A Florida wild animal exhibit is showcasing the animals made popular in the literary works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
The colorful taxidermy-mount exhibit features most of the species of wild animals found throughout Florida. Many of these, particularly the bear and deer, were made famous by Rawlings in her many books like The Yearling (Pulitzer Prize 1939), and Cross Creek (1942). Some 40 animal mounts, called “Fodderwing’s Creeturs,” belonging to Cross Creek naturalist, Jim Stephens, are displayed against a spectacular mural setting painted by St. Augustine artist, Gayle Prevatt.
Yearling Restaurant owner Robert Blauer is inviting the public to come and see this new attraction while also enjoying the old-time dining favorites such as gator-tail, catfish and grits, seafood, and sour orange pie, which have made the short drive from Gainesville a memorable dining adventure.
Contact Information:
Mural Artist: Gayle Prevatt, 904-377-7917, gprevatt@aug.com
Animal Exhibit: Jim Stephens 352-466-3034, sloughfootcreek@aol.com
Yearling Restaurant owner: Robert Blauer, 352-466-3999
When I returned back to my job as News Director of KHCC-FM in Hutchinson, KS after my vacation, the local newspaper there wrote a little feature article on my experience. I still feel a little guilty that the headline they came up with gives the impression I didn’t enjoy being an extra in the movie.
On March 3, 2018 Carol Fiddia Laxton toured the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Home in Cross Creek, FL. She had last visited the home when she was 18 years old many decades before. Her father wanted her to talk to Marjorie about what she was going to do after high school. Marjorie encouraged Carol to go to college for at least two years.
See highlights of the 121st and 122nd birthday celebrations for Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings at the MKR Historic State Park in Cross Creek, FL.
More than 120 people turned out to help celebrate Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 121st birthday in Cross Creek in August of 2017. Guests were treated to a fish fry with all the fixings including fried fish, grits, hush puppies, coleslaw, cake and sherbert made from tangerines and oranges from Marjorie’s grove on the farm.
Longhill, born October 16, 1921, was the oldest of seven children of John and Angela Longhill. Though born in Kentucky she grew up in Memphis, TN. After high school Longhill left home to become a Sister of Mercy at the novitiate in Dubuque, Iowa, where she took the name Sister Mary Amora. During her tenure as a nun, she taught various grade levels at St. Bernard Academy in Nashville and Immaculate Conception Academy in Memphis, eventually becoming the Dean of Students at Edgecliff College in Cincinnati, Ohio.
How can one summarize a 33 year friendship? It’s nearly impossible…but in this personal blog I wanted to share the personal memories I shared at Margaret Longhill’s funeral service held today in Citrus Springs at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. Every one there had their own special memories of this special lady, these are just some of mine.
When I was sad and called Margaret on the phone to share something I was going through she would say, “You just pack your overnight bag and come over.” She’d have chicken soup waiting and a glass of wine and listen. We’d sit in the river room and look out over the Withlacoochee and Rainbow Rivers and talk, sometimes for hours. It was the best medicine.
We squirreled ourselves into the little apartment where John and DeeDee Semmes live now…away from phone distractions and she listened to every word uninterrupted. When the documentary won a National Edward R. Murrow Award, Margaret and Mem Semmes traveled to Gainesville to join in the celebration. She then gave the musicians stage time at the Will McLean Festival to sing their Florida songs, songs inspired by Will McLean’s desire to “Save Florida Through Music.”
When my son Lee came along it was Margaret, Mem and Jon who encouraged him in his love for music and helped him purchase his first guitar. Lee is now 24 and performing at the Will McLean Festival as so many other young people are with Margaret’s loving encouragement and direction.
Later at the age of 90 Margaret drove herself to Alachua to celebrate Lee’s 18th birthday at Conestogas Restaurant and consumed giant stogie burgers with the rest of us.
She attended my daughter Ellie’s wedding and celebrated the birth of Ellie’s first child with a stuffed musical lamb that now soothes my granddaughter to sleep at night.
While in Cross Creek In July of 2010, we spent time at the Twin Lakes Fish Camp looking out over Lochloosa Lake and a beautiful dragonfly befriended us. In a true dragonfly encounter we spent at least a half hour passing the beautiful creature back and forth from my finger to hers and my friend Priscilla Hall.
Through many Will McLean Music Festivals and Florida Folk Festivals she allowed me to plug an extension cord into her RV, just as Will McLean did when he’d travel around to see his friends, allowing us both to have a fan and a light.
As you can see in this picture (and as mentioned above), once while sitting at the Twin Lakes Fish Camp in Cross Creek overlooking Lochloosa Lake, a blue dragonfly landed on her hand. For the next half-hour Margaret passed the dragonfly from her finger to me and friend Priscilla Hall. So it seemed so special that one would land on my microphone during Amazing Grace. Many people call dragonflies “skeeter hawks.” I like to think of Margaret as a “Skeeter Hawk” now flying with her dear friend Will McLean who always said his soul was a hawk. Now they’re both “somewhere in the wind.”