Entrance to the Stone Creek community

As most of you know, over the holidays we moved from our home in southeast Ocala to a new villa in the Stone Creek community in southwest Ocala. This is the main entrance leading into the community.

Even though we've been absent from the blogosphere for a few weeks, we want to thank all of our special friends in the photoblogging world for wishing us well at Christmas and giving us such great support during our move. We deeply appreciate your concern and your kind words.

In return and in gratitude, we send our best wishes to each of you for a wonderful New Year!

[While posting/commenting will be sporadic for a time, we hope to soon be back blogging as usual and sharing in the visual wonders you provide from around the world!]

Merry Christmas from Ocala

This week we are in process of moving to the southwest side of Ocala. Thus, I'll not be able to post or comment. But our best wishes to everyone for a wonderful holiday and we hope you have a very merry Christmas!

Good morning, sunshine!

Fresh Vintage Salon - downtown Ocala

Creche blessed by the American flag

H1N1 Vaccinations

The Marion County Health Department set up a vaccination center for the H1N1 virus in Ocala's Forest High School cafeteria. The center was staffed by volunteer nurses and other folks and the vaccine was free. We took advantage of this fine program along with many hundreds of other people!

This was a delightful expression of a community caring for one another. Perhaps it could also be seen as representative of the meaning of this holiday season.

A neighborhood Santa

Ugly Blue

I thought this was a really ugly car, sitting roped off in the mall. But some folks must have liked it, for they oohed and aahed and took pictures of it. Wait, I took a picture, too.

I think it had something to do with a charity drawing. Buy a ticket and win the car.

Sushi Bistro in downtown Ocala

The Sushi Bistro is a new restaurant in downtown Ocala, located just across from the town square. It is one of several new restaurants designed to revitalize the old downtown area.

Horse at the Appleton Museum

Another of the horses connected with Ocala "Horse Fever" program.

Gazebo in downtown square

Mural by Ed Graves, an Ocala artist

We posted a partial and different view of this building yesterday. It faces Magnolia Avenue and is called Ritter's Beer Garden. The owner, Scott Ritter, wanted a "Bavarian-looking" mural on the Fort King side of the building, and thus contracted with local artist, Ed Graves, to paint it.

I think Ed did a great job. By the way, those windows and doors don't open!

Fort King Street - downtown Ocala

The Square - downtown Ocala

Decked out for the holidays with a great big tree and lots of lights, the downtown square is especially pretty at night, which means I'll have to go down there and take a couple of photos.

Click to embiggen.

A Stone Creek view

This was taken in front of the Stone Creek Restaurant and Grille a couple of weeks ago...the golf course is out of sight on the left. Stone Creek is a plus 55 development by Del Webb on the southwest side of Ocala.

Click on the photo to embiggen.

A nice walk on a nice day at the Cross Florida Greenway in Ocala

You may enlarge this photo by clicking on it.

Could this be the "missing" Santa

You may recall that the Santa hanging on the Griffin's sign has gone missing. I think we may have found him at the mall. Bored to tears. Waiting for another kid to climb on his lap and cry for mama! What a great job!

For some reason this photo will not embiggen with a click. I have no idea why it is so stubborn!

We are very busy selling our house and moving to another part of town. If the past couple days are indicative of what lies ahead, I'll probably be able to only post and comment sporadically for the next few weeks. But I will do the best I can because I hate to miss all the great photos of our CDP friends!

Table decoration at Stone Creek restaurant

Real flowers decorated our luncheon table at the Stone Creek restaurant. Click on photo to embiggen.

Griffin's Santa is gone!

You may remember the post about Griffin's, a long-time Ocala store which sold all kinds of crafty things but was forced out of business due to the lack of business.

In front of the store was a sign with Santa hanging from it. Santa hung there all year long. But Santa is gone now. No one knows where. Maybe the North Pole?

Click on the photo if you wish to embiggen.