner of military, camping, hunting and
survivalist gear, both modern and vintage.
47. Skilled chefs cook right at your table
while putting on a show that will amaze the
kids at Arigato Japanese Steak House.
48. Legend and locals say your car will roll
uphill by itself at Spook Hill. Pile the kids
in the car and find out for yourself!
V AN D Y K E F AR M S
PAGE 9
How do you calm a dog when it's afraid of fireworks?
Short term Quick Fixes:
 Play! Depending on your dog's level of anxiety (pacing vs. curled up trembling) simply distracting him may be the best course of action. Play,
sing songs, exercise the dog as much as you can to try and wear it out. Help your dog associate thunder with a fabulous playtime!
 Crate your dog or move their bedding into an enclosed space like a closet. A dog who feels "safe" will be less anxious, and a "den" is the
instinctual place for a dog to feel safe. It may help to cover your dog's crate with a blanket or sheet to create a den feeling.
 Create as much white noise as you can. Fans, TV's, radios, etc. Try to drown out the majority of the sound.
 Find a T-shirt that fits the dogs chest tightly and put it on them. No one knows why this helps, but many owners swear this makes a difference.
 Over the counter sedatives (Like rescue remedy) or veterinary prescriptions like Ace or Valium are a good short term treatment- although not
available in an emergency. If your dog is severely anxious, try to keep a stash on hand.
 Short term and long term, one of the most important things for an owner to do is not to coddle the dog. Cooing and petting are both rewarding"
actions for a dog- they are used as rewards in training- so what are you training your dog to do when you respond to his anxiety with petting and
cooing?
Rather than babying your scared dog, try:
 singing a silly song



squeaking toys
taking the time to run the dog through his or her tricks.
yawning repeatedly (really). make big, loud, exaggerated yawns- your dog will see your relaxation and respond.
Fireworks Safety Tips from The National Council on Fireworks Safety
www.FireworksSafety.org
Fireworks Safety Tips
 Use fireworks outdoors only.
 Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them.
 Always have water handy. (A hose or bucket).
 Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them or combine them.
 Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
 Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.
 Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a "designated shooter."
 Only persons over the age of 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of any type.
 Do not ever use homemade fireworks of illegal explosives: They can kill you! Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your
community.
Fireworks safety issues from the National Fire Protection Association
 95 percent of emergency room fireworks injuries involved fireworks that Federal regulations permit consumers to use.
 10,800 fireworks-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms, the second highest total in the decade.
 About 48 percent of emergency room fireworks-related injuries were to the extremities and 44 percent were to the head; 54 percent of these
injuries were burns, while 29 percent were contusions and lacerations.
 Nearly half the people injured by fireworks were under the age of 15. The risk of fireworks injury was nearly three times as high for children
ages 10-14 as for the general population.
 Sparklers, fountains, and novelties alone accounted for 26 percent of the emergency room fireworks injuries. Males accounted for 69 percent of
fireworks injuries that same year.
 On Independence Day in a typical year, more U.S. fires are reported than on any other day, and fireworks account for half of those fires, more
than any other cause of fires.
 These 2,200 fires resulted in an estimated 20 civilian injuries and $21 million in direct property damage.
 Nearly 30,000 fireworks-related structure, vehicle, or outdoor fires were reported per year.
V AN D Y K E F AR M S
PAGE 11
Wine
Thomas Jefferson claimed, in 1818, that "in nothing have the habits
of the palate more decisive influence than in our relish
of wines."[1] His own habits had been formed over thirty years
before--at the tables of Parisian philosophies and in the vineyards of
Burgundy and Bordeaux. Before his journey to France in 1784,
Jefferson, like most of his countrymen, had been a consumer of
Madeira and port, with the occasional glass of "red wine." As he
recalled in 1817, "The taste of this country (was) artificially created
by our long restraint under the English government to the strong
wines of Portugal and Spain."[2] The revolution in his own taste in
wine followed swiftly on the breaking of the bonds of British
colonial government. Thereafter Jefferson rejected the alcoholic
wines favored by Englishmen as well as the toasts that customarily
accompanied them. He chose to drink and serve the fine lighter
wines of France and Italy, and hoped that his countrymen would
follow his example.
Jefferson's Wine Glasses
While it is often difficult to distinguish the wines Jefferson preferred
for the sake of his own palate from those he purchased for the
comfort of his dinner guests, the quotations that follow should help
to identify some of his personal favorites, as well as to illustrate the
standards of reference for his taste in wine and his efforts to redeem
the taste of his countrymen.
1803.
Writing to a correspondent in Spain, Jefferson confessed that a
certain pale sherry had "most particularly attached my taste to it. I
now drink nothing else, and am apprehensive that if I should fail in
the means of getting it, it will be a privation which I shall feel
sensibly once a day."[3]
1806.
Jefferson described a recent shipment of Nebbiolo, a sparkling wine
of the Italian Piedmont, as "superlatively fine." This importation
proceeded from his memory of drinking Nebbiolo in Turin in 1787,
when he described it as "about as sweet as the silky Madeira, as
astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, and as brisk as Champagne. It
is a pleasing wine."
When paying a bill for three pipes of Termo, a Lisbon wine drier
and lighter than ordinary port, Jefferson said that "this provision for
my future comfort" had been sent to Monticello to ripen.
1815.
For his major supply he wrote to Stephen Cathalan, the American
agent at Marseilles:
"I resume our old correspondence with a declaration of wants. The
fine wines of your region of country are not forgotten, nor the friend
thro' whom I used to obtain them. And first the white Hermitage of
M. Jourdan of Tains, of the quality having 'un peu de la liqueur' as
he expressed, which we call silky, soft, smooth, in contradistinction
to the dry, hard or rough. "The Hermitage, which he had regularly
imported while President, was described by Jefferson in 1791 as
"the first wine in the world without a single exception."
1816.
"For the present I confine myself to the physical want of some good
Montepulciano . . . ,this being a very favorite wine, and habit having
rendered the light and high flavored wines a necessary of life with
me." Jefferson had imported this red Tuscan wine as President and
had declared an 1805 shipment "most superlatively good."
1817.
Jefferson gave the state of North Carolina credit for producing "the
first specimen of an exquisite wine," Scuppernong, and praised its
"fine aroma, and chrystalline transparence." Writing to his agent in
Marseilles about a recent shipment of Ledanon, a wine produced
near the Pont du Gard, Jefferson declared it "excellent" and said it
"recalled to my memory what I had drunk at your table 30. years
ago, and I am as partial to it now as then." Elsewhere he described
this vin de liqueur as having "something of the port character but
higher flavored, more delicate, less rough."
1826.
With the exception of a "sufficient" quantity of Scuppernong, all the
wines on hand in the Monticello cellar at the time of Jefferson's
death came from southern France: red Ledanon, white Linoux,
Muscat de Rivesalte, and a Bergasse imitation red Bordeaux. This
cellar list and the preceding letters seem to confirm evidence of
family members and visitors to Monticello that, at least in his later
years, Jefferson drank wine at table only after the completion of the
meal, in the English manner. His habits still reflected his British
heritage but his tastes were international. High in flavor but low in
alcohol, the wine of France and Italywas the perfect accompaniment
to social pleasure and the "true restorative cordial," as he designated
both wine and friendship.
Suggested reading: Billionaires Vinegar
IKare Publishing Inc.
[email protected]
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
TAMPA FL
PERMIT NO. 1741
facebook.com/IKare-Publishing-Inc
The Van Dyke Farms Newsletter has been designed, published, and mailed by IKare Publishing Inc. at no cost to Van Dyke Farms.
How Much Do You Know About Lightning?
As residents of Florida, we should all be aware that we live in the lightning capitol of the world. Bolts of lighting blast the ground some 25-30 million times
per year. In a atypical year, each square mile of central FL is struck some ten times.
What is lightning?
Lightning is the visible part of an electrical discharge. The rapid expansion of the air after this electrical discharge is the resulting sound known as thunder.
Thus, thunder results from lightning. So, if you see lightning, there is always thunder. However, thunder typically in not heard from 15-20 miles from the
lightning strike.
The core of lightning is 54,000 degrees F. Imagine being knocked out by a bolt which is roughly six times hotter than the surface of the sun! Studies say that
many lightning victims’ cause of death is listed as burns or cardiac problems.
How far away is the lightning? A good rule to remember is that for every 5 seconds from seeing the lightning until hearing the thunder typically means the
lightning is roughly 1 mile from your position.
How far can lighting strike? Bolts can jump 10 or more miles out from their parents cloud and appear to strike in a region with blue skies overhead.
Thunder sounding from lightning that struck even one minute before hand is still close enough to strike you. 500-1,000 people are injured by lightning each
year. The deadliest month for lightning fatalities and injuries in the U.S. is July. Your chances of surviving a lightning strike are greater is someone near you
knows CPR.
So remember: lifeguards will close the pool at the first sight of lightning, or in the event of a severe thunderstorm.