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Savor thesenses in a place we call home

By ERNEST HOOPER, hooper@sptimes.com
Published January 4, 2008

Optimism fills the air at the start of a new year and, while human nature tells us to assess what's wrong and make improvements, I say celebrate what's right with life in the land we call South Shore & Brandon.

So look around and complete this sentence: You haven't lived in the South Shore & Brandon area until you have ...

... savored the roti and brown stew chicken at Christine's Caribbean Cafe in Riverview. If you don't know what roti is, you need to find out.

... experienced the absolute serenity of a hike in the Balm-Boyette Scrub Preserve. It's 4,916 acres of pine flatwoods, cypress swamp and hidden ponds. If you're lucky, you might see a fox or deer.

... asked yourself, "Are they ever going to take down that hideous Citgo sign on the corner of Kings Avenue and State Road 60?"

... bought sugar-free lemonade from Ainsley Basham, who sets up a stand every year at the entrance to Heron Glen, a FishHawk Ranch neighborhood, to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

... witnessed the Armwood football team beat Hillsborough and Plant twice in the same season. Hey, I'm biased. My son plays on the football team.

... wondered who would expect a retirement community of 10,000 people to survive without a full-service hospital.

... lounged on a lawn chair at a nighttime event at FishHawk Ranch's Park Square.

... enjoyed a flavorful mojito from Mojito's at Winthrop Town Centre in Riverview.

... watched a sunset from the Apollo Beach Nature Preserve. For most South Shore residents, it's the closest view of the open water.

... noshed on the pulled pork barbecue - or smoked mullet - from Squirrel's Kitchen at Bloomingdale Avenue and Watson Road in Brandon. It's just a trailer parked in an empty lot, but the food makes it a cathedral of 'cue.

... heard the Mulrennan Middle School Select Sound Chorus perform Seasons Of Love. Hey, I'm biased. My son's in the chorus.

... sashayed across the dance floor at the Dallas Bull.

... lunched at Della's Delectables in Brandon.

... sampled pepper jelly from the Ruskin Redneck Trading Company.

... waited two hours to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. You can judge if it's worth the wait.

... sat on one of the barstool seats at the new Brunchery in Lithia.

... explored the mounds area at Medard Park.

... gotten lost while riding among the strawberry and agricultural fields of eastern Hillsborough.

... sauntered into Costco on a faux shopping excursion just to get a free lunch. Love those meatballs.

... been overwhelmed by the piano stylings of Alfred Sheppard Jr. and his N-Versions ensemble.

... taken photos inside a T-rex head at Dinosaur World.

... gotten lost in a subdivision where all the roads seem to have the same name.

... dodged a golf cart in Sun City Center.

... seen the manatees at Apollo Beach's TECO Viewing Center.

... listened to Tampa co-workers criticize life in Brandon - until they had to evacuate because of a hurricane warning.

... lent a hand to one of the varied community projects staged by 10-year-old Zach Bonner and his Little Red Wagon Foundation.

... bought fresh produce from a roadside stand.

... walked among the animal lovers at the annual Ruskin PetFest.

... bailed out of a traffic jam on Boyette Road to take a break at DaSilva's Coffee House.

... downed a Roberto Clemente Burger and an RC Cola at Danny's All-American Diner on Falkenberg Road.

... picked fresh fruit blueberries or strawberries from a field.

... gone to a youth football game on a crisp fall Saturday afternoon. Hey, I'm biased, my daughter cheers for the Brandon Cowboys.

... chowed down on a Waterson roast beef sandwich at the original Beef O'Brady's on Kings Avenue in Brandon.

... seen Bloomingdale High's 250-plus Raging Bulls band on a Friday night. Hey, you gotta celebrate the band when the football team hasn't had a winning season in 21 years.

... cherished the Friday beef special at Ana's in Wimauma.

Ernest Hooper can be reached at hooper@sptimes.com or 226-3406.

[Last modified January 3, 2008, 23:16:26]