Goat lookin' good, no butts about it!

Cracker Barrel - Vero Beach, Florida

Kayaking at Rainbow Springs State Park

The first photo shows where one can put a kayak in the Rainbow River and the second shot shows kayaks for rent at the park.

On Sale in Mt. Dora

Untagged!

Antique shops - Micanopy, Florida

Island Grove Sub-station of the Cross Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Island Grove, Florida

A home, church or school?

Lobby and bar - the Waterside Marriott, Tampa Bay

On August 20, we posted a photo of the Waterside Marriott hotel in Tampa Bay. Today's photos show the lobby area and the lobby bar.

The Marriott Waterside - Tampa Bay

Boat ride on a sunny day in Tampa Bay

Swimming with the gators - Rainbow Springs State Park

Three generations walking together

Anna's Place

Anna's Place, located in Citra, Florida, has all kinds of things for sale. Stop and browse. You may find something useful. Maybe.

Photo by Lois Anne.

The Rainbow River - north central Florida

East is east and west is west...

Bus stop - University of South Florida, Tampa

Fifth Avenue - Mt. Dora, Florida

Lakeridge Winery

The Lakeridge Winery is set in the beautiful rolling hills of central Florida, northwest of Orlando. It is the offspring of a winery established many years ago in the Jacksonville area. Lakeridge produces a variety of wines, based on the particular grapes that grow in this part of the country. The winery offers tours and wine-tasting and often provides the venue for concerts and other community-based events.

Brow Art

I've heard of Abstract Art, Cubism, Expressionism, Fauvism, Impressionism, Modern Art, Pointillism, Pop Art, Postimpressionism, Primitivism, Realism, Surrealism ... most of which I known nothing about.  But I'm proud to announce I've come upon a new art form which is blossoming in the shopping malls of the United States.

It's amazing and while it is unlikely to replace any of these other forms, it will add a new form of "living" or "performance" art (forms I failed to mention in the above sentence...it's just too much! I can't remember all this stuff!) Brow Art was first discovered by myself at the Oaks Mall in Gainesville, Florida. Because Gainesville is the home of the University of Florida, I assumed Brow Art had initially been uncovered by an archaeologist from the university working in Peru. That's probably not true but I was too lazy to check it out.

Brow Art, for the uninitiated, which most likely includes all males above the age of one month, involves women being strapped into a chair in a salon-like setting whereupon an "artist" of the brow commences to craft a work of art from the woman's eyebrows. Needless to say, this takes an immense amount of skill and I've been told confidentially by a female friend that it can also involve a certain amount of pain. It the brow artist is competent, however, the gain is worth the pain, for the woman can walk out of that salon with head held high (actually she has to hold her head up high to hold the brow art in place) and strut through the mall, the envy of all other women who have yet to find the right brow artist. Some women, the unplucked, as they are known, have been seen running from the mall in tears, vowing to return to have their own brows artistically rearranged asap!

Fortunately for the women of Ocala, there is now a Brow Art Salon in Ocala's Paddock Mall! Call today to make your appointment with a Brow Art artiste.

Morning on the Interstate

Downed tree - Rainbow Springs State Park

Somewhere along the line, this palm tree took a dive from which it never recovered. As you might imagine, some younger folks like to see if they can walk across without falling into the alligator pit. Just kidding. I don't think there are any alligators in that water. Just in the Rainbow River itself.

Columbia Cafe on the Riverwalk

The Columbia Cafe in Tampa has been a "Florida institution since 1905." The cafe on the Riverfront provides indoor and outdoor dining and offers a variety of dishes made famous by their "flagship" restaurant in Ybor City. You can order the original "1905" salad and chicken and yellow rice. They serve cocktails, beer and wine as well as their homemade sangria. You can read all about it here.

A "religious" truck

In the good ol' U.S. of A., even the trucks parade their religion, hoping, I suppose, that they'll receive special blessings.

Just in case you may not know, John 3:16 begins, "For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son..."

Ready to ride, but deflated...

...how "tiresome" is that?

Elizabeth Evans Park - Mt. Dora

Big Brother in 2013

Huxley was right, he was just off by about 30 years.  But in the US of A, Big Brother has arrived in most every city and town due largely to monies provided by the Department of Homeland Security.  Even one-horse towns in the middle of nowhere with one stoplight have bought a plethora of cameras with which to spy on citizens to help fight "terrorism."

Seaworld at the Tampa Bay Aquarium

Smoke gets in your eyes - Rural Levy County

Barbed tree

One should avoid grabbing this tree with your hands. Probably.

Mt. Pisgah (AME) Church - near Summerfield, Florida

The letters, AME, stand for African Methodist Episcopal). This interesting church has been in existence since the 19th century.

The Ropes Course

This device is located in Tampa, in an area along the Hillsborough River reserved for students and faculty of the University of South Florida.  It is called the "Ropes Course."  It appears to provide an opportunity for people to climb a variety of ropes (either high or low) in order to challenge them and/or help them cohere as a group.

You can find out more here.

Going along the right track - near Rainbow Springs

What's this going down the highway?

Rainbow Springs State Park - Entrance

Sumter County government building...

...located just north of the Brownwood hometown in The Villages.

Bench on the river - Rainbow Springs

Colorful mail box in rural Levy County

The Hillsborough River - Tampa

Alley cats - Tampa

On a donut break

An iconic Florida sight

Horse van coming through, CR 326, Levy County