If you’ve ever waded along a muddy flat at low tide and felt something solid underfoot—round, ridged, unyielding—it might have been more than a rock. Tampa Bay is home to several species of clams, and if you know where (and how) to look, you can gather a few for dinner or discovery. Let’s dig in. … Read more
Notes from the Quiet Side of Central Florida The birds always wake up first. Before the sun pushes over the trees. Before the fog lifts off the water. Before I’ve had a sip of coffee. They stir in the mangroves and cabbage palms, calling across the bay in loops and trills, declaring the day before … Read more
The first time it happened to me, I was deep in a mangrove tunnel. The air had gone still. Not quiet—still. Like even the birds were holding their breath. Then the sky cracked. If you spend enough time paddling in Florida, especially during the wet season, it’s not a matter of if a storm will … Read more
If you had told me a year ago that I’d be featured on a writing podcast after winning a novel competition, I probably would’ve smiled politely and changed the subject. But here we are. My very first podcast interview is out now, thanks to the team at New2theScene, who not only gave my manuscript What Pulls Us Under its first real recognition—but also invited me to talk about the story behind the story.We talked about writing aspirations, creative risk, and what it means to take yourself seriously as a writer.
What did people do before iodine tablets and LifeStraws?If you were out in the woods without clean water—really out there—what would you reach for?And what about after you boiled it? Would you just drink it, flat and metallic? Or would you try to make it taste like something more… alive? I started wondering about this … Read more
Before bottled water.Before plumbing and purifiers.Before ice cubes clinked in tall glasses of sweet tea. There was thirst—and the land.And the native peoples of Florida knew exactly where to look. For thousands of years, the Calusa, Timucua, Tocobaga, and other tribes lived through blazing summers and long dry spells. They didn’t just survive Florida’s heat—they … Read more
They don’t move.They don’t sparkle.They aren’t beautiful—not in the obvious ways.But I can’t stop looking at them. Barnacles. Clustered like secrets on the undersides of docks. Crusted onto the backs of sea turtles. Clinging to driftwood, crab traps, and hulls like old, stubborn thoughts. I’ve scraped them off boats, stepped on them accidentally (and regretted … Read more
When most people think of grasses, they picture suburban lawns or tall prairie fields. But along Florida’s tidal flats, estuaries, riverbanks, and salt marshes, grasses take on a new role. Here, they are boundary-keepers, erosion-fighters, fish-nursery-builders, and storm-buffering heroes. These quiet plants shape the shorelines of our state—and tell us stories about the health of … Read more
When the tide rolls out, it leaves behind more than wet sand. It unveils a secret world—a place of shifting boundaries, strange creatures, and quiet wonders. These places, known as tidal flats, are some of the richest, muddiest, most magical ecosystems on Earth. They’re also one of my favorite places to explore. What Is a … Read more
If you’ve ever walked near a Florida shoreline and looked up, there’s a good chance you’ve seen an osprey—sometimes called a “fish hawk”—circling high above the water, its wings bent like the letter M. With sharp yellow eyes and dark-banded wings, the osprey is one of the most skilled hunters in the sky. It lives … Read more