Category Archives: People

Florida’s Best- A WMEO‑9 SPECIAL REPORT- We Meow, You Listen

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Two cats sit behind a newsroom anchor desk labeled “WMEO 9,” with a microphone and papers in front of them. The orange cat and black cat appear as playful news anchors, set against a blurred cityscape and studio monitors.

🐾 WMEO‑9 SPECIAL REPORT- WE MEOW, YOU LISTEN

Hand holding a circular blue and silver “Best of Florida 2026” badge featuring the state of Florida icon, the Guide to Florida branding, and the hashtag #LoveFlorida, with the words “Drumroll Please!” above it.

ST JEAN CREATIVE DOES IT AGAIN — FLORIDA’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHER!

Banner (anchoring): “Good evening, viewers! Rumors have been flying, speculation rampant, and the suspense thicker than a furball in February. The question on every Floridian’s mind — who would win Best Photographer this year?”

Balboa (interrupting): “Banner, you’ve been pacing for days. You knocked over my treat jar twice waiting for the results.”

Banner: “Professional anticipation, Balboa. It’s called journalistic tension.”

Balboa: “It’s called chaos.”

🎥 The Story So Far

Last year, St Jean Creative Photography stunned the Sunshine State by taking home the top prize in the Best of Florida competition. The results for this year? Locked tighter than the treat cabinet. Until now.

Banner (dramatically): “It’s official! St Jean Creative has done it again! For the second year in a row, they’ve walked away with the top honor — Florida’s Best Photographer!”

Balboa (sniffing the air): “I smell victory. And maybe catnip.”

🌴 Why They’re the Best

Located in St. Petersburg, St Jean Creative lives up to its name — turning imagination into art. From weddings on the beach to Santa in the surf, from Hocus Focus Halloween magic to Dudeoir Valentine’s Day fun, they capture every moment with creativity and heart. Sports. Dance. Family vacations. Holiday thrills. Pets welcome too — even the dramatic ones.

Colorful collage celebrating St Jean Creative’s back‑to‑back Best of Florida photography win, featuring themed photoshoots including Halloween characters, youth sports, dancers on stage, Santa scenes, beach wedding portraits, and a Dudeoir Valentine’s photo, centered around a “Best of Florida Winner” badge with congratulatory text and the WMEO logo.

 

Banner: “Balboa, you’d fit right in their ‘Pets Welcome’ campaign.”

Balboa: “I demand my own photo shoot. With snacks.”

🏆 The Official Verdict

WMEO‑9 Newsroom confirms: St Jean Creative has officially secured the Best of Florida Photography title for 2026. A back‑to‑back win that cements their place at the top of Florida’s creative scene.

Banner: “Congratulations to St Jean Creative on another year on top!” Balboa: “And congratulations to me for surviving Banner’s victory dance.”

⭐ VOTE FOR ST JEAN CREATIVE — BEST OF FLORIDA 2027

Florida readers can cast their 2027 votes here: 👉 Guide To Florida

Voting is open now through July 28, 2027 at 11:59 AM

Banner: “Florida, let’s make it three in a row.” Balboa: “Vote. Do it for the art. And the cats.”

📞 BOOK YOUR PHOTO SHOOT WITH ST JEAN CREATIVE

Ready to schedule your session? Call 727‑317‑6765 to book your shoot.

Banner: “Family photos, holiday magic, sports, dance — they do it all.”

Balboa: “Tell them Balboa sent you. Maybe they’ll give me extra treats.”

🐾 WMEO Sign‑Off

“This has been a WMEO‑9 Special Report. Banner and Balboa reporting live from the newsroom — where the lights are bright, the treats are scarce, and the creativity never sleeps.”

Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk in a newsroom setting, with the orange cat and black cat posed like anchors above the text “Thank you for watching.

You may now resume your regularly scheduled scrolling

 

My First Glimpse of Everest

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Snow‑covered summit of Mount Everest under a clear blue sky, with wind blowing a small plume of snow from the peak.

Through Josh Gates’ Eyes: My Window Into the Himalayan Kingdoms

I’ve never been to Nepal or Bhutan or the high Himalayas. I’ve never stood in the thin air at Everest Base Camp or walked the ancient paths of the Mustang Range. But I have visited those places in the only way I can right now — through the shows and storytellers who brought them into my living room.

Before Josh Gates ever took me into the deep forests of Bhutan, I had already spent time in the Everest region thanks to another series: Everest Air.

Everest Air: The Rescue Pilots of the Khumbu

Everest Air followed high‑altitude rescue pilots who fly emergency missions around Everest Base Camp. These were real people doing real rescues in some of the most dangerous airspace on Earth. It wasn’t just TV drama; those pilots are still out there today, flying evacuations for trekkers and climbers who run into trouble in the thin air.

That show gave me my first glimpse of the Khumbu, Base Camp, and the sheer scale of the Himalayas. It made the region feel raw, dangerous, and astonishingly alive.

Josh Gates and the Hunt for the Yeti

Then came Josh Gates.

His multi‑episode arc Expedition Unknown: Hunt for the Yeti remains one of his most atmospheric adventures. He traveled through Nepal, trekked in the shadow of Everest, crossed into Bhutan, and explored remote corners of the Himalayan Kingdoms. His mix of curiosity, humor, and respect made the whole region feel almost mythical.

Casey Anderson in Bhutan

Josh didn’t make that journey alone. In Bhutan, he was joined by naturalist Casey Anderson — the Montana bear expert. His calm, grounded presence added a different layer to the story. Together they wandered through high forests, monasteries, and valleys where Yeti stories aren’t campfire tales. They’re cultural history.

Casey’s scientific perspective balanced Josh’s explorer energy. The two of them made Bhutan feel like a place where mystery and biology meet.

The Himalayan Kingdoms Through a Camera Lens

Those shows became my first real window into the Himalayas. They helped me understand how enormous, spiritual, and culturally rich that region is. Josh made it feel like a place where adventure and reverence live side by side. Every mountain seemed to hold a story, and every valley carried a legend.

Between Everest Air and Hunt for the Yeti, I felt like I had traveled through Nepal, Bhutan, Mustang, and the Roof of the World without ever leaving my couch.

A Like From Nepal

So when Adventure Trail Nepal liked my little blog post this week, it didn’t feel random. It felt like a tiny thread connecting me back to all those moments I spent watching Josh Gates explore the Himalayan Kingdoms.

A like from Nepal wasn’t just a click. It was a reminder of how deeply those stories stayed with me.

Feeling a Little Closer to the Roof of the World

I may never trek to Everest Base Camp or wander through Bhutan’s monasteries. But thanks to Josh Gates, Casey Anderson, Everest Air, and a single like from Nepal, the Himalayan Kingdoms feel a little closer today.

National Cat Lady Day: I Was Born Ready

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Long live the Cat Ladies. Endorsed by the Feline Nap Authority.

 National Cat Lady Day

Today is National Cat Lady Day, which is really just a polite way of saying “the cats were already in charge, but now it’s official.”

Banner and Balboa have graciously allowed me to observe the holiday by:

  • Providing snacks on demand
  • Serving as a heated lap accessory
  • Accepting that every chair is a cat chair
  • And remembering that I am merely the staff

If you, too, have ever canceled plans because a cat fell asleep on you, congratulations — you’re celebrating correctly.

Long live the Cat Ladies.
Endorsed by the Feline Nap Authority.

 

 

It’s National CanDo Day- You CanDo it!

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National CanDo Day: A Fresh Start for a New Year

January 4th marks National CanDo Day, a celebration of possibility, determination, and the quiet power of simply believing you can. It’s a day designed to help us take a realistic look at what we’re capable of — not in a pressure‑filled, resolution‑heavy way, but in a grounded, encouraging, “let’s start where we are” kind of way. And honestly, after the whirlwind of the holidays and the push of new projects, I think many of us could use that reminder.

A Moment to Pause and Take Stock

Life gets busy. Creative projects take over. New goals pull us in new directions. And sometimes, like me, you look up and realize something you love — a hobby, a blog, a routine — has slipped to the side. National CanDo Day invites us to pause, breathe, and take a gentle inventory of what we can do right now.

We can’t do everything. Not perfectly. Not all at once.

Just what’s possible today.

This day is about recognizing your strengths, your determination, and the dreams you’ve carried quietly for years. It’s about remembering that progress doesn’t require magic — just willingness, consistency, and a little spark of belief.

Turning Dreams Into Doable Steps

The heart of National CanDo Day is simple:
You are capable of more than you think — and you don’t have to wait for the “perfect moment” to begin.

Maybe you’ve been wanting to start a new project.
Maybe you’ve been meaning to return to something you love.
Or Maybe you’ve been dreaming of a change but haven’t taken the first step.

Today is your nudge.

A Little Challenge for You

Choose one thing — just one — that you can do today.
Not the biggest thing. Not the hardest thing.
Just something doable.

✔ Send that email
✔ Organize one drawer
✔ Write one paragraph
✔ Take a 10‑minute walk
✔ Start the outline of a dream you’ve been putting off

Small steps count. You can take a tiny step.  Small steps remind you that you’re capable.

Real People & Dreams. Real CanDo Spirit.

• Walt Disney dreamed of a place where families could laugh and imagine together — and built Disney World, a kingdom of creativity that still inspires generations.
• Nicole Botelho, my friend and a true force of compassion, turned her dream of a peaceful animal haven into reality with The Forever Farm Animal Sanctuary.
• Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, started with $5,000 and no fashion background — just a belief in her idea and the grit to make it happen.
• Brandon Stanton, creator of Humans of New York, began with a camera and a goal to tell everyday stories. His project became a global movement of empathy and connection.
• You, reading this right now — with your own quiet dream, your own spark of possibility. You belong on this list too.

You Can Do This

Wherever you are today — tired, inspired, overwhelmed, hopeful — National CanDo Day is your reminder that you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience, strength, and a whole lot of heart.

So here’s to doing what we can, celebrating what we have, and believing in what’s still possible.

You’ve got this. And today is the perfect day to begin again.

 

 

Sugar and Spice

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Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

That’s what little girls are made of…

Yesterday, we took a stroll through the most popular boys’ names of 2025, but we didn’t quite make it to the girls. That hardly seems fair, does it? So today, let’s turn the spotlight where it belongs—on the names gracing baby girls across the country this year.

Drumroll, please… Without further ado, here are the top 10 girls’ names of 2025, each one carrying its own charm, history, and whisper of personality.

🌸 Top 10 Girls’ Names of 2025

  1. Olivia – With Latin roots meaning “olive tree,” Olivia evokes peace and friendship, much like the olive branch itself. Nicknames include Liv, Ollie, Via, and Olive.
  2. Emma – A timeless classic with German origins, Emma ranked third in popularity back in 1880. After a quiet spell, it began a steady climb in the 1980s and hasn’t looked back.
  3. Amelia – Derived from both German and Latin, Amelia means “industrious” or “striving.” It’s a name with wings—just ask aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. Nicknames: Mia, Amy.
  4. Charlotte – Elegant and enduring, Charlotte has long been a favorite in the U.S. Its popularity soared after the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015, adding a royal sparkle to its charm.
  5. Mia – Originally a diminutive of Maria, Amelia, or Emilia, Mia has blossomed into a standalone name beloved worldwide for its simplicity and grace.
  6. Sophia – A name that transcends borders, Sophia surged in U.S. popularity in the early 2010s and continues to shine. It means “wisdom,” and it wears that meaning well.
  7. Isabella – Regal and romantic, Isabella rose to fame in the Middle Ages thanks to figures like Queen Isabella I of Castile. Today, it remains a top choice for modern royalty-in-the-making.
  8. Evelyn – An ancient name with Norman roots, Evelyn has gracefully evolved into a contemporary favorite, balancing vintage charm with modern appeal.
  9. Ava – Short, sleek, and stylish, Ava has been a top-ten staple since 2005. It’s a name that feels both classic and current.
  10. Sofia – A global gem, Sofia appears in many forms—Sophie (French), Sofiya (Slavic), and more. It’s tied to the Greek goddess of wisdom and the Christian concept of Holy Wisdom.

 

✨ And That’s a Wrap…

From timeless treasures to modern marvels, these names carry stories, symbolism, and a sense of wonder. Whether you’re naming a new arrival or simply savoring the poetry of names, each one offers a glimpse into the hopes we hold for the next generation. After all, names are more than just labels—they’re lullabies, legacies, and little sparks of identity.

So here’s to the Olivias and Amelias, the Sofias and Mias—may their names be as lovely and lasting as the lives they’ll lead.