It seems our little city of St. Augustine, FL, has been turned upside down by Mumford and Sons and their Gentleman of the Road tour, which stops in this weekend. Yet, many of you Nation’s Oldest City locals asking, “Just who is this Mumford guy and why are his sons going to jam up all the downtown streets?” So I put together some answers to frequently asked questions, along with tips to surviving the two-day Mumford and Sons concert. • Which one is Mumford? And how does he stand touring with his children? My kids would drive me crazy! — Marcus Mumford is the English lead singer of the band, and he also plays several instruments, including the triangle. (Keep an ear out for a smokin’ triangle solo!) But the rest of the band are NOT his sons. In fact, I don’t even think they’re cousins. It’s just kind of a catchy band name. You know, like how The Beatles weren’t really … say … what the heck is a “beatle?”
Oh, you spicy little datil pepper
Here’s what I know about the datil pepper … They can be nasty little buggers — the Tazmanian devil of the pepper family. They will singe your teeth and make hair grow on your ears like Spanish moss. As far as I can tell, they are mainly grown in St. Augustine and are a favorite of Minorcans — a daredevil group who switched to the spicy pepper when consuming food that was still on fire grew boring.
Twenty years and 20 flip-flops. I’m a local now
I had to do the math. Just to see if it could be true. Because it didn’t seem possible. Didn’t seem like I’ve been here that long. “… borrow the one … 11 minus 3 … take the square root of 15 … if a train is leaving Austin at 5 o’clock …”
Failing the worm test. Now on to a house with chickens
So we did the test. The worm test. Vermicomposting worms. The kind that eat table scraps and leftover vegetable bits and human flesh. (No, I’m making that last part up.) My wife said: “If we can keep worms alive then it will be a great test for how we’ll do with chickens.” Chickens have been her dream for years. Laying hens. Big, fluffy fowl that you wear on your shoulder like a parrot. Who guard your house while furnishing you with eggs. Who bring love and joy and eat everything in your yard, down to the bricks, which they would also eat if only they had sledgehammers.
An Illuminating Christmas Tradition
“You know what we’re doing tonight?” I asked the assembled at the dinner table … even an anxious dog. “We’re going to see CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!” And many merry “yees” and “yahoos” were heard all around (even from an anxious dog.) For nothing says Christmas like cruising neighborhoods in search of the spectacular, audacious, gaudy, inspiring, kilowatt-consuming Christmas light displays. It’s a serious and time-honored tradition in my house — one that goes back to my own childhood and similar adventures with my dad. What a joy to now share it with my daughter.