Living high

This is an older house in the historic district. I'm guessing that someone has a room up there and has decorated the small porch at the top of the stairs.

Ocala Downs

Ocala Downs is a large subdivision of horse farms located north of Ocala on Highway 441. The first photo depicts the entrance, and the second one of the farms.

God be with us?

I joke sometimes that Ocala has a church on every corner. That's an exaggeration, of course, but we are inundated with religious institutions, all of them advertising and promoting their programs in order to get new members.

So, it isn't surprising perhaps, that the city's official seal carries the words, "God be with us," as you can see - if you look closely - on this city truck. Exactly what that means, I'm not sure.

Thistle a little tune...

Thistles like this grow wild in an area known as the Florida Greenway, a 6-mile paved loop through several different types of flora, just 4 miles from our house.

Handicapped parking only

Could this biker get a ticket for parking in a handicapped zone?

Easter Bunny

At the local mall, this Easter Bunny held young children on his lap while an associate took photos which the associate then sold to the parents of the young children. But there were times when no children were ready to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap. This is one of those times and the Easter Bunny is lonely and forlorn.

Lenten cross

In our neighborhood, the residents at one house have planted a wooden cross in their front yard. Every year, during Lent, they drape the cross with a purple cloth. I'm thinking that a clergy person and family live there, but do not know for certain.

Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Episcopal Church has been a fixture in Ocala since the 19th century. Recently, however, the church split over the issue of homosexuality, especially the ordination of Bishop Eugene Robinson as a bishop.

Several hundred members departed to begin another Episcopal church which, so far as I know, will affiliate with a conservative Anglican group headed by an African bishop who is vehemently anti-homosexual.

Hanging out at the mall

Central Florida Community College - Front

From all accounts Central Florida Community College in Ocala is doing a tremendous job in providing a quality education for young (and older) people in our community.

Redneck SUV

You will notice we've gone with a new template. No matter how hard I tried, I was never able to set up the other template with larger photos. But we think this one will work just fine.

Mansion in historic district

Gas station & store - a remnant of the past

When we first drove by this old gas station and store, we thought it was shut down. It wasn't. Open for business. Not much business, though. There are very few of these types of businesses left - except in more rural areas. This is a remnant of the past.

I couldn't determine which photo I liked best, so I posted both of them.

Man on balcony

It was about noon. In the old downtown. Across from the town square, this gentleman stepped out on a 2nd story balcony at the Bank of America building talking on a cellular phone. As I moved to take his photo, he saw me and waved. Maybe he was ordering a pizza.

Needless to say, the photo has been Photoshopped a teeny little bit.

One-wheeled biker and homeless man

My camera caught these two in Ocala's downtown square just recently: deep in conversation.