by Jeannette Berndsen
ONCE again, a field trip with my beloved group of artists. There was an open mic event where people could recite something or make music. This time, no sketchbooks, just watching. My husband came along, wondering where we would end up this time. We followed the directions on where to drive, and soon we thought we were going to fall off the edge of the world. Long winding narrow roads, beautiful nature. Eventually, we arrived at a General Store. The only “shop” in the quiet, quiet surroundings.
We quickly found the others, and there were already a number of them on the beautiful grass field in a fairytale-like setting. We had brought chairs with us.
Okay, first order some food. In the General Store, two elderly ladies were selling French fries with an incredible slab of fried steak, at 7 dollars. It was the only meal available. We were totally amazed that there even was a General Store in the middle of nowhere.
The open mic was fun, and we gave everyone a heartfelt applause. There was, among others, a band with a few elderly men who played beautiful blues. Slowly, a few horses wandered in, and the riders also paused to listen. With our Dutch eyes and ears, this was a beautiful fairytale to see and experience.
We will never forget Istachatta, near Floral City, Florida. If it weren’t a 4-hour drive from West Palm Beach, we would definitely go back to see if the General Store is still there.
* Jeannette Berndsen is an artist in West Palm Beach, Florida
Jeannette Berndsen, the artist.
