Butterflies at the Butterfly Rain Forest - Univ. of Florida

Krystal Breakfast Burgers Breakfast

This is a fast-food joint. I've not had the opportunity to partake of its culinary offerings and I see no reason to do so in the near future. But, hey, if you're in the Ocala area and are hungry, go for it.

It does have a colorful facade, though. Especially on a grey gloomy winters day.

Homosassa Springs - Dinnertime

University of Florida - Red beam sculpture

I was unable to find any information on this sculpture located near the Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. There is another similar sculpture on campus, created by John Henry, which is constructed of yellow aluminum beams sticking up in a random formation - the students call it "French Fries" as it resembles a package of McDonald French fries.

Doubtless, this red beam sculpture has some meaning, but I don't what that might be.  It's not a cross so you can cross that off your list.  :)

Heron at Homosassa Springs

On Hiatus

We will be going on hiatus for a time. Best wishes to all and remember, spring is just around the corner.

A scenic and romantic road among the horse farms - Happy Valentine's Day!

A tale of two benches

The first bench, located in a garden, appears to be functional, although not very attractive. The second bench, however, seems to have lost all of its original usefulness and might even be dangerous to sit upon.

Scrambles Cafe

Scrambles is a wonderful little restaurant. It is about a 30-minute plus drive from our house, but it's so good, we often go there for breakfast or lunch. A friendly, family place with terrific food.

Time machine and water cooler

You will find this time machine/water cooler between the 6th green and 7th tee box at the Ocala National Golf Course.  Water coolers are placed strategically on the golf course to help players keep hydrated during the heat of the summer.  I'm guessing the clock is there to let players know if they are keeping the proper pace.

Unfortunately, this clock was not working.  But with everybody having a cell phone it's not much needed anymore.

One might say it's a relic of times gone by and is no longer timely.

A guest at Silver Springs Park

The black bear is making a comeback in Florida. Biologists now estimate there are about 3,000 black bears in the state with the largest concentration in the Ocala National Forest.

I took this photo at the Silver Springs Park on the east side of Ocala a couple of months ago.

Orange tree

This is our season for citrus, so all over Ocala you will see orange and grapefruit trees laden with their juicy bounty. This particular tree belongs to one of our neighbors. I don't know what they plan to do with all the oranges, but they'd probably give them away if you asked.

The Casements - Part II

There is much more to see at The Casements.  Unfortunately, it was closed the day we visited so we couldn't get inside.  Perhaps we'll try again in the future.

For those who are interested, I have a new poem, "Sunrise," on Creative Confections.

The Casements - John D. Rockefeller Residence

The Casements, located along the Halifax River (Intercoastal Waterway) was constructed in the early 1900s for a clergyman and his wife.  It was purchased by John D. Rockefeller in 1918 and he used the 9,000 square foot home as his winter residence until he died at the age of 97.

After his death, the property was used for a variety of purposes, including a school.  Then it was left to deteriorate.  Eventually, it was named a "Historic Property" and was purchased by the City of Ormond Beach, which proceeded to restore the place to its original grandeur.

Currently, The Casements serves as the Cultural Center for the City of Ormond Beach.

We'll post a few more photos of the gardens and grounds tomorrow.

If you are interested in learning more about The Casements, click here.

Horse and Flag

This is a blending of two photos, obviously.  I was having fun with it as it represents Ocala in that you will see a lot of flags flying in this city.  Somehow, flag waving has become synonymous with patriotism which is, of course, not true at all.  But it is very popular.

Horse Fever is a program which involves the creation and placement of a wide variety of colorful horses throughout the city.  By now, there must be over 100 of these "Horse Fever" horses scattered around town.