You oughta see her on a road course or a quarter mile....This little modified Pon-Pon has got plenty of style....

This afternoon was the annual pool party at the clubhouse. Since we had been running all morning, Salt and I decided to fore go the hot dogs and have a salad at the house. We did however, take a walk down after lunch and did some visiting with a lot of our friends.

A few of the girls were still in the pool. Since we were going out to dinner and the car show, I skipped a swim today, but am hoping to spend some quality time lounging and swimming tomorrow.

Joyce....who spends as much time as possible at the pool.....her tan shows it!!

Dinner at my favorite restaurant.....

Stavros famous Spinach Calzone.......Salt and I share one and still bring half home for lunch the next day!!

Walked the nature walk on Lake Eustis (getting rid of the Calzone)......

OK...do rabbits swim? This little guy was in the lake, just a few feet from a gator...hmmmm

The car show.....

1934 Mercedes Gold....NICE

Someone with the same weird sense of humor as mine.....LOL

Every time I see these two walking down the street, I can't help but think of the movie "Twins" with Danny DiVito and Arnold Schwarzenneger.....

And after a full day, the sun sets over Lake Eustis....

A couple of side shots.....I sent Salt out to hull the strawberries (which we bought for $3.50/per half flat) and I watched....one for the pot, one for Salt. Emma must have learned to hull berries from "Pop".

I am SO going to miss all the fresh veggies and fruits when we go back North....it seems forever before the fresh garden veggies are ready and the fruits are never the same!!!!

He's a great big Daddy bear...with great big paws and fuzzy hair....

To begin our busy weekend, we headed out early this morning to attend the HUGE Rummage sale at Hawthorne (a large retirement community). WOW, they had so much stuff, and all of it was in great condition. The women work on this all year and all the proceeds go to the club. I think it was one of the first sales I have been to that didn't have a lot of junk. Of course, I didn't buy anything because I don't know what our new house will be like. Salt did buy a new tool box and a candle snuffer for me....he hates when I blow the candles out and there is this trail of smoke....
After the sale we went to the 11th Annual Black Bear Festival....I LOVE small towns and all the little community events. This was basically a learning experience for the youngsters, but of course had plenty of food and unique shopping for adults.

Ruthie, one of my FL BFFs...

I couldn't believe the stuff this lady weaved out of wicker....

Very unique carved items all with wildlife pictures......

This was so cute....they put these bearskin vests on the kids and had them play games, and instructed them in safety (around bears) and what bears should and not eat....

On the right is bear "junk food" and the left what they should eat...LOL

The fudge shop which I totally passed up!! I guess the lady buying, told someone to "twist her arm"......

And this guy with his environmental teaching stand....yeah, check out the palm hat...see why I fit in so well down here?????

This was great, unfortunately with all that is going on today, we didn't have time to take advantage of it. They were giving free fly casting lessons!!!

The guy to the right, who was having his lunch when I took the picture....carved all these bears with a chainsaw....pretty talented!!

Beautiful hide....almost a redhead!

The middle school band playing 50's and 60's tunes.....

Make sure you have your dream saddled before you try to ride it.....

After bowling today (our last bowling day of the season), we took a cruise up the Dora Canal. The story goes that a portion of the African Queen was filmed on this canal. We had 80 degree weather so it was the perfect day to get out on the lake.....

We took one of the smaller cruises, which was great, since it was only 5 of us...it was much more personal than some of the larger ones.

This is "Captain Dave"....and yeah, he did have a BIG Hillbilly bone!!! He was great, very knowledgeable and funny!!

The slim green trees in the back are bamboo...not native to Florida, but they are thriving. They are an excellent hardwood source, being used more and more for floors, cutting boards (the only kind I will use anymore). The beauty of Bamboo is that they grow so quickly, it saves on our forests with the slower growing trees.

It was the perfect day to cruise, as it was Antique Boat Show weekend and many of the antique boats were cruising both the lake and the canal.

Beautiful greenery........

Another antique....

I LOVE this canal, it is like being in the jungle....We can't wait to get a boat of our own in it. Which, will not happen until we get our new house, but something to look forward to.

Wildlife EVERYWHERE......

We went into Tavares, past the boat show.

A "Snake bird" drying his wings....

It looks as this turtle is about to give us hell for interrupting his nap!!!

A Blue Heron, preening for date night????

The most beautiful Tri Colored Heron.....

And always one of our favorites, Mama Wood Duck and babies....

Way down south on the "Withalacoocie"

Today we met up with two couples from the Island (Dave and Sue Smith and Al and Joan Luce), and took a tour of the Withalacoocie (Indian for Little Great River) river and then dinner at Stumpknockers. Yeah, it's a crazy name...we had no idea what it meant until our tour guide told us it was a kind of fish that actually knocks up against the stumps, docks, etc. to loosen the moss, bugs, for food for their young.

The tour was very interesting, the food good, and the company great.

And of course, I had to wrestle an alligator....

Salt with a thousand and one questions for the guide.....

Sue enjoying the cruise....

Al and Joan.....

Wild rice growing along the river banks, once harvested by the Indians.

Alligators out sunning.....

This was such an interesting stone wall. It looked like sand bags...and we found out that it was made by filling gunny sacks with concrete and stacking them. It hardened, the sacks rotted and this is what was left. This is no longer legal because of the chemicals in concrete.

The air ferns are just starting to stem out and will soon be sprouting little purple flowers. They live totally on air.

Florida is SO different from the river Salt and I live on....at first I didn't really see the beauty in it. The longer we are here, the more we are growing to love it. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These are the "knees" of the Bald Cyprus.....they supply the oxygen to the tree.

This guy just came out.....

These 4 turtles are for you Emma....Pop and I can't wait until you can come down and we can take you on some of these nature tours....you will go crazy!!!

There wasn't a ripple in the water as we cruised home right before sunset....check out the reflection.....

The wildlife was enjoying the sunshine as much as we were. Love the beautiful Blue Heroins.

And finally....DINNER..