Antique Cars

There was a good variety of antique cars. This is the men's club old fire truck.This car was auctioned off.

There were many more old cars than could participate in the parade.

A shark-fin cruiser from the fifties ...

... with the period Hawaiian dancer

The Parade

On their way to the parade On her way to the parade

Every parade needs pretty girls. Miss Umatilla is from the town of Umatilla, the most northernly commercial citrus growing region in Florida. The juice is sold under the Florida Natural label which is a Florida citrus grower cooperative.

The fairies from the Mission Inn in Howey will fulfill your every Christmas wish.

The ladies pack a bit more umph than the fairies.

... and these men pack even more ...

No parade without the fire department. They came with two trucks, but I post just one because this photo shows one of the center pieces of Howey's parade: antique cars.

The Parade

No parade is complete without the high school band.

... and the state troopers

and the sheriff ...

and the sheriff's posse ... (says so on their saddle bags)

... and veterans of our numerous wars. These are Marine Corps.

The Parade

You know you are in Central Florida when the town is so young that the granddaughters of the founder are in the parade. You know you are in Florida when the citrus truck concludes the parade.

You know you are in Florida when they hand out free orange juice in the parade. This particular juice is for sale at Whole Foods.

Howey-in-the-Hills

Little Lake Griffin

Howey-in-the-Hills is a cute little town with a nice promenade along Little Lake Griffin. The clowns thought that I wanted to take their picture, but actually I would have preferred them to stay seated on the bench. The benches are what makes this promenade look European.

Wonderful old cedars grace the shoreline.

On the other side of the lake shore road, houses from the fifties and sixties are lined up with their large front yards.

The stateliest sabal palm I have seen so far.

This owner modernized his home with a covered and an open front porch and a Florida room.

His neighbor across the street has huge live oaks which are protected.

What grows in my garden.

Backyard pond surrounded by diverse greenery that blooms at one time or another.

Algae, unfortunately inedible

Cherry tomatoes and lettuce

Hot, hot, hot peppers

Stinkhorn mushroom - it smells like it sounds.

Close-ups

Bougainville Milkweed

Kumquat

Calamondin Orange

Cactus

Banded Watersnake

Let me in. I can smell the water and the goldfish. Let me in!

Lots of Grass

Not the bare entrance we have. This is a better development.

Some of the streets are paved with cut stone and all the walkways are paved that way, too. How cool is that? It also slows down traffic naturally.


I have the pink Muhly grass in my own yard, but I wish we had lots of it along our entrance road.

Montverde

Guess where.:-)