White's Wharf on Lake Jessup

Lest you think that my free time is given over entirely to antiquing, I will remind you that I love to see old Florida at its best. That happened on Monday as I was on my way back from the visit to the Oviedo Antiques Mall. You know that stretch of road as you go westward on State Route 434 out of Oviedo, since it is what I call "The Narrows". Two lanes that go north and then elbow west so that 343 is one of our unusual even numbered roads that goes both E-W and N-S. So much so that it later "crosses" SR 436 (how strange is that, really!). But that is a story for another day.

That "Narrows" stretch always seems crowded. You pull out of Oviedo and you go round the bend (not figuratively but literally) where if you turned off to the right you would end up at Black Hammock (another for another day item). But if you go just a bit further you see a road that says "No Outlet" and if you turn right there, you are soon rewarded with a pocket park at White's Wharf.

Go. Do.




You see, it is not a big place and not one that takes a lot of time to explore, but it takes you from the heavy traffic of 434 to the soothing calm of Spanish moss and old oak trees, and a very weathered wharf that juts out into Lake Jessup. For those of you who are used to zooming across Lake Jessup on The 417, you will get your bearings quick enough since you can see it from White's Wharf. But this is slow down, take a deep breath, relax, recharge, renew territory.

The historic marker will tell you all you need to know about White's Wharf's history. And your eyes and ears will tell you so much about its present day. I had a few moments there, only, but I interacted with all of the wildlife you see in my photos. The green lizzie, the white ibis, the black vultures, the brown ducks, the grey heron. They did not mind my being there, nor did the red cardinals who sang to me cheerily as I soaked in the soothing sights and sounds. Ahhh. The stress of the day melted away.

The same thing can happen to you, too. So go. Do.

Antiques in Florida...

I like to say that I have gotten Judy interested in antiques so that as the years progress she will be more and more interested in me!

Kidding.

But as you know I am an avid "Vintage Shopper" or Antiquary, and my car seems to find those out of the way places where collectible curiosities can be discovered.

Mondays being my day off, they are usually when I go searching hither and yon for what have you. Monday last, I went over Oviedo way. Now, there are one or two places where my face is well-known as a returning customer, over that way, as you motor eastward from Longwood through Winter Springs and continue along till you are nearly to UCF. But this time, I found someplace new, at least, new to me. The Oviedo Antique Mall.

Friends! You have got to go. Even if "thrifting" is not your bag. You have to go, if only to see the greeters. Now Wal-Mart is famous for its greeters, and I have noticed other places like Firehouse Subs and Walgreens, where greeting the patron is also quite an art. But good as those folks are, you have not been truly greeted until you have been greeted by the greeters at the Oviedo Antique Mall. Because they are roosters. Yes, real live feathers and beak roosters. In fact, when I pulled up outside the Mall, one of the roosters was crowing, as if to send me a cheery greeting. It certainly was not to announce the dawn, because yours truly does not get up that early on his Day Off!

Having now experienced it first-hand, I think it is fair to say that being greeted by a rooster is the sine qua non of antique shopping.

And then one enters...and finds it is a perfect rabbit's warren of stands, the kind of place you can wander in to your heart's content, and see the expected and unexpected treasures. What do I mean by expected? Well, since I have been collecting vintage American Art Pottery since the mid 1980s, I expect to see in most antiques shops of any size at least one of the ubiquitous vases I call the "ears pot". No that is not their official name. They were made by McCoy in the roaring 20s and were called the "Fawn Vase" and had what McCoy coyly termed its "Art Vellum" glaze. These pieces were extremely popular. I would love to know how McCoy marketed them. I have a theory that they were Larkin Soap premiums but perhaps some other national chain such as Sears or the A & P sold them. At any rate, they are stout sturdy pot shaped vases with two handles that are filled in so that they look like...ears. In fact, at certain angles theses pots look a lot like someone I know but discretion prevents me from saying just whom.

I have found the ears pot attributed to every maker from Grueby (ha! wishful thinking!) to Rookwood (perish the thought) to Teco (no, the glaze and heft are all wrong). And of course, when mis-attributed the price is usually sky high for these very nice, well worth collecting but pretty common pieces of American Art Pottery. I can tell a lot about a dealer if she or he has such a vase listed as something it is not at a price that could pay for dinner for four at an upscale restaurant. Because if you pay more than about $65 for this item, "You Paid Too Much!"

I am not really digressing. I am happy to report that over at the Oviedo Antique Mall on Monday not one but three different dealers had an "ears pot" and all three of them had it priced right. One had a mis-attribution but it was for a similarly modest Art Pottery maker, so no harm, no foul. Or, considering the greeter, "No Harm, No Fowl"...

(That is your bad pun for the day.)

It was one of those hallmarks that say to me, "This is a place where reasonable prices may be found on the items offered," and that proved correct. Now in addition to the Mall Itself, there is an Annex and a Coop, which may mean Co-Op or it may mean where those roosters hang out. Not really sure. I will soon post photos so you can see some of the delights, from antique cane chairs that have been re-seated using men's vintage silk ties (so clever and pretty!), to all white stands (a look that always makes me think of the Olde South, Zelda and magnolia blossoms), and wonder-of-wonders, "Wood Box Heaven" (see the photo). Since I am fond of old boxes, this was a true eye catcher. They also have "Bling" and you can see the photos to prove it.

If you do not enjoy Antique Shopping, you had better drive on by, because if you are with someone who does you are sure to lose an hour or two of your life in this place. The proprietor is a gregarious fellow who makes you feel right at home and his staff, likewise. His staff being the cane his friends gave him on a significant birthday (well, they are all significant, but you follow my drift). It is decked out with a horn, a rearview mirror and a 1950s coin purse, for any eventuality.

Thanks Oviedo Antique Mall, for making a hot Monday afternoon very cool indeed. As the rooster would say, "You are worth crowing about!"


To read about some of my other antiquing recommendations in Florida visit: ANTIQUING IN FLORIDA