Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival
What???
That's right, Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival.
First of all, none of the words go together. Sopchoppy? What the heck is that? Yep, a name of a town. A very funny name! Worm ... Festival? Weird people! Worm Gruntin'? Huh? Gruntin' Festival? An oderous affair, I am sure! A Worm Gruntin' Festival? You gotta be kidding! Anyone who sees that, just has to go check it out.
I wouldn't have know anything about this but circumstances directed me to this oddly humorously named festival. Yesterday, back after almost two weeks of not jogging, I was on the beach at the Plantation at St. George Island. Cecilia and Steve Harris, a happy and nice couple, got me into that place so I could more easily jog the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed the jog, maybe a little two much. By the end of the 5-mile jaunt I was in pain from my lower back to my knee. (Just call me hop-a-long!) Last night wasn't much better. At night in the van I couldn't even roll over. Couldn't life my left leg! I couldn't walk straight till this morning. It was tender but better.
I get ready to jog anyway. Tough it out, right? That's what I thought, after all I have an agenda and need to be in Orlando by the 15th! But wisdom proved the better part of me this morning. I am going to let it rest today. Tomorrow is Sunday and I don't run on Sundays so it will be a two-day rest.
So, I picked up the bike I had staged, put it away and went into the Firehouse #9 Restaurant run by Ed. Belinda is the waitress today. Good. They are all nice, but she is cute as well. I grab the local free paper called Forgotten Coast Line and look at the activities. Time to relax. And once I saw the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival I new I found my daily activity!
I arrived around 9:30 am. The place was in full swing with venders up and down two streets selling everything from Fried Green Tomatos and Brats to microwave baking potato pockets. It was fun! A large portion of the sqaure was under a giant shady oak tree, music was coming from the stage and folks bigs and small were walking around having fun. But the center of attention was the worm gruntin' exhibition.
There were several gruntin' stations. Each one consisted of a wooden steak (usually cherry or another fruitwood) pounded into the ground and a metal paddle about two feet long. Folks have been gathering worms in these parts for generations this way. Their market for worms reaches as far as Atlanta, Ga. I was watching this long-haired soft-spoken guy demonstrate. The sound is a low grunting vibration that you can feel in feet as well as hear. He asked if anyone would like to try it. Well, heck yeah!
The fellow's name was Snap. He is the son of Gary and Audrey Revell. Gary's dad lived in the forest. So does Gary, Audrey and their son today. They are making a good living worm grunting, living off the land, working with Florida State Univesity about the ecosystem and education folks, especially kids about life, the simple way.
Anyway, Snap, the fellow who was demonstrating the technique, said I was a natural. That made me feel good. Well, I was done, but he said I should keep going till some worms came up. So, I knelt down and really started grunting! The worms materialized as if by magic. It is probably like fingernails on a chalkboard to those worms.
Then I went and bought a T-shirt and had Gary, Audrey and Snap sign it. I like to wear it.
The festival had something fun for everyone. The kids had their events, including, worm gruntin', hula hoops and other fun stuff, too. Three young kids won rods and reels. Cool! The stage was going with some good music and the folks were sitting on the row of picnic tables or one of the many chairs. People from Eastpoint were there as well as many from Tallahassee.
Did you every see episodes on TV like LIttle House on the Prarie where the town is having a festival and everyone is happy? Kids are playing, even in the evening, folks are talking and dancing and just having a good time? Well, that is the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival.
It lasted well into the night with a new band designed to get people dancing. It was fun! And for a good cause as well. I believe this year the money raised goes to the community park. And Sopchoppy is quite a community. In the town itself there is one recording studio, outside of town at least two more (I think Snap has one). There is an organic bakery and coffee shop that has the best coffee on record. There is an upscape restaurant, an eclectic jazz store on the corner where they host named artists, have readings etc., and just plain cool.
A variety of artists live in and around this small, little town, as well as just regular folks like you and me. If you get the chance to visit this town, especially during the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival, you will be happy.
That's right, Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival.
First of all, none of the words go together. Sopchoppy? What the heck is that? Yep, a name of a town. A very funny name! Worm ... Festival? Weird people! Worm Gruntin'? Huh? Gruntin' Festival? An oderous affair, I am sure! A Worm Gruntin' Festival? You gotta be kidding! Anyone who sees that, just has to go check it out.
I wouldn't have know anything about this but circumstances directed me to this oddly humorously named festival. Yesterday, back after almost two weeks of not jogging, I was on the beach at the Plantation at St. George Island. Cecilia and Steve Harris, a happy and nice couple, got me into that place so I could more easily jog the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed the jog, maybe a little two much. By the end of the 5-mile jaunt I was in pain from my lower back to my knee. (Just call me hop-a-long!) Last night wasn't much better. At night in the van I couldn't even roll over. Couldn't life my left leg! I couldn't walk straight till this morning. It was tender but better.
I get ready to jog anyway. Tough it out, right? That's what I thought, after all I have an agenda and need to be in Orlando by the 15th! But wisdom proved the better part of me this morning. I am going to let it rest today. Tomorrow is Sunday and I don't run on Sundays so it will be a two-day rest.
So, I picked up the bike I had staged, put it away and went into the Firehouse #9 Restaurant run by Ed. Belinda is the waitress today. Good. They are all nice, but she is cute as well. I grab the local free paper called Forgotten Coast Line and look at the activities. Time to relax. And once I saw the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival I new I found my daily activity!
I arrived around 9:30 am. The place was in full swing with venders up and down two streets selling everything from Fried Green Tomatos and Brats to microwave baking potato pockets. It was fun! A large portion of the sqaure was under a giant shady oak tree, music was coming from the stage and folks bigs and small were walking around having fun. But the center of attention was the worm gruntin' exhibition.
There were several gruntin' stations. Each one consisted of a wooden steak (usually cherry or another fruitwood) pounded into the ground and a metal paddle about two feet long. Folks have been gathering worms in these parts for generations this way. Their market for worms reaches as far as Atlanta, Ga. I was watching this long-haired soft-spoken guy demonstrate. The sound is a low grunting vibration that you can feel in feet as well as hear. He asked if anyone would like to try it. Well, heck yeah!
The fellow's name was Snap. He is the son of Gary and Audrey Revell. Gary's dad lived in the forest. So does Gary, Audrey and their son today. They are making a good living worm grunting, living off the land, working with Florida State Univesity about the ecosystem and education folks, especially kids about life, the simple way.
Anyway, Snap, the fellow who was demonstrating the technique, said I was a natural. That made me feel good. Well, I was done, but he said I should keep going till some worms came up. So, I knelt down and really started grunting! The worms materialized as if by magic. It is probably like fingernails on a chalkboard to those worms.
Then I went and bought a T-shirt and had Gary, Audrey and Snap sign it. I like to wear it.
The festival had something fun for everyone. The kids had their events, including, worm gruntin', hula hoops and other fun stuff, too. Three young kids won rods and reels. Cool! The stage was going with some good music and the folks were sitting on the row of picnic tables or one of the many chairs. People from Eastpoint were there as well as many from Tallahassee.
Did you every see episodes on TV like LIttle House on the Prarie where the town is having a festival and everyone is happy? Kids are playing, even in the evening, folks are talking and dancing and just having a good time? Well, that is the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival.
It lasted well into the night with a new band designed to get people dancing. It was fun! And for a good cause as well. I believe this year the money raised goes to the community park. And Sopchoppy is quite a community. In the town itself there is one recording studio, outside of town at least two more (I think Snap has one). There is an organic bakery and coffee shop that has the best coffee on record. There is an upscape restaurant, an eclectic jazz store on the corner where they host named artists, have readings etc., and just plain cool.
A variety of artists live in and around this small, little town, as well as just regular folks like you and me. If you get the chance to visit this town, especially during the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival, you will be happy.