Jeez, Louise! You never wrote about Mount Dora!

Life has been much too busy since Labor Day and here it is, one week before Thanksgiving. Surely I am not the only one who sees time going by at warp speed!  

I have finally gotten around to sorting through some of the images I captured on our Labor Day Weekend visit to Mount Dora. There are so many photographs, which I'll upload to my Flickr account a little later, but for now, you can see why we enjoyed our visit so very much! 

Welcome to Mount Dora, located in Lake County, Florida!

We stayed at the Lakeside Inn the entire weekend and found ourselves the only tenants on Monday night (Labor Day) as all the other guests departed. It was kind of eerie being the only guests ...

Lake Dora is truly beautiful and is one of hundreds of lakes in this part of the state. It's big enough for boating and fishing, yet small enough to see to the other side.

This is an old bridge/dock that is no longer in use but hasn't been torn down.

 I just liked this. So I took a picture!

This heron? He thought I didn't see him. Ah-ha! That's what zoom lenses are for, silly!

Idyllic, huh? I sat beneath a huge live oak dripping with spanish moss every morning during our stay. It was ever so peaceful and the wildlife kept me thoroughly entertained.

I love the way the light shines through the heron's feathers, don't you?

An anhinga spreads his wings to dry out ...

We heard it before we saw it. Next time we visit Mount Dora, we're definitely going to take a ride in a hot air balloon. I've always wanted to do this!

The reason we chose to visit Mount Dora was to see our former neighbors, Cathy and Bill. They lived down the street from us for over 20 years, then up and left town for this charming little city. I can't say as I blame them. They got twice as much house for half as much money and none of the traffic and other mayhem that comes with living in a major metropolitan area like Broward County. Yes, we've given some thought to making a similar move. Some day ...

Mount Dora! Here we come!

Well, it's done. We have reservations at the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora for Labor Day weekend.
I know. I know.
I was longing for the laid back atmosphere of Key West.
Then, my husband said, "What about Mount Dora?" 
I've been sending him e-mails from The Lakeside Inn for better than a year now, prodding him to take a long weekend and get away someplace we'd never been. And, when we visited their web site, we discovered it was very appealing and seems to offer that laid back atmosphere, so we're going for it!
JoLynn took care of our e-mail inquiry and when I called to book the reservations she was very helpful and offered suggestions to make our stay a wonderful one.



Now, we only have to get through the entire month of August (31 dog days of summer!) and we can R-E-L-A-X!
Can't wait!

... been thinking about Key West ...

We didn't take a vacation this year.
No family reunion in VA or NC.
No mountains or seashore.
Just work, work, work.
So, last night my darling husband and I said ... Key West.

Labor Day Weekend.
Vacation time we have to use by end of year.
So, why not a long weekend in Key West?
Where will we stay this time?
Let's see ... we stayed at The Bottle Inn B&B last year over Labor Day.
I stayed at the Casa Marina Resort for a work-related conference in 2007 and the place was under construction. It had just changed hands again, purchased by the people that own the Hilton or the Waldorf-Astoria (or maybe both!). I might like to return there. It's right on the water, with an actual beach where you can walk into the ocean AND a new pool that they were building in 2007. And, it's right around the corner from Louie's Back Yard, a really good restaurant at water's edge that's been there a really long time.
Maybe ... I'll have to talk to my darling husband.
We stayed at The Blue Marlin Motel in 2006.  Kind of a funky place, but clean and with lots of character. Vintage 1950s buildings that have been kept up. Close to the Southernmost Point and priced right.
Or, maybe, somewhere completely different.
Let's see ...

Southwest Coast of Florida

My darling husband was in the mood to get away a couple of weekends ago, so we took a ride across Alligator Alley to the southwest coast of Florida for an overnight adventure. We made our way to Naples and, with the help of my smart phone running the Android system, we found very nice accommodations at the Bayfront Inn on 5th Avenue for $105 for the night. As you can see, our room was very nice and quite spacious for the price!

The view from our window (below) was even more amazing because we could open the windows! That's unheard of in Fort Lauderdale where spring break college students have been known to leap out of hotel windows to their death. It was quite hot and muggy, though, so the windows didn't stay open very long!

Once we got settled in, we went off in search of food. As it was dinner time, my dh opted for European  cuisine at this little bistro just off one of Naples' major roads. The service was excellent and the food was to die for!

After dinner, we decided we needed to somehow work off the calories and it was decided that the beach would be the best place to do that. How we wound up on Vanderbilt Beach, I couldn't say, but what a treasure the place was! Easy access and free parking! A short walk to the beach which was peopled but not crowded. We had brought our portable chairs, so we set up camp along the water's edge and awaited the sunset.

I noticed that were huge patches of shells that had come in on the tide and started wandering along the beach, taking pictures. The rusty beer bottle cap caught my eye (above) as did the tiny shell in a shell (below). Mother Nature sure does have a sense of humor!

The sunset was absolutely spectacular! I took a bunch of pictures and the best of my sunset photos are on my flickr page, here, if you're interested. We had the best seats in the house and the price was right! AND, WHAT A GREAT SHOW!

Sunday morning we ventured into downtown Naples looking for breakfast and stumbled across a lovely little sidewalk cafe, Altin's Cafe & Grill. I adored the umbrellas that shaded the tables set up on the sidewalk. Each one was handpainted on the underside where patrons could enjoy their beauty and no two were alike! It made for a charming breakfast!

After breakfast, we did an exploratory ride around Naples and discovered old neighborhoods with beautifully kept homes close to the beach and a park where a church service was being held outdoors. Across the street from the park was this unusual wall of glass that reflected the light and colors around us. Naturally, I couldn't resist the urge to leap out of the car to capture a few shots of it!

We left Naples and drove south to Marco Island and then picked up the Tamiami Trail to head back east. Here are some of the images I captured along the way! I hope you enjoy them!

There were a lot of "puddles" along the roadside, a result of the thunderstorms from the day before. What really caught my attention was the dragonflies ... they were everywhere! I even zoomed in on a couple of them (below) because it fascinates me how they balance on the very tip-top of a cattail.

And, of course, no road trip is complete without capturing the image of a wildflower or two! Mother Nature was at her best on this particular day ... she filled the Tamiami Trail with dots of pink to cheer up the cattails and the dragonflies! She knows how to get my attention!!!

Flamingo Gardens & Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary

We've experienced an unusually cold winter here in south Florida and you can tell it by looking at the plants in people's yards. Why, even today, the last day of March, our morning temperature was in the mid 50s. That is unseasonably cool by south Florida standards.  That said, my darling husband and I did venture out on a chilly Sunday afternoon a couple of weekends ago to visit Flamingo Gardens. In all the years we've been here, we had never visited there.

Boy! Have we been missing a really cool place!

Birds of prey are caged within a setting that resembles their natural habitat. These owls were injured and could not be released after they were rehabilitated.

The Wildlife Encounter is held several times throughout the day and includes this amazing owl. All of the people working here are volunteers and the purpose of this little talk is to introduce people to the kinds of wild animals that live here in the Everglades.  It's a brief talk, but immensely informative!

After our Wildlife Encounter, we visited the Everglades "Free Flight" Aviary. Now this is my kind of place! Birds EVERYWHERE!  Like this wood stork, a native to Florida and (unfortunately) a member of the Endangered Species.

The aviary is 25,000 square feet and is a “free-flight” facility housing one of the largest collections of wading birds in America. Five ecosystems are represented through the display of native plants.

I don't know what kinds of birds these are (above and below). I must do some research, huh?  But, gosh! Aren't they amazing looking?

This is an anhinga. I am so proud that I can write that word!

It took me months to remember the name of this bird. It's such an odd word.  I see them frequently during my travels, usually alongside a canal, their wings spread for drying.

What I didn't realize is how blue their eyes are!

Another wood stork!

A snowy egret, also an Endangered Species.

One more wood stork! I think they're just so funny looking and fun to look at!

After we left the aviary, we encountered this beautiful peacock, up in a great oak tree.  And, then ... we discovered the Wray home, the residence of the owners of Flamingo Groves way back when ...

The Wray home was built in 1933 by Floyd and Jane Wray on Long Key, a 200-year-old oak hammock. It is the oldest residence in Broward County west of University Drive. The Live Oaks surrounding the home are 150-200 years old and have an approximate life span of 500 years.

They do offer guided tours, but we enjoyed just "visiting" the quaint 1930s home.  I think it's important for people to realize that there was no air conditioning back then. And, no mosquito control.  Life wasn't easy. It was a long journey just to go to buy groceries!  There was no Publix on every other corner as we have today.  This was farm country and there were no interstate highways and few people.

Yet, their home is charming and appealing to visitors. Especially people like me and my darling husband who long for a time when things didn't move so damned fast!

Flamingo Gardens & Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary

3750 South Flamingo Road, Davie, Florida

Flamingo Gardens web site

Robert Is Here Fruit Stand

My darling husband has the best ideas! When he's in the mood to "go somewhere," he comes up with the best places to visit.  Robert Is Here Fruit Stand was no exception! We visited on a Sunday afternoon not too long ago, intending to buy a few tomatoes for dinner that night. We left with bags full of stuff, including the tomatoes, some of the prettiest cabbage I've ever seen, some preserves and a jar of bee pollen.

When we went to check out, a very nice guy about our age helped us. Turns out it was Robert Himself!  We asked him about the place, how it started and he told us he started out with a little card table on the corner and a few cucumbers.  It seems it was his mother's way of keeping him "busy."  When he didn't sell anything that first day, his dad made a sign reading "Robert Is Here."  Now, some 40+ years later, the world has beat a path to Robert Moehling’s door, including us!

Robert told us he expected the purple martins to arrive any day and that they had been coming since he was a boy.  You can be sure we'll be making another visit one Sunday real soon to have a look-see at the birds!

 Being a graphic nut, I was struck by the colorfulness of the place. The signs are bright and fresh and draw you in with their messages.

 There are a number of tractors located in front of the store and around the property. There are a couple of "horseless carriages," too. However, I was mad for the bright red pickup truck!

 Inside the fruit stand is an abundance of local produce, some I'd never seen before. There is an entire wall covered with preserves and jellies and, of course, we had to take some of those home!

 I have to admit that the petting zoo is my favorite part of Robert Is Here Fruit Stand. There are goats who love tomatoes almost as much as my darling husband, along with turtles and tortoises, geese and ducks, turkeys and ostriches and a couple of watch dogs.

 As we were leaving the petting zoo, heading back into the fruit stand, I spotted Mama Turkey and her three little babes. They were just too cute, chasing after mom who was running away from the madness of all the tourists!

 When we got home and began preparing dinner, dh created a beautiful plate of tomatoes seasoned with fresh chives. My mouth waters seeing the photo and remembering how tasty they were!

 Robert suggested the cabbage, saying it was absolutely fresh and some of the best he'd seen in a long while. He suggested we clean the leaves and stash them in the freezer overnight before cooking to get the tenderest possible cabbage, and he was right! We had some Smithfield ham, potatoes and carrots and Tuesday night's dinner (with some very nice white wine) was out of this world!

 Many thanks to Robert and his fruit stand for making our little adventure so much fun!
Located at 19200 Southwest 344th Street
Homestead, Florida