Can you guess where I was over Christmas?
If you're thinking...sunny and warm...you're exactly right!
This stately palm tree is situated in front of my parents' place in Florida. Ahhh...80 degrees and sunny. Life is good!
For breakfast, I stepped into the back yard and plucked grapefruit right off the tree. Still warm from the sun, once I sliced into it, the little pink corpuscles were practically bursting with juice!
In this part of the United States, Spanish Moss hangs thick off the trees. Until this trip, I'd only seen it at a distance. Blowing gently in the wind, it has a ghostly, haunted appearance. But up close, it's quite beautiful.
The lake stretches 40 miles across and averages about 9 feet deep. For the past two years, Florida has been affected by a severe drought. Evaporation and continued water use has dropped the lake by 1/3. My dad loves to fish and their place is just a hop skip and a jump away....
This lush area is filled with birds, small deer, and alligators. Recently, my mom took her dog for a walk...and was trailed by an alligator. YIKES!
Since the drought began, the fishing hasn't been worth bragging about, but the lake is a great spot for air boating. These boats sit high on the water and easily navigate over the tall grass growing throughout the lake. I caught up with this guy just coming off the water.
Saturday means Flea Markets in Lake Okeechobee and we had a choice of two. For me, there was no doubt where we were headed. Here in Central Florida, this flea market is a little slice of Mexico.
It was Christmas....
And houses were all decked out in holiday finery. I laughed at the neighbor's reindeer...standing regally--right next to the palm tree. No doubt, balmy nights...and snowmen...are an odd combination.
But this guy takes the prize:
Forget the reindeer. Here in Florida, Santa's sleigh is powered by alligators!
