You'd look sweet upon a seat of a bicycle built for two!!

You know Salt is going to be unhappy when he sees this title....it was just so perfect! This is our friend Doug with his tandem bike. Doug is a long distance rider; I am hoping now Salt has his new bike (Christmas gift) he will get into some serious bike riding!!

Whiskey for my men beer for my horses......

This is a blurry picture but it's the best Kristin could get as the parade was moving and she was freezing....tough to take pictures in mittens!! This is Emma dressed as a present marching with the Girl Scouts in the Clayton Christmas parade.

I knew just how this woman felt.....Yesterday was my first painting class. I loved it but how frustrating when you first begin! My leaves looked like manatees and my daisy petals like fire logs. they have improved though!

We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants...Luigis'. Here Salt poses with Lady and the Tramp. I know Emma will want to come here!

After dinner we headed to the theatre for NUNCRACKERS, which was a very funny show.

Of course we weren't allowed to use flash in the theater so we could only get pictures of the stage before the play started. We all liked it so much we decided to go to another play on Saturday evening at 10:00 PM. It is called the Christmas Diaries...it is a sort play (for mature elves only) based on true stories from an man who played an elf at Macy's for years and years. We heard it is VERY funny!!

of course, who can go into Eustis without a stop at Strawberry's ice cream parlor.....

It was hard to get a picture that does this Nativity scene justice. It was displayed in the theater but the door opened to the street so passerbys could view it. It was miniature with just so many intricate pieces.

Thanks to the lousy weather yesterday, I did manage to get my paperwork and Christmas cards finished. In the evening we joined a group of our friends and went to the clubhouse for the movie "Beer for my Horses" with Toby Keith and Willie Nelson....silly but entertaining.

out of the river all ugly and green, came the uggliest ole alligator I've ever seen.....

Before I get behind in blogging again I will post at least a part of our day yesterday. We left early in the morning and headed to Homosassa Wildlife Refuge. The first thing we did is hop on this boat with our very knowledgeable and charming guide.

The trip down the Pepper River reminded me of going down the Dora Canal....

As you can see, this was just "Salt's thing!

Wildlife was all around us. Fortunately it was too cold for Water Moccasins ....

Lots of Blue Herons...

And the whole gang minus me....I really need to start setting up the camera and getting into the group shots....

The main attraction is the manatees....these guys were HUGE!

This is Lu....born in 1960 and weighs 6,300 pounds. That is a lot of hippo!

Flamingos all over.....

The colors are so bright on these flamingos, they almost look artificial.

The beautiful Bald Eagles.....

Doesn't this guy just look so proud and royal???

I love this picture of a river otter....it is very difficult to capture a picture as they are so fast.

These alligators looked like statues....One of the park attendants said they are in semi hibernation. They don't eat during the winter months...well, at least they don't feed them December through February.

This little girl was swimming with the manatees....It made me very nervous knowing there are both alligators and snakes in the vicinity....

Ride back after a long nature walk.....A little trivia I was not aware of; the armadillo is the ONLY animal that can give a human leprosy. It can be transferred by undercooked meat. Not a worry for me....I don't plan on eating Armadillo any time soon.

C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E

More Chocolate....

and MORE chocolate!!

And last but not least....dinner at the Cracker Barrel...

We got no bananas today

But we do have bananas....check these out. Dave brought them in the other day...they aren't quite ripe yet but they are growing right outside our house on the bank of the lake. Dave will have to continue to bring them to me though cuz I am NOT going through any tall grass to get to them. I hear there are snakes in Florida and I am not going to go anywhere near where they might be!!

Christmas lights sparkle in the silence....

Last night we rode over to Leesburg with some friends to look at the fantastic light display they have in the park......here are just a few.

Floridians have a certain need to always stick some flamingos in the mix....

The best part of the trip was the fact that we went in our short sleeve shirts....no sweaters or jackets!!!

We are checking this year's entertainment at the Strawberry Festival http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com/ . Since there are several entertainers we would like to see, we are considering taking the motor home and staying over for a few days. Next week proves to be another busy week with a trip to the State Park www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/ on Tuesday and then on Wednesday evening we have tickets to Nuncrackers.

I was looking shaggy...not to good...I had put it off as long as I could!

So, with Christmas coming and the cruise to follow, I decided I had better think about a new "do"
I went back to the bangs and a simple cut.....very easy! You will also notice, even though I am now old enough to collect Social Security, I am still not gray.....thanks Clairol!



The "real" tree is up on the patio and ready for our Christmas Eve "Open House". I'm not sure anyone else in the resort has a live tree. Everyone has gone "artificial"......just can't go there. I love my Christmas tree!!

I am going to try and take a video of our decorations and lights....it's very festive.

We are headed out tonight to see the lights around the different towns. Having a casual dinner at home and then going with the Kones to check them all out.



Salt and a bunch of our friends went to Tarpon Springs, which is the little Greek village where they dive for sponges. (Remember, I stayed home to go to Bible Study). They had a great time,
but I think I was better off since the next day I beat them all at bowling with my 190...ha ha.

Here's Salt on the boat ride they took....doesn't he look like he was missing me????

Our Christmas shopping is done and 3/4 of the Christmas cards out. It was a much easier Christmas this year but I will miss having all the kids.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Sunday was the dedication of the "Memory Trees". The trees (two) are decorated with colored lights and a white bulb is put in for each deceased member of the community. After that people from the community buy bulbs in honor of their deceased family/friends (if they care to). Each time a light is purchased, their names are recorded and a white bulb is exchanged for a white one. By Christmas, the tree is covered entirely with the white bulbs. I think it is such a unique idea. We are purchasing bulbs for both my parents and my deceased husband Bill. We will also be purchasing one in Memory of Frank Augusbury, who passed this year.

This is our friend Ralph Willis and his dad Bob, dedicating a bulb to Ralph's mother, who passed away last summer.

Here are the trees the evening they were dedicated.

After the dedication we headed for our favorite Italian restaurant.....Luigi's, along with The Willis Starcher and Kone famlies.

We have started our decorating. ...here is the first part. We will be putting up the tree and finishing the lights tomorrow.

Yesterday, we finally finished up the last of the 22# turkey! I made homemade soup and corn bread and invited our friends Gene and Barbara Cargill to lunch. Gene and Barbara were celebrating their anniversary....so of course we had a cake!

Salt and a bunch of our close friends are headed for Tarpon Springs and the "sponge docks" on Thursday. I am going to have to trust Salt with my camera since I will not be able to go along. Thursdays are my bible study, and since I committed, I don't feel comfortable in taking off for a pleasure trip. I'll catch the next outing....there are a hundred more coming up!!

Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me...

I sent my daughter-in-law a text the other day and asked her to send some recent pictures of the girls, as I thought Emma was getting way more blog time than Sarah and Rachael. It didn't take Rachael long to get this picture of her with some of the fish her dad caught!!

We got a text message from Sarah, telling us Thanksgiving was boring without us....but she is waiting for her Senior pictures...

Emma sent us this picture of the Christmas tree she and her dad went out and cut. Frank told Betty, if she wanted they could go and buy one but Emma was SO proud of this one that "she picked out". Emma has such a good sense of values.....she seems to know what the important things in life are. I hope she never looses that sense of being happy with the little things!

And here is the "Charlie Brown" tree all decorated....We think it's BEAUTIFUL! Great job Emma!!

Wednesday was my birthday (62)....along with calls from all the kids and grand kids....cards and gifts, a bunch of our friends came over with a cake and ice cream (after Salt took me out to dinner).

The cake and ice cream was great....the laughter even better. Thanks guys!!!

Although there was a big turkey dinner at the club house. A bunch of us decided to do out own little dinner right here on our street. I did the turkey, pies and sweet potato souffle and everyone else brought the rest of the goodies. Since I am always afraid of not having "enough" I roasted a 22 lb. turkey....I am going to have to pull out turkey recipe I ever had!

Salt carving the monster...

and here is the rest of the spread.....It was sure nice being able to eat outside!!

This morning we left early and drove to Howie in the Hills to the Yalaha bakery www.yalahabakery.com .

We were greeted by Edith....the wiry little German woman that heads up the entertainment, which is held every Saturday morning.

This week the entertainer was Bob Rafkin www.bobrafkin.comcdelectrictreehouse.html

It was a very relaxing entertaining morning. We are all planning on going next week when the 50, 60 and 70's band Peanut Butter plays.

Salt, me, Diane and Dave Kone in front of the bakery.

The bread and pastries are unbelievable....all homemade!!! while we were sipping our coffee and enjoying a pastry, my daughter-in-law sent a text message saying she missed us....I was just about to send her these pictures when I remembered she was starting a diet today. I decided this would definitely be the photo to send to someone eating broccoli and grapefruit!!!!

Everyone just chilling.....