Last of the grapefruit

The theme for April is yellow. Thus, the grapefruit tree. We happen to have one of those grapefruit trees that loads up every year. While the grapefruit have a lot of seeds, they are also very sweet and very juicy. When I took this photo a few days ago, these were the few remaining specimens.


Click here to view thumbnails of all participants in theme day.

Meeting Weston

Weston is a four year old Golden Lab. He lives in Summerfield, just south of Ocala, but was visiting Ocala with his owner this afternoon. Weston loves nothing more than to be petted and he also likes to drive a truck. Kind and gentle, he graciously consented to having his portrait taken for Ocala Daily Photo.

Columned house

This beautiful home in the historic district caught my eye because of the large columns and the colorful chairs on the porch.

White flowering tree (bush?)

I don't know what kind of tree or bush this is, or what kind of white flowers these are. The bottom photo I took first and there are other purple flowers which overpower the scene. The top photo was taken right after the first, and offers another color scheme entirely.

The white flowers were very beautiful, hanging down from the branches. Perhaps someone out in CDP land will know what they are called.

The Orange House at Easter?

The orange house wasn't always orange. In fact, I hardly ever noticed it, even though I drove by most every day. It was just a house on a corner. Then it went up for sale, was purchased, and within days, it seemed, it turned a bright orange. Blinds you as you drive by now!

The bunny was added just recently, I expect in honor of a religious holiday, maybe Easter?

Green House

Somebody did a good job of renovating an older home in Ocala's historic district, then painted it green.

Actually, I kind of like it.

Parrots at Silver Springs Park

There is a rather large entry area coming in to Silver Springs Park. Visitors walk over a bridge and then across a wide open area before buying tickets and going through the gates. Just as one crosses the bridge, you will almost always find a couple of parrots sitting perched on a tree off to the right. They are not tethered in any way and you can get close and talk to them. That's fine. But if you understand what they are saying, you may wish to see professional help.

These two parrots didn't talk to us at all. They simply sat there in regal splendor and one of them actually turned as if to ignore us totally.

But they were pretty. I understand their wings have been clipped so they can't fly away.

Carmine's Cafe - Italian Cuisine

If you live in Ocala or visit Ocala, you would be wise to pay a visit to Carmine's Cafe at 8810 SW Highway 200.

Carmine dishes up Italian cuisine that will make your mouth water and soothe your palate! Wonderful real Italian food and lots of it.

The bottom photo shows the exterior of Carmine's Cafe and the gentleman standing by the door is Franco. Franco is the chef at Carmine's and part-owner of the business. Franco is well-known in the area, having served as the chef of the restaurant at Del Webb's Stone Creek development.

The middle photo is a partial glimpse of Carmine's interior. As you can see, it is comfortable, with excellent lighting, and every table is graced with beautiful floral arrangements, and it is clean!

That's Carmine himself in the first photo. Carmine came to the U.S. a little over a year ago from Palermo, Sicily, where he was in business with his father. He is a warm and friendly person and will make you feel right at home as soon as you step inside the door.

Carmine is a gracious host, ensuring that all your needs and desires are met promptly. In other words, dining at Carmine's is a wonderful experience with great Italian food, great service and reasonable prices.

The Seven Sisters Inn - last showing

This is the final assortment of Seven Sisters photos. The fireplace is somewhat typical in that all the rooms have fireplaces, I believe. The second photo is the "Cowboy" bedroom. The third is one of the bathrooms, and the fourth is the Gazebo area where a wedding was held the night before we took these photos.

We're hoping that a buyer can be found and the inn can be saved. Can't have ghosts running around without a house to haunt!

The Seven Sisters Inn - again

The first two photos, by Lois Anne, are of bedrooms; then one of the staircases; and the first shot is of the desk in the entry of the main house.

Kreative Blogger Award

Lois Anne and I are very honored to have received the Kreative Blogger Award from Dottie Jo at (Day) Tripping in New York City! Thank you, Dottie Jo!

There are literally hundreds of our "favorite" blogs on CDP, but we've chosen the following to also receive this award:

Photos From Haninge
Rome Photo Blog
Abu Dhabi/UAE Photo Blog
Leige City Daily Photo
Nice Daily Photo
Riga Daily Photo
Marburg Daily Photo
Dusty Lens - North Metro and Beyond

The Seven Sisters Inn continued...

A short time ago, we posted a photo of the Seven Sisters Inn, located in the heart of the historic district in Ocala. This is a world-famous B&B, which consists of three buildings, and an outdoor garden which includes a beautiful gazebo often used for weddings.

We ran into one of the owners the other day and she graciously allowed us to wander throughout the Inn and take photographs.

The first photo shows the second of the three buildings. The second photo features the hallway in the main building. The third photo is the dining room, and the fourth photo, taken by Lois Anne is of one of the bedrooms.

The Seven Sisters Inn is said to be haunted and Lois Anne, who is quite aware of these kinds of things, said she felt the spirits while we were taking pictures. They are definitely present, she assured me.

Unfortunately, the Seven Sisters Inn has fallen on difficult times and has been for sale for some time. There was a contract, but that fell through, and now the inn is scheduled to go on the auction block next month.

You can read the details here.

We'll be posting additional photos of the inn over the next few days.

Renovating and Remodeling

The pink house sits just inside the historic district near downtown Ocala. We've watched for weeks as it has undergone substantial renovation and remodeling. While still unfinished, the top portion of the house caught our attention.

Moon over Ocala

All I did was click the shutter...this is what the camera saw...one evening about a week ago.

Silver Springs swamp

As you walk in the main gate at Silver Springs Park, located just east of Ocala's city limits, you will find a swampy area that looks like this. And yes, there are gators that lurk in the murky green.

Florida Florals - a spring collection

Central Florida is blooming! All of these photos were taken yesterday; the bottom three were shot in our yard. The first photo is of a neighbor's flower bed.

The Veranda Gallery & Tea Room

Fort King Street begins in the old downtown and goes in a straight line east four miles to Baseline Road where it ends, close to Silver River Park, Silver Springs Park, and the Ocala National Forest.

The renovated home housing Briggs Law Firm we posted yesterday is located on Fort King Street.

As you leave downtown, you enter the Historic Area as noted on the sign. The first building on the right is another renovated home, known now as the Veranda Gallery and Tea Room. The women in my life love to visit this place and its six rooms of art and gifts. The Veranda Gallery also serves lunch and when its not too hot or too cold you can eat on the - tada! - veranda!

For more info, click here.

Photos are by Lois Anne.

Briggs law firm

Photo by Lois Anne.

In Ocala's historic district, many of the older homes have been extensively renovated and updated to house various businesses. The Briggs law firm works out of this particular building.

Spring in north central Florida

Spring in north central Florida means the azaleas are blooming big time, and the dogwoods, too. The azaleas pictured here were captured yesterday afternoon in our yard. The tree was discovered a few blocks away.

A visting cardinal

A cardinal flew into our yard
To visit us today.
He proudly posed in robe of red
And then he flew away.

[Please click on the photos to enlarge them and get a better view of this cutie.]

Silver River State Park's River Trail

Silver River State Park is a different entity than Silver Springs Park, although they are adjacent on the edge of the Ocala National Forest.

These photos are from Silver River State Park, which is located just 2 miles from our home. This park offers picnic and playground areas, trails to hike, cabins and RV spaces to rent, a museum and more.

One of the trails is the River Trail which is about 1/2 mile long and leads you from the museum area to the Silver River. The Silver River derives from the springs at Silver Springs Park and is a beautiful, clear river used for boating, kayaking, fishing, etc.

Our photos lead you down the trail to the river.

[The Ocala National Forest, by the way, is about 383,000 acres, with some 600 lakes and ponds, and offers a great variety of recreational experiences. You can obtain more information here.]

Stone Creek outdoor pool

This pool is so big, I couldn't get it all in the photo...it continues to stretch off to the right. Stone Creek also has a large inside pool, relatively shallow, for exercises, swimming laps, etc.

Lois Anne and Haley

This photo was taken a couple of years ago, but it's one of my favorites. Obviously, it has been "Photoshopped," as I've melded two photos together. It shows Lois Anne and our Golden Retriever, Haley, enjoying the ambiance of the pool area.

Stone Creek entrance

Stone Creek is a 55-plus, gated community about 12 miles west of downtown Ocala. A Del Webb project, it is expected to contain about 4,000 homes when completed. Stone Creek includes an 18-hole golf course, restaurant, swimming pools (indoor and out), ball fields, tennis courts, and two large multi-use facilities for crafts, dramatic productions, workout rooms, etc.

Fishing at Silver Springs Park

The Marion Theater

This is the old downtown theater. It had been shuttered for some time. A couple of years ago, it was purchased and renovated by some folks who wanted to make it a venue for movies as well as other dramatic presentations. That was unsuccessful, and now it sits vacant once more.

Hart Line boats

Boats like these plied the waters of the Silver River during the last part of the 19th century, bringing merchandise to the folks living in the Ocala area.