alligator warning

Some mornings we go to Casperson Beach for an early walk.



It wasn't until our third visit there that we noticed this sign.



Later we saw this little (?) fellow. He was in a pond behind the beach.



Yikes!

who me?

I am pretty excited to win a blog give-away for the very first time.

I will soon be wearing this pink peony pin . . .

From this very fun blog:
Just a Little Something for You

This is one of the first blogs I began following
and remains one of my favorites.

Here is one of the first photos I saw on that blog
[Friday, March 12, 2010]

Just too cute!

happy birthday pat

We had a fun little gathering for my sister's birthday.



It has been great spending time with her the past
few months as we live so very far apart.



I made these ombre scarves as favors, from old t-shirts.
I got the idea from this blog but since my shirts had
side seams, I had to change them a bit.

safety first

I guess we were a little nervous on our ranger led canoe trip. We elder folks wore our life preservers for the whole trip only to notice everyone else just put theirs in the boat.



Younger canoers {Ben and Lindsay} weren't so nervous.



Canoeing & Kayaking at Oscar Scherer State Park
Canoeing South Creek is one of the more popular recreational activities available at the park. Visitors can launch their own canoe or kayak or rent a canoe from the Ranger Station. Canoes are currently available for rent and are launched from the South Creek Picnic Area. South Creek is a tidal black water stream that flows through the park. The Creek begins north of the park and is formed by rainfall and freshwater run-off and eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The creek fluctuates with the incoming tide and is brackish (a mixture of fresh and salt water). Mangrove trees, Giant Leather Fern, and Cabbage Palms are a few of the plant species that can be seen growing along the edge of the creek. Wading birds such as the Great Blue Heron and Little Blue Heron can be seen feeding in the water while Ospreys soar overhead. Occasionally alligators and otters can be seen taking advantage of the creeks' diverse habitat. Ranger led canoe programs are available every Wednesday.

pepper-ring beef

Shredded Pepper-Ring Beef
{so delicious ~ so easy}

3-4 lb chuck roast
6 clovesgarlic diced
1 small jar mild banana pepper rings

Cut six slits in the beef and put garlic in each pocket.



Place the chuck roast in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
Pour the jar of pepper rings on top including the juice.



Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Drain the juice and shred beef.

Reserve some of the juice to pour over beef if you feel it is at all dry.



We serve it with veggies the first night and on sandwich rolls the second night.

ant parade

One morning, in our rented Florida "Italian villa", I saw a few tiny ants in the bathroom with an obvious sweet tooth. We bought an ant trap and set it on the counter that night. In the morning this is what I saw . . .



A little parade of ants marching to the trap and back to a tiny hole in the tile.
I felt like I was watching a documentary on the discovery channel.

By the next day, not an ant in sight.



And . . . no, I don't feel any guilt. Sorry.

jelly beans

Just the other day Jim was sad because the jelly beans
I bought (Starburst) had no black ones.



Pickles Comic Strip
{story of our lives}

cellphone lot

When you are picking up guests
you are lucky if they are arriving at TPA



Tampa Airport does it right



very helpful jumbotron



up-to-date arrival status



clean restrooms and vending machines
{confession: I did buy a candy bar}



wi-fi for your surfing pleasure



patiently waiting for son #1 and his fiance

bow tie quilt

The Venice Presbyterian Church was having a rummage sale so . . .
we went to look just for fun. When I saw this quilt top I couldn't resist.
{after all the money goes to church missions}.



sweet little bow ties everywhere



all done by hand ~ no machine stitching

b - i - n - g - o

Some Monday nights are just more exciting than others



We joke about doing "old people"
things here in sunny Florida . . .
then remember that we are "old people".

Check out the shark teeth free-space markers.
After all Venice is the Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World