Dear Blog ~ 
We are through/you and I.
I didn't find out through a Dear John letter,
or through a modern day text.  
I logged onto you and was informed that 
I've used up my space.
I enjoyed you Dear Blog!  
I loved writing and posting pictures of our adventures.  
I enjoyed hearing comments from the people that read you.
I loved the way you made our simple travels look 
so wonderful! 
I delighted in giving our address to people and having them tell me they went to the same places that we had been, just because it looked like such fun.  
Blog, you really had a way of making our adventures look fantastic!

(Joe and I, together or individually, have been guests

in 46 states, one US possession and 12 countries. 

Not a large portion of our wonderful world, but a 

portion that we totally enjoyed!  

We plan on more travel, when the time is right.)

I have experienced some difficulties with you, 
Blog.
You used to be so easy to navigate.    
Recently, my pictures jumped around and I couldn't get them situated where I wanted them.
Many times, as I was writing, everything I was posting just disappeared!  
That was really annoying!  I had to redo the whole thing! 
You did me well, for a long time though.
We were good together, while it lasted.
I now say, Good Bye to you Dear Blog.

Questions are: 
Will I blog again? 
Will a new blog take a different avenue?
Will the new blog space be more cooperative?
Will I find a new blog space?
Hmmm...What to do? What to do? 
I'd like to say, "Thank You" to all that have read my not-so-amazing posts.  
I enjoyed hearing feedback from all of you!
Blogging, for me, has been fun. 
Maybe I'll do it again!  
If I do ~ I will somehow let you know.
Sincerely,
Nancy Cramer  

EDISON ~ FORD ~ THE SABEL PALMS

Thomas Edison, in his later years,
under the Banyan tree that he, along with
Henry Ford planted, in search of ways
to make rubber from plants grown in
America.

Thomas Edison and the first Banyan tree to grow in
the United States.  This is one tree, it takes up
an entire acre here but many take up much more space. The branches grow down to the ground and root themselves, to grow up in what looks like another tree. Very fascinating!

Edison built the first private swimming pool in Florida. It is still in great condition.  He invented a cement that is still being used today.  His mind must have been working overtime-continually. 

His motto ~ so true.

BAMBOO
A resource that is easy to grow, that we do not take advantage of. Bamboo can be made into such an array of items that is it actually mind boggling.  
Why don't we use more of it?
Why don't we use hemp, same story there?

The electric filament Edison invented.
The glass bulb was actually invented by someone else.
Edison's home has the original light fixtures.

The living room in the Edison home.

The kitchen, which I thought was very usable for so long ago.

The wood for Edison's home was brought from the Eastern states. As a result of that, many repairs have had to be made over the years. The furniture is all original, he actually sat on those chairs. 

Henry Ford as he would've walked
through the tropical foilage, near the beach.
Ford bought the house next to Edison's and
vacationed at the beach in Ft. Myers, 
back in the days.
What conversations they must have had!  
Two great, creative minds "chewing the fat!"

Roots of the Banyan tree.

Two of Henry Ford's car still reside in the garage he had built on his property in Ft. Myers.

Quadricycle ~ first gas powered vehicle 
Henry Ford made. 

Ft. Myers ~ city of Palms.
The Sabel Palm is Florida's state tree.
The streets in Ft. Myers are lined with
Sabel Palms, standing like soldiers
guarding the passerbys, the homes,
the stores and the tourists.

BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA

Just follow the signs...We always
follow signs if there is any part
of American History involved!

Joe ~ loving every minute we spent at
Chickamauga Battlefield.
We spent the day driving the tour of the
battlefield.  There were so many monuments
dedicated to the different states involved.
Many states, like WI, had several monuments.
I didn't count them, but there had to be hundreds, large and small.

FLORIDA'S MONUMENT

Wisconsin Infantry Monument

Wisconsin Infantry

First Wisconsin Calvary

ROCKABILLY WEDDING

Hurricane Isaac chased us out of Florida.  We decided to leave early, so as not to drive for hours in the rain.  We ended up driving only about an hour through rain.  
Arriving in Missouri we had great weather!  Hoping it would stay through the weekend was Michelle's wish, and mine!  No such luck - the first part of the week was fine.  Michelle and I hit the vintage and thrift stores, looking for a 
red skinny tie and a leather jacket.  The tie we found-to our amazement, the leather jacket, not so lucky.  Oh well, Josh will look great without it.  

Friday evening:  Italian restaurant - families met - all went well.  

Saturday morning:  Putting hundreds of Gerbera Daisies into short Mason jars, to decorate the tables with.  Thank goodness my sister and sister-in-law were there to help me!  I didn't know it was going to be such an enormous task!  

Saturday- early afternoon:  Dress, in 50's style clothes, the theme of the wedding.

Saturday- late afternoon:  Pose for a multitude of pictures!  Background was the "Cat's Meow" ~ 1950's cars, bright and beautiful! 

Saturday- early evening:  The wedding, taking place on the grass, trees as a backdrop.  Yup, Michelle and Ryan are really doing this!  

Saturday- evening:  I'm smiling non-stop!  The ceremony is done, the food has been served, the music is continual, the white tent and flowers were fantastic, the people were enjoying a bonfire,  aahhhh-    THEY DID IT!  

Here's a peek at what it looked liked: 

Getting ready, at the hotel. 

         Very pretty!

Nancy, Michelle, Josh & Joe

Family pictures:  
Sister and Brother rocking the 50's.  
Josh should've been born to rock the 50's all the time!  

Looking cool!

                                               Josh, Ryan and Joe- hanging out.                               

Enamored with her! 

GROOVY!

 Auntie Geri and Auntie Diane came from WI ~ 
Gina from Nebraska and Megan, also from WI ~ Michelle's cousins.  
So glad we had some family present! 

 

NO! NOT ON THAT GREAT CAR!  
(Just kidding around.)

Ryan's brothers, Blake and Damian on the ends ~ Josh above Michelle's head.  So cute! 

Exchanging vows ~ and some vows they were!

Gina and Megan singing:  THE ROSE

Vows that rhymed, and told the "whole" story!                                          

     RINGS!

               

MR. AND MRS. RYAN KEPNER!

 A gift from Uncle Jack ~ he was there in "spirit."  Love you Jack!

IT'S A WRAP!

                                                       WEDDING CUPCAKES              


Josh and Michelle dancing...

        Ryan and Michelle dancing...

THE HAPPY COUPLE!

VW Thing  

FOOD TRUCKS IN TARPON SPRINGS ~ ALONG WITH HIPPIE FEST

We went to Tarpon Springs ~ never there before.  It's a great town, that we will return to sometime.  Our purpose was to participate in Hippie Fest and Food Truck Rally.  
The Food Trucks were downtown, right on the main drag.  We arrived as they were setting up.  Never having been to a food truck rally before we just strolled down the street to see what the offerings would be.  

Bayou Bistro ~ very tasty sliders here!
I need to learn how to make the sauce they put on my sliders ~ YUMMO!
I also went to get a cupcake from the truck that looked very "sweet" on our walk when we first arrived.  It was early and there was only ONE cupcake left!  Now, just who would bring a cupcake truck and not enough cupcakes?!  They did sell me (yes, it should've been free) the last cupcake for 1/2 price.  It was delicious and maybe they learned a lesson about how people love cupcakes!  

Where Joe bought his tasty Italian sandwich. 
Not even a truck, it's a cart - as the ones we 
ate at all over Mexico.  How did it get in line
with all the trucks?  How could they refuse it?   
These carts were the first mobile eateries!  

For some reason I can not move the pictures around as I usually do.  Guess Blogger has changed and I need to learn the new way to move the pics.  Oh well, the food trucks were fun.  The Hippie Fest ~ well, a few VW's were on display and a band was playing the "Oldies."  Surely expected more of something advertised as Hippie Fest.  

Joe, visiting his first truck/not really food/but it was 
very warm and he was thirsty.

Another one of the trucks--there were about a dozen total, each
with their own unique offerings.  

AT THE SPONGEDOCKS IN TARPON SPRINGS THE VW'S WERE FEATURED.  THIS IS A SMALL SAMPLING OF A FEW, TO ME, INTERESTING ONES. 

Nice van ~ the inside actually had hardwood flooring.  

Same color!  I had this VW Rabbit when
I moved to California 31 years ago!
Loved it then - many memories flooded
back when I saw it.  One being - Michelle
had a talking doll when we left WI for CA.
The batteries 'disappeared' 1/2 way there,
the doll mysteriously stopped talking.
It's a long ride to CA!

Several bugs fixed up and lined up.