Looking For A Bird and a Birdie

A SMALL PEEK ~ OUR CRUISE IN THE CARIBBEAN

2012-01-18T21:39:00.000-06:00

In Mexico we saw Crocodiles. We also took an excursion driving our own jeeps. I drove one and Dan drove the other one. Following our guide, in his dune buggy, we traversed along very bumpy, potholed roads! I was having fun driving. It was almost like a Disney ride! I had to keep up with the guide and try to avoid all the potholes! We would be going 20 then soon up to 80! Crazy as it was, I had a great time driving that jeep!

On the Grand Cayman Island we met a begging raccoon.

Joe and David climbed 124 steps to the top of the lighthouse. That's Joe on the left-wearing his wide-brimmed hat.

Gail and Jerry drinking a Coco Loco.

Nancy and Joe smiling for the camera.

Susie and Dan, relaxing in Mexico.

Phyllis and David staying out of the sun.

The view as we left the Grand Caymans.

Welcome to Hell, Grand Caymans. The town is really called Hell. Extremely pointy volcanic rocks make up a good portion of the town, which is quite small. Thus, the name HELL.

We saw several iguanas on this trip.

David and Susie climbing up Dunn's Fall in Jamaica. I backed out of this "jaunt" as I would have been wet all day (no swimsuit on that day) the water was at least waist deep. David braved it with his street clothes--yes, and wet the rest of the day.

Gas by the liter. Around $6.00 a gallon.

A CHOCOLATE BUFFET!
What more could a person ask for?

One of a multitude of ice sculptures at the
Chocolate Buffet.

The Eiffel Tower in chocolate!

Oh, where to go on Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas?

One of the tender boats that took us from the ship to the islands.

This window on the ship greeted us each day as we walked up the steps to take the elevator to the Garden Cafe.

To help reduce the spreading of germs, all restroom doors had these signs.

To prevent the spreading of germs and viruses all elevators, restaurants and casinos were equipped with antibacterial stands. No touch-automatic release as you put your hand under it.

Our room ~ with a large porthole window.
Several nights I would wake up and watch out the porthole to see other ships in the distance. One afternoon I saw a large sailboat pass by. Must have been someone living on their boat and cruising from island to island.

These towel animals greeted us each day, made by our Steward, Gabena. There was a class and a DVD on how to do towel art. I did not participate, as I was convinced I'd never need that skill!
Gabena did a fantastic job keeping our room neat and tidy. We would leave and upon our return she had everything straightened out. News of what was happening each day was left on our bed for us to read. She greeted each person in the hall, by name. Amazing, as each week she has a new hall of people to take care of.

We had a great time on the open seas last week. Where to next? I must start doing some research!
So many places in the world to visit. Learning about how the people live is the most interesting to me. Seeing various cultures and finding friendly people no matter where we go is enlightening.
Thanking the Good Lord for being healthy and limber enough to keep going is our prayer.

A WEEK ON THE HIGH SEAS

2012-01-18T17:10:00.001-06:00

What a great time we had last week!
A cruise to Cozumel, Mexico - Grand Cayman Islands - Ocho Rios, Jamaica -
Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.
Boarding the Norwegian Sun was the beginning to a week of warm weather, an abundance of food, time with friends and an education of the history and lifestyles of the islands we visited.

Life boats on the Norwegian Sun. We saw them as we entered the ship and again during the
Muster Drill.

Baggage being loaded. It was interesting how much baggage people brought on. Some had a small satchel, others had 4 large suitcases. A freestyling cruise, as this one was, requires a regular week's worth of clothing. Actually, we took too much!

The front of our ship ~ The Norwegian Sun.

You guessed it ~ the back of our ship!

The Norwegian Sun ~ big, huh? Yes, it was, but not one of the biggest ships on the water. There were 12 decks. The 12th being an observation deck. The 11th was where the pools, hot tubs, the largest bar and the grand buffet at The Garden Cafe. Three more buffets were located on this floor along with a Sports Bar. Yes, Joe was in 'heaven' ~ food available all day! I was pleased ~ I didn't have to stand in the kitchen to make any of it! Ahhhhhh....heavenly!
The 7th deck had a casino, several stores and a large balcony venue for many shows that we went to.
Deck 5 was considered the lobby. Check in for excursions, the hotel desk, a piano bar and more venues for shows. Deck 6 - more areas for shows. The shows were fabulous! From the professionals to the crew's talent show, all were enjoyed by the multitudes of people viewing them.
Deck 3 held the kitchens, bakeries/galley. All food was made on the 3rd. deck and zipped up to the restaurants via "dumb waiters." Our host at the Four Seasons Restaurant explained the process to us.
Deck 2 was a very busy deck. The crew from the kitchens, bars, etc. lived on Deck 2. We met people from all over the world working on this cruise ship. 90 countries were represented by the crew and staff. 40 countries were represented by the passengers. Our captain was from Sweden, the Cruise Director was from South Africa and the Hotel Manager was from Milwaukee, WI.
The rest of the decks were hotel rooms. Rooms varied in size-ours was just right. We had a king size bed, a fold out couch, a desk and chair, a well organized closet and a bathroom larger than the one we had in our Park Model in Green Lake. Very comfy!

Our parking lot was great! Only $6/day to park! A shuttle to handle our luggage and transport us to and from the ship. A better deal could not be found! (It's $15/day to park by the cruise ship and we were only a 5 minute drive from the ship.)

NATURE IN DECEMBER

2011-12-26T20:36:00.001-06:00

Viewing and walking through nature is a favorite past time of mine. I venture out to the Circle B Preserve several times during our winters, in Florida. What used to be a large ranch, is now a wildlife preserve. Walking through the preserve is a different experience each time. Depending on the time of day, the month, the migrations, feeding times and seasons. Stepping out of the car and onto the path immediately creates a calming, relaxed mood for me. The birds are my friends, the animals are a bonus!
Such a Good Thing...

Camoflauged

Feral Hog looking right at me.
An unusual sighting at the Circle B.
I went in the other direction-fast!

On most occasions we see dozens of vultures
on "Buzzard Beach" - this day only a few.

Standing very still, waiting for prey to pass through the water.

CHRISTMAS IN FLORIDA

2011-12-26T20:04:00.001-06:00

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,

just like the ones I used to know ~

NOT!

It was in the 80's here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Wonderful...missing all the kids, is the one thing that makes me sad when holidays come around. We did have family here for Christmas!
Joe's sister, Frances, and her son, Tony, were here Christmas Eve-overnight to Christmas afternoon. They will return for an overnight again on Thursday. Tony is on leave from the Navy and we enjoyed their company for Christmas. Spaghetti dinner coming up on Thursday!

I snapped numerous pictures over the holidays. We spent several days and nights at concerts, cantatas, reenactments of the Christmas story (above in Davenport, FL, viewing decorations at major hotels and having fun at Downtown Disney.
Living statue at
Downtown Disney.

TeePee's decorated the tree
at the Wilderness Hotel.

The Ricola horns!
Downtown Disney.

Snowflake ladies amazing the
children~and the adults!

Living statues drawing throngs of Disney visitors.

A gingerbread house 12' high at the Grand Floridian, Disney/look at the ingredients!

Mickey Mouse "Wreath" at the
Contemporary Hotel, Disney.

It's Mardi Grau all year at Port Orleans.

Nice "seat" Frances...

Frances and Tony

Joe and Tony on a Harley!

The snowflake ladies, on stilts, walked around, creating "Kodak moments" for Disney guests. The toy soldiers, on stilts, also were blinded by cameras ~ they were amazing! Dancing, singing, jumping up and down entertaining the crowds~all on those stilts! Fantastic balance!

Our "Christmas tree" on the porch.

IT'S A JINGLE BUG CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-05T10:31:00.001-06:00

We ventured out ~ before the Packer game ~ to Old Town. Getting there before the game to view the VW's in the back lot. They were coming in and lining up for the cruise. Joe took off to find a place to see the beginning of the game. Sue, a friend from the park, and I wandered through the back lot "oohhing" and "aahhing" at the VW's of the past. I took so many pictures! I have posted some impressive ones today. I tried posting a video, but can't seem to get it to post and work.

Old Town is decorated for Christmas right now and music was blaring. Some of the cars were decked out for the season ~ most weren't ~ as a VW can stand alone, undressed, and look great!

This one resembles the one I drove to college, not so many years ago! Started smoking in the front/strange the engine was in the trunk.
Had to sell it - a guy bought it to make a dune buggy.

Pretty in red!

Bright blue caught my eye...

Older than me! 1947 First '47 I've ever seen.

Are you familiar with Fridolin? I wasn't either. It is a VW mail truck, built for the German Postal Service. Only 1,626 were built between the years 1964 and 1973. It's a combination of the bug, the bus and the squareback. At the present time there are only about 25 in the United States, several used for campers and most going to car shows.

Very clever "redo" on this one.
John Deere VW pick-up.
Couldn't find the owner, wondered if he was
from Wisconsin?

Our shadows in the this VW bus.

The squareback ~ new to me! A VW station wagon.

HERBIE ~ what more is there to say?

The Volkswagen Type 181 "Kurierwagen", popularly known in the United Kingdom as the Trekker, in theUnited States as the Thing, and in Mexico as the Safari.

This is similar to my VW van, back when Michelle was 7 and Josh was a newborn. NICE!

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

My VW show is done, for now.

If I can figure out the video I'll upload it.

Old Town is the place to go if you like vehicles. Thursday nights there is for motorcycles.

Friday night a cruise of old cars.

Saturday night is the cruise of OLD cars.

That's the one we frequent. We like them all ~ and here's a "heads up" ~if you ever visit us ~ you will end up at OLD TOWN!

BUSCH GARDENS ~ TAMPA, FL

2011-12-03T16:50:00.000-06:00

How cool is this?
Mel knows how to advertise his hot dog diner! We drove past this VW on the way to Busch Gardens. Needed to make a u-turn (without the GPS telling us to (as she so often does) ) so I could get a picture.

Beautiful gardens at every turn...
Busch Gardens**buy a ticket for a day and come back all year! We did that, last January when Brian and Ceci visited. Senior Citizens get special passes that are good for 15 months.
Thank you Busch Gardens!
We will be there several times before our passes expire in April!

Vibrant colors and amazing birds.

Frances and Lana on the sky ride.
We were in the next 'car' ~ the only ride I went on! Oh, I also rode the train and the safari jeep, but those aren't really "rides" when Busch Gardens is full of roller coasters.

A small part of the new roller coaster, CHEETAH RUN, it winds up and down throughout the entire park. While on the train, I noticed some of the animals jerked and weren't startled when the roller coaster cars traversed the tracks above them. That I did not like. The animals at a park like Busch Gardens should not be frightened by something that gives pleasure to people. They should have secured areas, especially if they have to be "caged."

See the lizard on the top of the screen?
Reminds me of Michelle's dragon!

...and what are you?

Santa's elves ~ poising at the entrance of the park.

Lana, Joe's niece, accompanied us to the park.

Lana was visiting her Mom, Frances, who is in FL for a few months.

Lana, Fran, Nancy, Joe

Scaring yourself silly is fun! They had a great time on this ride ~ SANDSERPENT. I stayed below and was the Keeper of the 'stuff.'

Tortoises and Anteaters were among the privileged that weren't deleted from my camera.

CHEETAH RUN**Yes, it is enormous, loud and intrusive winding throughout the park.
Guess when you think of Busch Gardens/you think of roller coasters.
I favor ANIMAL KINGDOM for viewing animals and going to shows.

The Christmas tree was decked out with various types of gourds, all with paintings of cheetahs. The new roller coaster opened this Fall and everything is "All about it."
It was a great day! We were there 11 hours. At the end of the evening we ate popcorn and listened to a wonderful group of people sing Christmas carols.
WHAT A WONDERFUL LIFE!

MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA

2011-11-21T08:55:00.000-06:00

"Vacation" is a state of mind.

I can be on vacation sitting at the pool, riding my bike on a trail lined with trees, viewing the sunset, relaxing in my chair while reading a book. Last week vacation was walking the beach!

The beach this November, was on

Marco Island, FL.

We went with friends, Bill and Andrea, from our park in Florida. We stayed at a condo, on the bay, and by the end of the week we meandered in and out of all the roads available.

Very pretty, serene and relaxing place to vacation.

My favorite place was the beach/it was clean; this is the only picture I took with Marco Island on it.

The luggage carts seemed to disappear when we arrived ~ so this shopping cart came in handy transporting a weeks worth of "stuff" up to the 4th floor. Not fancy ~ but utilitarian, for sure.

Bill ~ Andrea ~ Nancy ~ Joe
On a dolphin cruise, off Marco Island.

Coming up to beach, on one of the 10,000 islands around Marco Island, this unusual building is seen in the distance. It looks like it's "hanging" on - ready to topple with the next large wave.

In the 1970's an architect built a series of round homes, on stilts, on one of the 10,000 islands, near Marco Island. His plan was to be self-sufficient and have others of like "mind" live in his small commune.

His plan seemed feasible. The water proved him wrong. His over 100 feet of beachfront eroded and some of his homes toppled into the sea. Left were these few, which were later condemned.

Teenagers frequent the small island, to party. It has become a challenge to throw seashells into the roof. The roof material is soft and thrown the right way the shells stick into it. Seemed to me to be a very decorative part of the houses. He did have a vision though, as many homes we saw by the water in Texas, were built with round roofs, enabling the winds and storms to pass over them.

I would've liked to have had a chance to live on that island! At least I had the chance to see it!

Every island was beautiful to come upon. Mangrove trees fill all of the islands. Skunks, raccoons, snakes, birds, panthers, bobcats and who knows what else, call the islands home.

Red and white mangrove trees/shrubs cover the islands. A multitude of the seeds were on the beaches everywhere. The seeds are long and easily stick into the sand and start growing. We saw some on Marco Island, in the more remote areas. People, of course, keep the mangroves under control in the populated regions.

Ospreys can be seen everywhere!

It was a dolphin cruise ~ these three dolphins swam around the boat, putting on a show for us.
Dolphins are friendly and playful.

There's Joe, in the shade, enjoying the ride.

Chicken salad stuffed tomato ~ a yummy lunch!

Looking down the beach that I walked for miles.

Birds and seashells with every step! Heaven...

Great lunches were had at Stilts! Coconut shrimp, chicken strips, pineapple/chicken quesadillas...

Signs, signs, everywhere there're signs!

Looking up the beach that I walked on for miles.
If I ran the world ~~ there would be a rule ~~ ABSOLUTELY NO building on the beaches! The road along the beach would be free of buildings. ALL people could then enjoy the sights of the beaches, not only those staying in the tall, unsightly hotels and condos. When were the beaches and the sea declared private? I thought they were part of nature and for every person to enjoy.
(Our accommodations were not on the beach. We had to seek out a public access to the beach and on Marco Island we could only find two. The one we went to had parking, the other did not.)
YES, there would be a rule, if I ran the world!

Water ~ for miles and miles and miles. The 10,000 islands were wonderful. They are uninhabited by people, full of wildlife and wild vegetation. There is an ordinance that no building can take place on any of the islands, except for Marco Island.

A GLIMPSE OF SUMMER 2011

2011-10-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

Josh and Michelle ~ visiting in Missouri

Rare to see a Walking Stick/but this summer I saw two. One in WI and one in MO.

Derby, Michelle's 2 1/2lb. Chihuahua, spent August and September with us, in WI. She loved going everywhere we went, especially on bike rides.

It was hot when I spent time at Michelle's this summer. Cooling off in the pool was welcome everyday!

Derby, taking a walk, in her "tough" outfit.

Truck Stop Missouri ~ You can watch it on the Travel Channel! We ate breakfast there a couple of mornings. They serve very large pancakes and wonderful breakfasts. The home fries portion was so big three of us could split it! The TV cameras were not there the days we were/ah, shucks!

We ate at McDonald's--a regular experience when you have a two year old. Difference is: this Mickey D's has a glass ceiling! Hard to eat when the flags are flying, the birds are perching on the metal connectors and the wind is blowing leaves everywhere. Oh, and there was a waterfall behind our booth!
It fascinated all of us!

FURNITURE I PAINTED THIS SUMMER

2011-10-27T20:36:00.001-05:00

Little blurry- a stool to be able to reach the sink, to brush teeth and learn the letters in his name.

Doing homework at a pink desk! What more could a first grader girl ask for? So easy now, it won't seem like homework.

A new baby joined the family about a week ago.
The baby shower this summer called for a painted rocking chair. The book Goodnight Moon, and the little dog peeking at the rocker were wrapped up for the baby gift. Welcome to Baby Emil!

GREAT RIVER ROAD TRIP ~ PICTURES TAKEN ALONG THE WAY

2011-10-27T20:14:00.000-05:00

SUMMER TRIP UP THE GREAT RIVER ROAD IN WISCONSIN

My sister, Geri, and I visited several shrines and grottos on our trip.
This blue "tree" of candles was at one of them. They raise and lower it mechanically to light the candles. Amazing!

We stopped and read every single historical marker along the way. They are very interesting and bring to "light" the history many nuns had us read about in elementary and middle school. Visiting the places made it all real.

One priest built an entire grotto with stones, glass pieces, odds and ends from all over the world. Cement must've been his "friend" for several years!

The Beatitudes in cement. The tree of life made of glass, stones and knick knacks.

A few glass balls were perched on pillars at the entrance. I'm in this one!

Each small shrine holds a saint, with The Blessed Virgin watching over the entire area.

Remember Little House on the Prairie?

Inside of Laura Ingalls Wilder childhood home.

THE Little House on the Prairie.

In Alma, WI Geri and I stayed at this Bed and Breakfast. We entered the house and had a sign greet us that said: Go upstairs, choose a room. Charge for the room is on the back of the door. Leave money and key on the dresser when you leave. Enjoy the parlor downstairs and breakfast in the morning.

We choose the Red Room. This was my bed. Geri's was a full size antique bed. The room was cozy and full of antiques. The bathroom was shared by all the rooms. We were the only guests, so we had it to ourselves. In the morning we were treated to coffee, toast and homemade marmalade.
An interesting way to run a bed and breakfast.

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

2011-09-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

GREAT RIVER ROAD TRIP
Last week my sister and I headed to the Southwestern corner of Wisconsin. Starting in Kieler, WI we traveled up the Great River Road. Stopping at every small town and many places along the Mississippi River. The weather cooperated and we had a great time.

This tugboat was pushing several large barges down the Mississippi River, heading for St. Louis. We stopped to watch as it went through the locks. Talking to the young man in charge of the ropes and yelling out numbers we learned that WI is the only state along the Mississippi with locks to maneuver through. It would take this barge about 1 1/2 hours to clear the locks. Must take days to get to Missouri.

Fortunately, there is still transportation movement along the Great Mississippi. We saw barges, boats, semis and a multitude of trains running up and down on and near the mighty river.

Double decker trains. The river ~ the train tracks ~ the Great River Road ~ all next to each other and we were meandering up the road, at our own pace.

Necedah Visitor Center ~ totally operating by solar power and recycled rain water. I will return to this center in the spring, seeing a small part of it makes me want to return.

Wisconsin is a beautiful state!
Wandering Wisconsin is fun, informative, friendly, eye-opening and amazing.
Try it ~ live like you mean it!

GO PACK GO!

2011-09-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

The shoot that the Green Bay Packers come out of.

Stealth Bomber flies over after singing
The Star Spangled Banner.

The Pack coming out of the shoot, flanked by cheerleaders and flag bearers.

67,000 plus people attended this game.
It was the last pre-season game for the Packers.
Thanks to my God-child, Brenda, we had the opportunity to go to it. Gives a different impression when up close!

A pretty picture!

Aaron Rodgers - #12 - watching and hanging out. He played, but not the entire game. We were so close, I watched the guys that were not playing walk around, talking and joking with each other.
Very different view than on TV!

Security was everywhere.

So were cheese heads!
Over 67,000 of them!
The season begins!

SUMMERTIME

2011-07-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

Home for 42 days and not one day on my blog.
What can I say/it rained, it was dreary, we had storms; it was cold. So goes June.
July still has wind, rain and storms/but warmer weather to help cope with all of it.
Our yard has been blooming. I've been planting perennials, so the garden is up and ready to bloom upon our return from Florida. It's working...

Some of my yard art, featured in the front of the daisy garden.

The new garden I started this year.

Stepping stone garden with strawberries in back of it.

Daisy "fence" with crooked willow tree planted in the rock circle.

We have been trying to out think the squirrels for years. We usually end up applauding them, for their crazy antics and persistence in feasting on the bird seed that we put out in "squirrel proof" feeders.
This year we have a new resident in our yard~a black squirrel. It is very brave and agile. Climbing into the sunflower feeder hanging in the middle of the yard and also coming up on the deck to say, "Good Morning" to me.

If he/she only knew the seed is in the metal cans! So far, even the raccoons that scrounge around at night haven't cracked into the cans yet.
Maybe I am outsmarting them?

Pretty flowers in the yard.

VISITOR FROM PUERTO RICO

2011-06-03T22:02:00.000-05:00

Josh's day in Florida was spent with his Aunt and Grandmother. We met at Downtown Disney, eating at the House of Blues, a boat ride across the lake and ice cream while chatting. Grandma Ortiz is visiting Daisy, her daughter, for a month. Luckily, at the same time Josh was coming down to Florida.
We had a fun afternoon, catching up and commenting on how wonderful Grandma in looking and doing for almost 80! Josh was all smiles, all day, as almost every turn is a Kodak moment for Daisy!

Daisy and Josh at House of Blues.

Josh and Grandma Ortiz amongst the flowers at Downtown Disney. (Grandma loves flowers!)

The ceiling, in the entrance, at the House of Blues.
Shoes, artistically painted, in a circle overhead.

LONG TIME SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU, MY BLOG

2011-06-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

WHOA! What a busy month it has been. Joe left Florida several days before I did. Josh flew into Orlando, barely breathing the air of Florida, we took off early heading for Michelle's. After 19 hrs. we arrived at Michelle's! Whew...long drive, but fun and safe.
We helped Michelle and Ryan move the rest of their belongings, to the country. Great place Ryan and Michelle! Two days of moving and unloading. The next day was a shopping trip to enhance Haden's room. We ended up in a basement, watching the 'shelf' clouds over us and listening to the tornado warnings.

In an underground garage/basement
avoiding the rain, wind, hail and trying
to stay safe. Listening to the radio
weather announcements.

Cracks of lightening made Michelle and I jump, later finding out a tree across the street was down in front a house.

Bless the people of Joplin and Sedalia, where the tornadoes really took a toll on those towns. We were thankful to have a place to go to stay safe.

The back patio at Ryan and Michelle's new country home, in Missouri. Relaxing and no music needed/the birds are so plentiful! Having coffee out there in the morning was delightful!

MY QUEST CONTINUES...

2011-05-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

No pileated woodpecker yet! The holes in the trees show no more evidence of excavating. Possibly these trees don't have the right bugs, or whatever the bird was searching for.
I do have a few pics from walking around the park. Nothing unusual/until I went to the store yesterday and caught the last picture!

The park is full of cardinals.
This one posed for a picture.

The trees are full of beautiful blossoms.

The squirrels are everywhere!
Smaller than the ones - Up North.

A relative to the first bird?
Only this one is stuck-on a door frame.

The perfect perch where the resident eagle is often seen.
Another quest ~ to catch it sitting there!

A tree frog, clinging to our house.
Several hang out near the porch lights each evening, love the sounds they serenade us with.

So, this turtle looks small-not so-it is larger than the largest dinner plate! It was digging holes, but on the edge of the road, in our park. To lays eggs? I'm not sure, but I already helped one that was hit by a car. This one was way too close to the road. So, I took a stick and helped it move into the "wilds" of the park.
Not sure if the first one lived, it was really "beaten" up, from a car hitting it. Cars coming around the corner sometimes go too close to the edge, and onto the grass, where the pictured turtle was digging.

"Pinkest" of pink rides ~ 'Princess' on the darker pink side mirror.
Who's the princess? The driver? The dog?
My guess - both!
Couldn't pass this picture up--the dog is totally enjoying the ride!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS

2011-05-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

****Thank you Michelle and Josh****
Without you two I wouldn't be a Mom. First Sunday in May is set aside to honor Moms.
I feel honored everyday~you two always make me feel special and important!
Love you!

MY QUEST...

2011-05-04T18:13:00.000-05:00

Benny-Maintenance Manager, here at our park was telling me yesterday about a large woodpecker he has seen on one of the trees. Today he caught me at the pool and told me it was on a nearby tree. I saw it as soon as I left the pool area.
A Pileated Woodpecker! Exciting!
I ran home for the camera/it was gone by the time I returned, but evidence of it being there was clear.

Pileated Woodpeckers excavate large holes in trees, leaving the shavings, in a pile, at the bottom of the tree. There must be bugs in this tree.

These holes are on another tree, the woodpecker is working on this one. I will have to take my chair down there and watch for it. Hopefully, pictures of it will soon be here!

NEW LEGO SCULPTURES AT DOWNTOWN DISNEY

2011-05-04T18:02:00.001-05:00

We like to walk around Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. Our favorite place to eat is the English Pub/but this time we ventured over to The House of Blues. We were glad we did, as the sandwiches were delicious!
The Lego Store has been under construction all winter. Finding it open and with new sculptures was great. These lego structures are made overseas and shipped here. They are huge! Wonder why our Americans can't make these? Sadly, it's probably cheaper to construct them and ship from over seas.

The Seven Dwarfs

Snow White and Dopey

Hey, Josh! Woody!

Slaying the dragon.

The family is still there/updated with hats and outfits.

"Adios Mickey ~ see you next season!"

DID YOU WATCH?

2011-05-04T17:42:00.000-05:00

I watched the highlights. I thought it was well done and not too elaborate. Thought some of the hats were crazy/some were fun/some were elegant. A "feel good" event.

RANDOM PICTURES

2011-04-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

An Easter Lily that just randomly came up this week, across the street from our cottage. Timely!

PEDRO ~ a new addition to the side of our porch where I planted my "Floridian" greenery.
My "yard art" in Florida is all metal objects.
Pedro fits right in!

Beautiful palm trees at the Vinoy Hotel, in
St. Petersburg, FL. We went to the beach today and "visited" the Vinoy/a grand old lady. The hotel has been "cleaned" up since the early 1990's when it was in disrepair and the homeless took up residence.
Joe and I saw it when fenced, with broken windows, campfires in the building and people sneaking around to get in. Renovation took place; a few years later we took Grandma Cramer there to see the Vinoy she used to know. We sat in the comfy wicker rockers on the veranda as she told us stories of how it 'used' to be in Florida years ago.
Ahhh ~ memories!

A SENIOR DAY

2011-04-26T20:31:00.000-05:00

"Senior" moments or days can be "A good thing!"
We bought tickets to Busch Gardens when Ceci, Brian and Ciera came to visit. It was a fun day with them at the park. If you buy a ticket for a day/it's good for a year. But wait--if you are a senior--it's good for 15 months!
We can use our tickets until the middle of April 2012.

We went to see Jack Hanna this past week, at Busch Gardens. He had a wonderful program about strange animals. An advocate for animals of all kinds, he was so kind signing autographs for every child (& some adults) in the audience!

I took children on "field trips" for 31 years.
I had a great time doing it! The kids always loved every trip we went on.
Now, it's time for my field trips! Having always tried to teach the children about animals and nature/I now get to see professionals, preserves, nature centers, etc. when ever I can! FUN...

JOHNNY ROCKETS

2011-04-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

A "fast food" place to eat/labeled as a restaurant on the directory at the Millenia Mall, on Conroy Rd. in Orlando.

We 'dined' at Johnny Rockets, before making it over to the First Baptist Church Orlando.

The waiter smiled as he made happy faces in the small dishes each person gets for their ketchup. He prides himself in doing it upside down. He seemed to like his job/but not a skill that will get you far!

Chili Cheese Fries~Joe politely removed his hand for my picture. Look ~upper right corner of picture, his hand is ready to ponce on those fries!

Leaving Johnny Rockets and the Millenia Mall, we found the First Baptist Church Orlando,
where we had tickets for ONE.

Those are people sitting on each side of the steps ~
they are in the choir of 150! They were fabulous!

THE LAST SUPPER

THE CRUCIFIXTION

THE RESURRECTION

The Passion Play depicted the story we all know.

The set was simple but your imagination and prior knowledge made it very real. The cast of 100 also made it come alive and kept your attention centered on the story being "relived" with much 'passion'.

NOTE: The First Baptist Church Orlando seats 6,600 people. The estimate was that there were 4,500 attending on Wed. evening. Wednesday was the first night of the play! We will now watch for more events at this church, very professionally produced.

BIKE RACE IN WINTER HAVEN, FL

2011-04-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

The race is on!
We watched the end of the first race, then the kids race (all the kids received 'gold' medals), the Pros were up next. An 80 minute race-through the town of Winter Haven-rounded eight corners, at top speed, on a bike!

The coveted trophies/along with money!

There were about 50 racers, ranging in age from 16 to 47. I was cheering for the 47 year old/I didn't know any of the racers, but I figured if a 47 yr. old was racing with these young guys--good for him!

There he is - in the middle of the three.

He won!! 80 minutes of riding/turning corners/warm weather/younger competitors/and he won!
Come to find out: he was a favorite!
Guess this racer is well-known in "bike world"!

END OF MARCH ~ STORMY WEATHER

2011-04-01T22:48:00.001-05:00

We were very fortunate that the first tornadic storm went across Florida **north of us.
The second cell went **south of us! We did get rain, wind and more rain but no tornados close by. We felt blessed as we watched the meteorologists, on TV, get very excited all day. They probably were happy they had weather to report. They kept comparing it to the 'great' tornadoes in the Mid West. Guess we don't look at them as being 'great' but we didn't go to school for meteorology. Reporting weather in Florida probably becomes mundane.
(Example of the evening weather recently.)
"The weather today is sunny and warm. The temps will be in the 80's, during the day. We will cool down toward evening into the 70's."
The storm had the meteorologists jumping around, using all their equipment and knowledge to explain what was happening all day. Making them happy about the weather is not something I want to see often!

A branch fell down, near my car-no damage.
Today maintenance went around the park with a chain saw-cleaning up all the fallen branches.
Our maintenance crew are the BEST guys around!

SPOOK HILL

2011-04-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

SPOOK HILL IN LAKE WALES
We met friends in Lake Wales at Manny's Chophouse. Good food/good company. After our meal we ventured over to Spook Hill. We've seen the signs but never went to explore. Not a lot to see/interesting though.

The sign explains Spook Hill ~ really not so spooky, just interesting.

This is the line we drove up to/put the car in neutral and rolled back down--then up the hill we just came from.

Actually, it is an optical illusion.
Really has nothing to do with Native Americans or alligators.
Stories can make tourist attractions!

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

2011-03-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

   STRAWBERRY FEST
   PLANT CITY, FLORIDA
After getting lost for about 1/2 hour we finally arrived at the gates. The signs we followed pointed straight/the guy at the gas station said to turn left/my navigator said follow the signs/we turned around after several miles and turned where the gas station guy said to turn! Oh well, the friends we were meeting were patiently waiting, watching all the senior citizens going through the gates.
Our first stop was to get a strawberry shortcake ~ very yummy, topped with whipped cream and a strawberry!
Strawberry Fest turned out to be a smaller version of Wisconsin's State Fair, with pictures of strawberries put up here and there. We watched Jay Taylor, country singer and then went to the Tanya Tucker Concert. She put on a wonderful show and her daughters got into the act/each singing a couple of songs. The eleven year old (yes, Tanya Tucker has an eleven year old!) sang with gusto and she will one day be a great country singer!
Her older daughter sang with her own style.

Jay Taylor ~ upcoming country star!

Tanya Tucker in concert

On the big screen...

We were in row sixteen/second section.

Barb and Fred watching the
Native American dancing.

Joe remembered his hat/Fred didn't.
The kindergarten teacher in me made Fred a newspaper hat, to keep the sun off his head!

Native American Dancer

SIDEWALK CHALK ART

2011-03-08T20:57:00.001-06:00

   HAINES CITY, FLORIDA
A great place to view chalk artists! Many artists/all levels of abilities/a variety of subjects/
all having fun and doing their best. Several artists had pictures to look at and some had books of pictures on display of their previous works, all over the world.
A parking space was each artist's canvas.
We didn't stay for the awards and prizes ~ they all should've received something for showing up!   ENJOY ~ WE DID

MARDI GRAS PARADE ~ LAKE WALES, FL

2011-03-07T09:18:00.001-06:00

Mardi Gras ** Lake Wales
We totally did not expect the parade to be as much fun as it was. A small town that put on a great parade. The floats were "ginormous" and the people threw tons of beads! Caps were also thrown and we caught many ~ which we passed out to children along the route that didn't get any.

Stand and be proud ~
GOD BLESS AMERICA

Chet ~ "King Zues"
(Chet is a neighbor from up north. He informed us about the parade in Lake Wales. He was the King, on the float he worked on, behind the open-mouthed lady. Wonder what she saw?!)

The pirates, on KAOS, were great!
Black and gold beads from them.
Their float was huge!

FLOUNDERING NATION
This was the largest float, the last float, the loudest float, the one throwing the most beads and a great end to a great parade.

After singing and line dancing, these "cowgirls" also threw beads into the crowd.

King Zues with his court.

Coming or going these ladies,
'dancing with their friends'
were hysterical!

BEAT MY COUNT~~~~

2011-03-06T08:34:00.000-06:00

Twenty-four strands of beads, at the first Mardi Gras Parade I viewed. (Really ~ viewed and yelled at and waved my hands/arms at.) If you want beads to be thrown you must "look" like you want them!

This parade yielded two dozen strands that I took home, and one dozen that I gave away to kids around me. Hats were also thrown and we caught nine, from various companies. We also gave those away to children that couldn't reach them. A fun parade!

SUNRISE ~ SUNSET

2011-02-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

AMAZING...

FRIENDS FROM WISCONSIN

2011-02-24T19:04:00.001-06:00

Friends from Wisconsin came to visit, for two days. Just so happened the Wisconsin Days Picnic was being held that day, in our park/having typical WI food-brats, potato salad, etc.
Joe and Mel took off for the golf course, while Robin and I went to enjoy the pool. For them, in February, golfing and the pool were a treat!
In the evening we joined thousands of people at Old Town. Live music and an old car cruise makes for a great warm, winter evening. The next day we took them to the preserve that we frequent. We saw 40some alligators and various species of birds.
Good to see friends from WI, in the winter months!

Mel and Robin Gunnink

Volkswagons were featured at the Saturday night cruise, after the classics. My favorite vehicles!

Smart cars were also featured that evening.

How many pictures of gators do I have now?

Nature ~ pretty

With all those gators out there - I spotted this bunny!
We saw a similar one/maybe the same one/when my sister was here.
How do they live amongst the gators?

MOUNT DORA, FLORIDA

2011-02-24T16:24:00.000-06:00

The first weekend of my sister's visit we went to the Art Fair, in Mount Dora.
A sea of white tents crowded the main streets and side streets of Mount Dora. The art at each vendor was unique and worthy of the thousands of people that came to view and buy. Not many food vendors were on the streets, as the many restaurants and cafes were open for business. A fun day/we saw it all as sprinkles started falling.
We left Mount Dora in the rain and drove right out of it toward home.

Yes, the streets were crowded. We managed to go up and down each street, at least twice!

What we ate ~ arepa's ~ like two corn pancakes with cheese in the middle.
New to us, and very tasty.

A beautiful palm that looks like a sunflower!
This is art ~ to me.

OUR VISIT TO THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA

2011-02-24T16:11:00.000-06:00

While my sister was here, we drove the west coast from Naples to St. Petersburg and the beaches on the West Coast. We stopped in every little town along the way and had a great time!

Tin City in Naples

Tin City building/a place to browse, eat and shop for the treasures of Florida. http://www.tin-city.com/history/

Animal strollers at Tin City. We see many people walking their pets, using this type of stroller.

A fisherman's catch at Tin City.

Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda, FL.
We really enjoyed this conglomeration of shops and boutiques the most on our visits and tours of places along the way.

The Pier ~ St. Petersburg, FL
I've been frequenting The Pier since Joe and I started going to FL 24 years ago. It was a constant stop for us, a great place to go. Then it started falling apart/as far as stores and restaurants leaving. Recently, life has been coming back to The Pier. Small, unique shops and restaurants are trying their best to make The Pier a place to visit once more.

The Pier as it has looked since it was built. There is "talk" about modernizing the look of The Pier.

A mural at The Pier.

This is not on the West Coast! This is a large artsy tower greeting visitors to the town of Kissimmee.
(It just happened to get posted with the other pictures in this blog. It's nice, isn't it?)

Coconuts ~ place to relax, have a drink, a meal or an ice cream/as we did/on the third floor of the The Pier.

Downtown St. Petersburg, FL you will find the Chihuly glass museum and the Dali Museum. This glass sculpture is in front of the Chihuly Museum.

UNUSUAL CAR SIGHTED ON THE ROAD/THEN AT THE FLEA MARKET

2011-02-23T16:52:00.000-06:00

We've seen some "sights" on our travels around the USA; this car is one of those; as it drives past you, it deserves a quick, second glance.
Amazingly, we saw it again, at the Auburndale, FL Flea Market. The owner of this car was probably at the Flea Market searching for more little statues and kitsch, to embellish the car - more than it is!

The birds on the fenders have moving parts. The wings flutter up and down in the wind.

A maze of statues and bumper stickers!

You'd think the statues, on the hood, would be a distraction while driving, guess you get used to them being there.

Oh my, even on the dash!

GRAND-DADDY OF ALL ALLIGATORS!

2011-02-22T21:59:00.002-06:00

ONE GIANT ALLIGATOR!
Each time we go to the Circle B Preserve, we see something different. The vegetation changes quickly, winds take down the hanging moss and weak limbs. Flowers bloom and various grasses grow, in the water and out. Each time we see alligators/I have so many pictures of them. We've seen as many as 60 alligators in one day walking down the path, appropriately called Alligator Alley.
On one visit we saw the Grand-Daddy of all gators. Look at the gator lying on the log-then look at the gator's head to the right, resting his head on the back of the log.
His head is so large! We would've liked to have seen his entire body. This would be an excellent catch on the show Swamp People!

Double click either picture/it should enlarge so you can see the monster head on the right, resting on the log.

His head is so large in comparison to the one lying on the log/and at first we thought he was big, at least 6 or 7 feet long.
Wouldn't want to meet the one in the back, on the path!
They can run 35 miles per hour, in a straight line.
Guess we should practice our zig-zag running!

LAKE PLACID, FLORIDA

2011-02-22T21:21:00.000-06:00

A DAY IN LAKE PLACID, FLORIDA
A day in Lake Placid is like going to an
Outdoor Art Center. The murals on the buildings, all over town, are so professionally done. If you get to Lake Placid, be sure to pick up the booklet about the murals. They are all listed, as to where they are, the artists, the sponsors, the date completed and the size. A picture of each mural will be found in the book, as well as a short "blurp" about each painting.
With a clown school in town, there are clowns to be found in the most unusual places.
Clowns can be found on park benches.

Faces of Florida history.

WOW!

Symbols of America on one of the buildings.

We found these birders in a wide alley on a side street, amongst other sights of nature. A little bridge, a pond with fish and multiple native plants grace the small alley way of magnificent murals.
This was my favorite "mural" place in town!

Amazing ~ these bears were huge and appeared to look so real to life.

Birds are found, here and there, around town.
So true to life they were.

Garbage cans around town are painted with various scenes/so unlike regular garbage cans.

This actually looked real as you walked up to it.

Small-sized vehicles are found in different places in Lake Placid. Painted and people riding in them.
So cute!
As you walk passed some of the murals and small vehicles, like this train, you trigger a mechanism that starts sound effects for that particular mural or vehicle.

These murals are so great! They are also huge, taking up the entire sides of buildings in town.
It really has to be seen to be appreciated.

HARRY P. LEU GARDENS

2011-02-18T22:08:00.001-06:00

Walking through the Harry P. Leu Gardens was calming, relaxing, educational and visually stimulating. Various gardens are on the grounds and kept up by many volunteers.
The Harry P. Leu house is on the grounds and tours are given every 1/2 hour. It is beautiful and worth the wait, on the porch, if another tour is taking place.

Several sculptures in the gardens depict everyday life in Florida.

Picking oranges, or are those grapefruits?

Tropical ~ the plants and vines growing on the trees. Notice the tiny red flowers.

Father and son going fishing.

How beautiful is this?

February and there was a Monarch caterpillar munching away on a favorite bush.
Soon to make a chrysalis/the cycle continues.

Harry P. Leu's house ~ wonderful tour.

Isn't this just gorgeous?

Bird sculpture ~ in one of the gardens.

Beautiful paths throughout the gardens.
I will return in April to see the gardens in full bloom.


Large clumps of Bamboo growing in the gardens. Bamboo has so many uses. I have several T-shirts made from Bamboo. Bamboo can grow up to three feet a day and creates more oxygen than trees.

Muskogee Crepe Myrtle ~
an interesting tree - with no bark.

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

2011-02-18T09:37:00.001-06:00

Resident peacocks at the park.

   ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA HAS
   THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!
A daytrip ~ a cool, rain threatening day took us North to St. Augustine. Starting with a great breakfast, at one of the local diners, we were off, with friends Gail and Jerry, to check out the quaint streets of the town. After meandering through the streets and nosing around in the shops we decided to visit ~
   THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!

Ponce de Leon met the natives and saw how young, strong and vital they were in comparison to himself and his crew. He deducted it was the water they were drinking, from the spring in the area.
Thus: Ponce de Leon discovered ~
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

A painting of the water coming from the spring when Ponce de Leon found it.

1518 Discovery by Ponce de Leon

The original well that the natives drank from.

The original cross ~ marking the spring's location.
Ponce de Leon also claimed Florida and all land north to Canada - calling the entire area of land Florida.
Florida meaning: place of flowers
This is the story told by our guide.

THE BEACHES

2011-02-16T16:18:00.001-06:00

VISITING BEACHES
ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
My sister, Geri, came from WI, for a some warmth and sun. She missed the big snow storm and the extreme cold that WI was hit with for the past two weeks or so.
I thought it would be fun to see Melbourne Beach. We hopped into my VW Beetle and set off for the day. The sun was out, with a slight breeze, but sitting on the beach, watching the pelicans wait for a hand-out, from the nearest fisherman, and collecting shells made for a great day.

Oh, but wait...
We continued North and went to Cocoa Beach, onto Port Canaveral for lunch and then to Daytona Beach. Driving my VW on the beach was a fun adventure! The sand was getting soft and the ruts were deep, so we only went a few blocks, but it was great!
Felt like "Spring-Breakers" ~ only a "bit" older!

The yellow flower in my VW~the GPS on~the view in front of us driving on the Daytona Beach!

Seagulls having a meeting on Daytona Beach, we just happened upon them with no invitation to join/see how they turned their backs on us!

Can't forget to add this picture. Daytona Beach entrance to the racetrack.

Speed limit of 10 ~ on the beach ~ looks smooth here.
When it started to get deeper we turned to the right and hit the regular roads.
A VW Beetle doesn't ride too high off the ground!

SANIBEL ISLAND ~ AVON PARK

2011-01-24T16:20:00.003-06:00

A short trip to Sanibel Island. Quiet, peaceful and very nice beaches! We stayed at the Anchor Inn, an extremely "beachy" place. All of the rooms have a kitchenette and plenty of space. I didn't take pictures of it/guess I'll have to go back sometime!

Great place to stay and a good "deal" too.

We awoke very early to walk the beaches and look for seashells. I found an olive shell, which is an elongated oval shape. They rarely grow beyond three inches. The one I found is about 1 3/4 inches and very

sun-bleached, with small shells imbedded inside of the narrow opening.

My footprints walking in the sand, at a very early hour, on Friday. We found many seashells ~ a small selection in the photo below. The Olive shell I found is not extraordinarily beautiful, it is just hard to find on the beaches. It's the one at the bottom, to the right of the snail looking one.

Went to Ding Darling Refuge for birding. All information I had said it is open 7 days/week. We planned on the Refuge for Friday, but found out at the Sanibel Island Tourist Center it's closed on Fridays! No problem, a little glitch won't stop us! We flew out there and got in before closing time. The ride through turned up the "regulars" as far as birds go. Roseate Spoonbills being the main attraction.

Schnapper's Hot Dogs, on Sanibel Island ~ YUMMO!

...of days gone by...

Yes, even tastier than it looks!
Joe had a sausage with onions and green peppers, No time to take a picture, he devoured it quickly.

BONES - hmmm? We saw several on the beach, what/who could they be from?
An old pirate?
Al Capone's era?
Someone that fell off a cruise ship?
An animal?

Taking the long bridge over to Sanibel Island.
Above - paying the $6 toll to get onto the island.

JACARANDA HOTEL - Avon Park
http://www.hoteljac.com/
We stayed at the Jacaranda one night. The interior is full of original antiques, from back in the day when Al Capone, Clark Gable, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, the entire St. Louis Cardinal baseball team, George Burns and Gracie Allen and many other celebrities vacationed in Central Florida. Pictures of visitors to the Jacaranda grace the walls, along with pictures of what the town was like back then.

Avon Park ~ The Longs/Heating and Cooling Company/their home has a plane in the frontyard and the buildings have dramatic paintings on them.

BUSCH GARDENS AND OLD TOWN

2011-01-17T17:31:00.002-06:00

VACATION IN FLORIDA

Ceci, Brian and Ciera arrived and we barely stopped.
Fishing, riding four-seater bikes, Old Town, dancing, old cars, Downtown Disney, roller coasters, alligator watching, birding, antique car cruise, paddle boats, car museums, an ice bar with Cotton Candy Martinis, Busch Gardens in Tampa, Circle B Ranch, animal viewing; all you can eat crab legs! Whew!
A great time - a good night's sleep was well deserved when all was over.

Paddle boats at the Liki Tiki Hotel Complex.

Brian, Joe, Ceci, Ciera

A bicycle built for four-actually easy to pedal.

One ~ of over 100 ~ old, classic cars in the cruise at
Old Town.

What's for lunch?

Hmmm...same expression!

Dancing to live music at Old Town.

Dreaming...ahhhh...

I have so many pictures of alligators!

What the zoom on my camera can do!

CATS!

Reaching ~ but not quite there.

This elephant kept posing for us.

Human statue with wings, at Downtown Disney.

ICE BAR with lights.

I LOVE A PARADE ~ THE CITRUS BOWL PARADE

2010-12-31T19:30:00.002-06:00

Squeeze, the Citrus Parade
mascot led the parade, which
lasted 1 1/2hours. He/she
actually pranced the entire route.

Thursday led us to downtown Orlando. Parking and walking to Rosalind Ave. brought us right to the grandstand viewing area. We settled in, with chairs and cooler,
ready to view the Citrus Parade.

The floats were made from oranges, grapefruits; tangerines.
The hands are up to catch beads. Most of the floats threw beads
for spectators to catch. Yes, I caught two strands!

This plane was the best of all floats/in my opinion.

Bands from all over marched in the parade.
Decals were temporarily placed on all drums.

Vendors, with typical hats and toys were plentiful, up and down the parade route.

I LOVE LUCY

This float had beautiful citrus flowers!
If you look close at the flower, you will see a band across the grapefruits and oranges. All the fruits are connected with rubber bands, onto wire netting. The fruit is donated to food pantries after the parade. The bands help so there are no punctures in the fruit.

This band was the largest ever! Called the million dollar band, from Alabama.

The Shriners were there in droves.
Trucks, mini cars, motorcycles/all of the typical vehicles the
Shriners can come up with. Fantastic!
...for I love a parade!

AN ICY MORNING

2010-12-28T21:47:00.000-06:00

FROST on my windshield!
Barely enough to scrap, but this is "warm" Florida. I covered my plants to keep them safe until the nights stay warm again.
The weather seems to be changing everywhere. We are still fortunate to be here and it will be in the 70's tomorrow. A couple of days, here and there, of 'winter' shakes us back into reality and has us being thankful for the sun and warm days. I'll be back in the pool soon!

CHIRISTMAS EVE IN FLORIDA

2010-12-24T21:13:00.004-06:00

Christmas Eve in Florida ~ so different than up north. Today only a light jacket was needed; the sun was out all day. We started out the day with breakfast, very good home cooking. Then our road lead to Winter Park. The Morse Museum was our first stop. The majority of this museum contains the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany, and it was amazing!
Unfortunately photos were not allowed.
When I thought of Tiffany I thought of lamps and some jewelry. My eyes were opened viewing the work of this great artist. He did complete walls, mirrors, lamps, jewelry, windows and various other objects.
Not all flat glass workings/many were dimensional.

The most fantastic display was the Tiffany Chapel. I took a picture of the black and white picture but it does not do it justice. The colors, the glass and stone work are absolutely breathtaking.
This is a full size chapel, the columns on the sides are very ornate. The chandelier is 10' by 8', electrified and 1000 pounds, shaped like a cross and magnificent!

*Winter Park*Christmas Eve*

One of my favorite VW vehicles ~ and in great shape too!

A skating rink in Winter Park. Not too cold, but cold enough under the ice to keep it frozen. Skate rentals available.

Fountains, vines, flowers ~ all through the this pretty, little town.

Never know who'll be flying around the corner, on a motorcycle!

A turtle with packages on his back. His name was Randall/owned by a woman that rescued him on the side of the road.

Not a cow ~ this is a dog!
Dalmatian/Great Dane mix?

Merry Christmas to All

"EXCITEMENT" IN OUR PARK TODAY

2010-12-21T19:39:00.000-06:00

WHOO-EEE! A blimp, or non-rigid airship, floated quietly over the front of our park (La Casa Del Sol) today. So quiet, if someone didn't see it and call your attention to it, it would've stealthily passed on by ~ unnoticed.

Coming and going ~ the blue sky makes it even more visible. It was totally white, no markings whatsoever.
Guess it doesn't take much to get us excited!

SAME ~ YET DIFFERENT

2010-12-20T18:14:00.000-06:00

That's the Circle B Ranch Preserve.
Each time we venture out to this preserve, I think - it's the same place we were just at. Each time I step out of the car and look up or around, I see something different!
This time it was a rafter of turkeys pecking near the Nature Center.
Above, I spied a squadron of white pelicans, then another and another! The blue sky was suddenly speckled with scoops of large, white pelicans. Pod after pod of pelicans came in and gently landed on the lake. These spectacular birds, with a 9' wing span,
are cooperative feeders. They don't nose (beak) dive into the water, as brown pelicans do. White pelicans "herd" fish toward shore and then share the school of fish.

To my amazement there were thousands of turkey vultures - everywhere! Flying overhead, perched in trees, standing on patches of land ~ alone, in pairs, or an entire wake will roost in several trees grouped close together.
Vultures survive mainly on carrion (dead or decaying flesh). If need be they will eat plants or tear apart sick, weak, or young prey.

I just stood and tried to think how many dead animals/fish/etc. there must be on this preserve to feed all the vultures we were observing with every turn! Amazing.

Seems leafless trees were the perch of choice for the many vultures.

Black-bellied whistling ducks,red-bellied woodpeckers,

sand hill cranes and the "regulars" (water birds) were also

plentiful this time at the Circle B.

My brother-in-law wishes these guys would stay down here forever. They are not "farmer-friendly" where corn is being planted and grown for a living.

The red-bellied woodpecker is a common back-yard feeder up north. We have some in the our park here also.

Of course, it wouldn't be the Circle B if alligators weren't spotted.

Skinny, compared to the girth we had seen on other gators, draped along the log with a smiling face. Reminds me of a cartoon!

A TRIP THROUGH BETHLEHEM

2010-12-17T23:05:00.002-06:00

Tonight we took a trip through Bethlehem. We walked the paths that people walked many years ago. The life of Jesus ~ brought to life ~ by dedicated members of

Calvary Baptist Church in Winter Haven, FL.

The soldiers were yelling at us to pay our taxes, the tax man laid with comfort, on his silk and furs, screaming and laughing that the Lord we were fascinated with was poor and he/the tax man/was rich and getting richer.

Minstrels were playing their flutes in the street, women were selling bread.

A well dressed woman informed us that there was no room at her Inn; she insisted that we stop by the stable and see the newborn child that was born that night. Why didn't she make room for the young couple, knowing they were with child?

Passing by the lady selling candles; the man hawking his chickens - while his children ran around palying with the chickens not yet butchered.

The fire warmed us, as the "storyteller" lead us past the birth of Jesus into His life, death and resurrection.

The carpenter was busy in his shop.

The babe was born to Mary and Joseph.

The night and story ended ~ with the beginning of new life awaiting.

FROZEN ORANGE JUICE?

2010-12-15T09:42:00.000-06:00

When it's cold down here water is sprinkled on the orange trees. Essentially the sprayed on water freezes instead of the oranges. This works only for a short-lived cold snap.
Hopefully this cold snap is short-lived!

Yesterday afternoon it was in the 50's but the ice was still hanging on the orange trees.
Canada ~ keep your cold air up there!