Recently at my parents’ home, I noticed a piece of artwork hanging the wall. I had seen it many times, but somehow this time, it looked different. Upon inspecting the title written at the bottom, I noticed that it read: “Indian River Reflections,” Vera Zimmerman, 1987.
The painting shows a menagerie of people standing by the river, their reflection shining in the shallow waters…
“Mom, tell me about this please. Who are these people?”
“Well these are the many people of the Indian River Lagoon. There are Native Americans, African-Americans, the Spanish, Jonathan Dickinson, the cattlemen, the “pioneers…”
My eye kept going to the little girl and the dog…
“Things are different but the same,” I thought.
“Who is Vera Zimmerman, the artist, again? I know you have told me about her before.”
“She is an artist and an archeologist up in Brevard County…”
My mother left to clear the table and I stood there looking at the sketch…thinking about all of the people who have gone before us…
We too stand on the edge of the Indian River Lagoon, our reflections staring back. I wonder how one day, we will be painted?
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Associations of Vera Zimmerman:
http://www.flbrevard.com/History/_history.html
http://www.nbbd.com/npr/archaeology-iras/
http://www.oviasc.org/Old-Vero-Man-Site-History–Old-Vero-Ice-Age-Sites-Commitee–preserving-and-appropriately-excavating-important-Ice-Age-archaeological-and-paleontological-sites-in-Vero-Beach-and-Indian-River-County.html
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USGS Florida Shoreline: (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/flash/summary.html)
Vera is awesome.. I so wish i had her talent. She has been rendering historical locations and events in her art for years.. We are very lucky to have her!
This is Marty the bus fleet, manatee, and Waterkeeper BTW…^^
Hello Marty!
Notice what looks to be a Spanish cross carvend into the coquina rock just below the little girl with the dogs foot. I wonder was the calcium rock soft of hard?
Very interesting Brent!
Hi Jacqui, I just got back from a fishing trip to Biscayne Bay. Despite being surrounded by high rises, densely populated housing developments, and eight lane highways, the water was clear and blue. I could see the bottom in 15 feet of water, and the seagrasses were thick and healthy. Fish were everywhere with Rays and lots of birds. It made me sad to remember how the St. Lucie used to be just like that; now it is dead, poison mud soup. Anybody who says the problem is runoff and septic tanks is just sold out to the Agricultural interests to our west. Development does affect water quality, but it is the billions of gallons of fresh water with thick suspended solids and nutrients which is poisoning our environment. I hope you will figure out a way to stop it. It is the only issue that matters in Martin County, and I hope your campaign will focus on that and not just anti-development. I am losing hope and energy. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t remember how good it used to be and how the discharges has destroyed it. Waterfront property values are 1/3 of what the are down south, or less. If you have any bright ideas, let me know. We need politicians with guts and not those who want to run our local government like a homeowners association with “beautification” projects which are high maintenance and do nothing for the real problems we could spend the money on. Good luck, Mac
I hear you loud and clear Mac. Thank you for your direct communication and insights.