tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43107090117314231012024-03-05T21:52:40.498-05:00.......Come Take a Look.......Welcome to our blog! Look below the slide-show for additional posts.Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-55357888674954206262012-10-09T14:47:00.001-04:002014-10-04T11:24:03.434-04:00Midwest Art<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMT323SM5hWvPxogkOdIKHVLrGnePBBk4yUvZasNyMZfp2U-Ai7absiKuxpnlS1PqYs0NRloTD8J3alDM7Y4YxnSyUhgZu9uhBBXtPvUOY4Aa0Wa4zs-7V3qzQ0fRH6qC8v4rW1j4DqY/s1600-h/017a%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img alt="017a" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFLcGfy7XLNSUZl1ZGl3A4CWrbTwAp1Nf0V-U38jJ9LNkPVy-Fb_GrOroWMv8_AJRJV11-khfMXxodSAol4u4ezdKFxoy_QfmGgak1VMyYIWM-QkLj67M_bJYvmFDZ3hj7oFihFUAObM/?imgmax=800" height="243" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="017a" width="769" /></a><br />
We’ve been slowly making our way across the country , driving through little farming communities and past field after field of corn and soybeans. Combines are reducing the fields to stubble , stopping only to spill the dried corn kernels and soybeans into trucks headed to the grain elevators.Without a Wal Mart in sight ,the towns are bustling as farmers buy supplies. But winter is on it’s way so what do people do out here in the heartland while they wait for spring? They create wonderful weird art!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">OUR NEW BLOG </span>- <a href="http://rollinginarv-wheelchairtraveling.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://rollinginarv-wheelchairtraveling.blogspot.com/</a> Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-20842838928272124612012-07-30T21:38:00.001-04:002012-10-09T14:54:01.686-04:00Cape Cod , Massachusetts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LK-3_vLrem6K_fLqytXG8OR1561aQ8VOO5FfEJ-SXoB4Xwtn_kpr7vkz2bNoaNRdr1Ixa7iTzsh2VSU1ZPqY6k8x6SWBB6klNmGI-sdmCi8cWrWe0xSxah_WCMWc2OWtGrmDdBRK-qQ/s1600-h/0318.jpg"><img alt="031" border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYA5iM68jgXaP35KOqV-Bgey-_GqCUeloMYDo1n2biUsorokH5PkdecSJdzahvSrPfp2eT26wTfrF3SkjOJBYbKuzf5c0qWD_RnsS3EgaA_DAfP8iu7tPFJ207_9HuYcAzU0VIbwk_N0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="031" width="714" /></a><br />
I’ve really been neglecting this blog! Since we left Texas we’ve been slowly meandering our way north to Pittsburgh so that we can take care of all of our once a year appointments. However we had a little free time so when the opportunity came up to join Gail , Tom and the kids on their vacation at Cape Cod we putted our way a little farther north. We had a lot of fun even though it really wasn’t warm enough for Tess to lay out on the beach! :-D More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/101444951349944784520/CapeCodMassachusettts" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/101444951349944784520/CapeCodMassachusettts</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-38985636490227869072012-05-09T10:09:00.001-04:002012-07-30T21:43:38.251-04:00Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR9QxhnOCFSFH-0ukfvlh4dPTFZHF7gB-fLZq8Nao8PlbS3C8CPKGInc6-_dwMnw-KbW4eT4kZqetUWRSUZjaDdEot_KzN-nOi9s0vgNkT0nWO6gcu_2qSJ70ynHWYyJpvXow_9y5el8/s1600-h/001a%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="001a" border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RHnaxHVQ9Xz0cHljiLAtHGUjlTn49BR5FbPI_9tYcKoj26zh9fHKKMrnhj4UaoOEHE4EMhLnYuxl2CYbn2IdNobcLEZHELWwbrKcIgntg33hXeNfiIvE2SjEeCRxZ2W92Vbrpw8d80c/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="001a" width="769" /></a><br />
The gardens are a beautiful place to visit anytime but we happened to visit in the middle of a Dale Chihuly glass art exhibit. Dale Chihuly makes huge ,fanciful ,blown glass sculptures. Actually he’s more of designer because the blowing ,crafting and assembling is done by team of artists. Chihuly lost an eye in an automobile accident and several years later dislocated his right shoulder , making it impossible for him to hold a heavy glass blowing pipe. We’ve seen Chihuly pieces in museums , in his hometown of Tacoma ,Washington and even in a Las Vegas casino but this is the first time we’ve seen an large outdoor display. The bright , flowing shapes fit right in the garden setting resembling strange ,exotic flowers. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/101444951349944784520/DallasArboretumBotanicalGarden" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/101444951349944784520/DallasArboretumBotanicalGarden</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-46271939100794697412012-04-02T12:46:00.001-04:002012-05-09T10:42:34.189-04:00Sherwood Forest Faire in Ye Olde Texas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAybupPU3TakBvLIgN5KhKijcO9lp-_SObeTemNYv3DFRtCFRQn6AUI0QvtDJRbeB-D9VeFokv0bEO1XsPy5I7n9A347wFP3ja455PpqL2yJ0cxRTnpyZpKafRjMYcow4PjLm7U6Em9ts/s1600-h/066%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="066" border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f64-aN7FXk2di7JaIxtkptJvob9Jym2t31oNBbK1LUYLaCMdDknqV9SI-39QlJxB0ndXZcfHycmAY5P5qQ_iTDW1vnhgPJBtUG7cGvQbk7-NvlPQ2njyddJxTBql8ZGuaSyySNWL_YY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="066" width="764" /></a><br />
We took a trip to England in the year 1190 and met a bunch of strange and interesting characters. ( this isn’t a reference to Chris , our sister –in-law , or our nephew , Ted or his girlfriend , Jennifer who joined us in our time travel : D ! ). This festival is only three years old but the two men who created the village and who oversee the project are doing a wonderful job. They’re trying to keep it as authentic as possible but are allowing a lot of fantasy ,improvising and quirkiness so along with Robin Hood and the evil sheriff there are fairies , elves , pirates and other unidentifiable creatures.<br />
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More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/SherwoodForestFaire?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/SherwoodForestFaire?authuser=0&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-86959844077870114492012-02-19T20:56:00.001-05:002012-05-09T10:40:56.053-04:00Battle Of Olustee Civil War Reenactment<img alt="019" border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ThiVHZLh_M2RHEzmR8T2DUq8069HF2i8L8SPznyuFjYdjOYBbQOa9ybsFM7lH2NMHLBmldygRq_RvxD7L9dO0CN-dwZXKY24qfg8Pcwl3US4Tm_YinpdTrQsmMyWNYIYdz21L6ltCdg/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="019" width="764" /><br />
We’ve wanted to go to a Civil War reenactment for awhile but we never expected to find one in rural north Florida. One curiosity was piqued after reading the book <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederates_in_the_Attic" target="_blank">“Confederates in the Attic “.</a> The author Tony Horwitz , who has had an interest in the Civil War since childhood,writes about his interactions with some hard core re-enactors and the lengths that they go to keep everything authentic.<br />
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The Battle of Olustee was just a minor battle which didn’t affect the war at all so we figured maybe a small encampment ,a few guys shooting at each other. Wow ,were we wrong! This is a big deal in this little section of Florida. Hundreds of re-enactors set up completely authentic camps where they live in tents , cook over fires , sleep under wool blankets and feather comforters. Anything that doesn’t fit the time period must be hidden from view. All clothing is made following old patterns using appropriate natural materials. Most people take it all the way down to their underwear.<br />
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The battle seemed less authentic. Not just because nobody was actually getting killed (don’t need any more of that!) but because the fighting had to be confined to a small area so that the audience would be able to see. The Union and Confederate armies ended up very close to each other in an open field having a shoot out. Halfway through they moved a few hundred feet so that all sections of the audience would get the full affect. And nobody died during the first half hour.<br />
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The whole thing was a lot of fun! More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/BattleOfOlusteeCivilWarReenactment?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/BattleOfOlusteeCivilWarReenactment?authuser=0&feat=directlink</a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-34209914394013579852012-01-05T13:18:00.002-05:002012-02-19T21:06:59.626-05:00Low Country in the Deep South<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemFe5i4fWe1MHuCNQVp1NOfFQskarhIXRmHWlTc66y3stY7p6PI9BmH57fLm7DiZ_PbpnpBAWEWmZfzhEm2F3KjCDYHQpnIdmWjZtyYmsGICBgNajdbfOGGeanfEtH7zC30kXLrtpv8g/s1600-h/n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="n" border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TPQMVnpgvTwTy6qPtxlBP1vupWn3fL3ENoCAZLwD8ITXOiDLRs3hZYLNGIxOprUXWblDInr9E7dYEyBETeLnBD43WR5487ZFvbeHL3Qi2rsjO-HJxFs-nVmofo71rON3OvmuvBcAp5Q/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="n" width="769" /></a><br />
Hope everyone had a good time over the holidays! We meandered our way down to Florida along the coasts of North Carolina ,South Carolina and Georgia ,an area brimming over with historical sites from a pretty terrible time in US history – the antebellum period when the labor of thousands of slaves made a few people enormously wealthy. Low Country wealth came from an unlikely source – rice. The coast is comprised of a mixture of marshes ,lagoons ,wide rivers and swampy islands where fresh water mingles with tidal water ,an ideal place for growing rice. Rice cultivation is very labor intensive and time consuming. Getting sold down south was a dreaded occurrence for a slave who knew that it meant a life of heat , disease , never ending work and isolation. Slavery anywhere was bad enough but this was a daily hell. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/LowCountryInTheDeepSouth?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJGNo8HI0s-ZTg&feat=directlink" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/LowCountryInTheDeepSouth?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJGNo8HI0s-ZTg&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-18746656479756163052011-11-27T23:17:00.002-05:002012-01-05T13:26:04.918-05:00Thanksgiving in Washington DC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3Qzhgi0UbUYXLMk0MkZwnF6K6zR1ZaHfq4ToDdzFCygGXetLI57Fn7RgeHedJytG9web8zYzeN5rpPK6HUzvOuCAZS4CfYBQhMO6L4ulTQm_6lfSxciHz9Lj4oSEVXWA86Ln-oDZuL4/s1600-h/041%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="041" border="0" height="511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnywHbPQNMqTKlfD_Nt_oCKOlbPzLQwScfCXX1RzuhejLVybjbZ30Ib5lUxtgNmq3y-cqr4ZvnQYCQe7S-eXJJ6g5okXiB4f539dD_sMjkGs-Ng9G3NjntYNCuVJqyJx2UDAhOWr7bTM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="041" width="764" /></a><br />
We had a wonderful time visiting everyone in Pittsburgh and spending Thanksgiving with Tom , Gail and the kids. We’re still stuffed – with pumpkin pie and pecan pie , turkey and dressing , cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes –yum! Hope everyone had a good holiday ! More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/ThanksgivingInWashingtonDC?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/ThanksgivingInWashingtonDC?authuser=0&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-30642723906897401692011-10-25T00:32:00.002-04:002011-11-27T23:22:56.283-05:00Duluth , Minnesota<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev0WehLYYVxUgECkLB2MKtbKOWTtcc_oey9V5YD7qcgPxFWXq8Xkl0iL7ZBmWenzm_gJfe03D0xxefK9AUUzLBPeuciD39Oq4kNXQibnl29TCAXFNNomjlyeF_1QxfIfWjoX0hcrD_Yw/s1600-h/i%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="i" border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu14m4aoODp2yG9HgyjCfoH3hNUNzrXB82wzQcKEjnH_EBjkosnHQQYhwwfWQ_Mf0hLw3DIa1DEsvSkoC2K8k4S8M14PlhEeZx3vGbwaQSIUZdCtTjYxTZa_NbD3BrvjB7SM81qnC4nU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="i" width="764" /></a><br />
Duluth doesn’t seem like it would be a tourist destination but an old waterfront warehouse district has been given a new life with shops,restaurants ,museums and hotels. The best part in our opinion is a four mile trail along the shoreline of Lake Superior. It’s also a good place to watch the huge tanker ships coming through the ship canal heading to the docks to pick up loads of coal ,iron ore , gravel and grain.<br />
Some amazing facts about Lake Superior -<br />
1. Lake Superior is, by surface area, the world's largest freshwater lake.<br />
2. The surface area of Lake Superior (31,700 square miles or 82,170 square kilometers) is greater than the combined areas of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. <br />
3. Lake Superior contains as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, even throwing in two extra Lake Eries.<br />
4. Lake Superior contains 10% of all the earth's fresh surface water.<br />
5. There is enough water in Lake Superior (3,000,000,000,000,000--or 3 quadrillion-- gallons) to flood all of North and South America to a depth of one foot.<br />
6. The deepest point in Lake Superior (about 40 miles north of Munising, Michigan) is 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the surface.<br />
7. Over 300 streams and rivers empty into Lake Superior.<br />
8, The average elevation of Lake Superior is about 602 feet above sea level.<br />
9. The Lake Superior watershed region ranges in size from 160 miles inland near Wabakimi Provincial Park to only 5 miles inland from Pictured Rocks National Seashore.<br />
10. The Lake Superior shoreline, if straightened out, could connect Duluth and the Bahama Islands.<br />
11. The average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is 27 feet, making it easily the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. Underwater visibility in places reaches 100 feet. Lake Superior has been described as "the most oligotrophic lake in the world."<br />
12. The lake is about 350 miles (563 km) in length and 160 miles (257 km) in width.<br />
13. In the summer, the sun sets more than 35 minutes later on the western shore of Lake Superior than at its southeastern edge.<br />
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More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/DuluthMinnesota?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/DuluthMinnesota?authuser=0&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-63522018788896542122011-09-28T23:36:00.001-04:002011-10-25T00:41:38.796-04:00Fall in Alaska and Canada<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlFyUIMSAAaj8MsFAfxyKoWCm6BSVbb_IlHV43oiNUmUaGBqoAtMRLS8lkGHZg3vZEStwGvWX62iLgMJhWK5Ttkb_lSPv2Cs1udquYwV3kcd_cRU5516Ov5sP9xICXguqcvloe_Vt-zs/s1600-h/029%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="029" border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaJig1Kke9irPiCDPM9Gt9r8AvWVlzLtyhWzPY2iAHGy4B_r9Z3FezSMVnMQBAbJw1nq6e_5m5G3siVrwB7sZwk0fuFsdAkvy9QkC0lF__Qk6AGWBoof52B8er0Y4ljnuY0hw3UWki_0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="029" width="774" /></a><br />
It doesn’t last long , only a week or two , but for that short time the forests are a glow of gold and yellow aspens,birch and cottonwood against the dark green pines. Completely different from the slow turning , multicolored, hardwood fall that we’re used to in the east but just as spectacular.<br />
Fall also brought an abrupt drop of ten degrees in the temperature so we’re heading south – mostly through Canada but dropping down into the states as we get close to Pennsylvania. See all of you Pittsburghers in a month or so! More pictures - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/FallInAlaskaAndCanada?authuser=0&feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/FallInAlaskaAndCanada?authuser=0&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-3563948614511829102011-09-11T00:11:00.001-04:002011-09-28T23:39:45.977-04:00Kenai Peninsula,Alaska<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjig6XezgwJXxcvBrN-e83X_YsGEu2GJG0wsZ_Hv1I0UQr197Y79LCp3ngGTK7NKUgV5mH_-te46nzHiFg7pgZzSCDKjul9sTbL1BGHNff9_nP7Ktq12DrxMQLjIKidrQaR23lUgsktAis/s1600-h/047%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="047" border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHq4_H-jcIE6hDTbrR1s3TYokRX7ejwUpvqCkGzz3N8SD2g9TeDGUrRVdsrP8zue1U5vS4siEsIDPRlcoJuVJhJqphO6MM0ypiVsqPlrikNezvKviQwk65BUS9MPWnchoz9SQHho2UAU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="047" width="754" /></a><br />
Almost half of the population of Alaska lives in or near Anchorage so the Kenai Peninsula ,which juts out into the ocean just south of the city,gets a lot of visitors. This is the place to catch the big salmon that swim up the streams or take an ocean charter boat out for halibut. It’s also a good place to see glaciers and take a cruise to spot marine life. We decided to skip that after getting so seasick the last time we tried it. : 0<br />
More picture here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/101444951349944784520/KenaiPeninsulaAlaska">https://picasaweb.google.com/101444951349944784520/KenaiPeninsulaAlaska</a> Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-85292115096242552572011-08-28T17:13:00.002-04:002011-09-11T00:18:22.056-04:00Palmer, Alaska<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrBb1x_kvlITaMQ7fudNZ-HtN33ACq_ZKiu2eo5ax7Gv3SLj-KiQj1H5Pj6YMMur4Ar8PDmK4w8QBLU-xTiPn2Vgd5cEhL7VVhasfC2SSHnrbfPQGQUFyAyaaZHXWj3zH0fccNTlRjrI/s1600-h/004%252520copy%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img alt="004 copy" border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_IyeTzw91sst19ELXuVbOZJXt8qv4HFhjXOH2VQnVFP4O-Pf191w725JVmZARQVtQiLtgK9jzqVFdpVcy9hBRd5z-rb4N63im5nu_ehoRkWifai5SL8J3lMusf85vlycUnQSMIdoXsI/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="004 copy" width="764" /></a><br />
During the depression the Roosevelt administration started a program to relocate families who were living in areas with poor economic conditions. Palmer,Alaska was one of the places chosen as a new agricultural community. Most of the 203 families who moved to Palmer came from the Great Lakes states. They had been living in an area called the cut-over , a swath of clear cut forest land that wasn’t fertile enough to support their farms.<br />
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Each family was supplied with 40 acres of land,a small house and a line of credit to buy supplies.Only about a third of them stayed past the first year but they were replaced by other families and Palmer thrives today as a farming community,supplying the rest of Alaska with vegetables. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/PlamerAlaska?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKj3-YjN2a3fRQ&feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/PlamerAlaska?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKj3-YjN2a3fRQ&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-91385441078452446792011-08-18T01:27:00.001-04:002011-09-11T00:17:25.413-04:00Alaska and the Yukon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5vRhxwPusIfWHAdh0MgCZGiP-RlUTcPSiuys2XxFxiNrThf_VHgH6cP1_ruI5CQPwXm5dVHmVJWWI47YDLYsel0HAtYezm2lx2MLCoDQULodxoEbRF7MD8NUMDbK3uN9c8-mdnx65ng/s1600-h/016-copy7.jpg"><img alt="016 copy" border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRl8V8Qn9rUH0pZ2coezKFPpmmVxTU_9lhbwlOc01biLuH9V4ZNmely0eyZ-XlVZqCuQyB0cuiri5YxxwsJT_EU_1QbU7HUEXnkiENSIuFQ2jeHoECQq4m8i7LOK6KbAYxZxFx8Sa4HSU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="016 copy" width="724" /></a><br />
We made it to Alaska! It’s been a long drive through a lot of beautiful scenery. We’re a little late for tourist season and Alaska is already emptying out. Hopefully we’ll get to see everything before it gets too cold. It never did warm up so winter may come early. If it starts to snow we’re leaving! More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/AlaskaAndTheYukon?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMjcw9S92_O_0AE&feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/AlaskaAndTheYukon?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMjcw9S92_O_0AE&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-14088149067822671512011-08-06T23:16:00.002-04:002011-08-18T01:47:29.551-04:00Driving to Salmon Glacier,British Columbia<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFWTMv_HtHVKNF8M4-SUAQ8bNyf1J1J8X1n88f9rSOOwFI_m7TYRdtIvEDCuIOwP3zuKbErUSBSxiDFLskgKr53FUDQv7quHRFioOx5mluSciOtlTEH_udYrSZD3nvnPrWeCtckOQjTE/s1600-h/FD%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="FD" border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFBNRtaqvzICMKeEMHu58jMBUpMHnoyTd21l0pmx5genYuxPsMZge2fgJOyn8UaftuL9L0ur-1DYJxuWT5kG8GLQZKjVidWRT_9o9ogZwEOZFjL5ef0NxX6e4dZHPm9Zx6Lv9ciJt1c8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="FD" width="724" /></a><br />
Salmon Glacier is the fifth largest glacier in North America and one of the easiest to get by car. Even so it’s a pretty long trip. The jumping off point is Hyder ,Alaska which is about forty miles from the main highway and at the end of the paved road. From there it’s another twenty or more miles on a rough gravel road but it’s definitely worth the trip. The glacier is huge and the view is awe inspiring! Pictures do not do it justice. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/DrivingToSalmonGlacierBritishColumbia?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJqQg-qinu_ddg&feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/DrivingToSalmonGlacierBritishColumbia?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJqQg-qinu_ddg&feat=directlink</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-5451090248088246612011-07-26T00:19:00.002-04:002011-08-06T23:22:15.017-04:00British Columbia<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCLijxS6XiBfC7mGnRqzREDqYafMh00bCTZjTWsyJ6fNdVMq5ERRdHamK4MwuQlMYFgCgJnht-w34grug_q6WCuHLDcrdJGNCc1AZr8d_AJenEh8eIGi_k6HBkyK5Ds-LdhMHF1iRAfQ/s1600-h/c3.jpg"><img alt="c" border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdouwU5TiTY4fOHqKkVrGFyz7-kC5TYoSnxGC-3XX61RQTt6hIIpEUi_ikeFd63_vMiBCTZNoGJXQJIIkgCJjsNh39ONL1ZpMG3dltKLVhUtHJVHvEC_bPJjif-dR8Jh2-trIWL8FPGk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="c" width="784" /></a><br />
We’re finally on our way to Alaska! We’ve been going slowly because of the weather. While the rest of North America has been baking in a heat wave ,the north west is experiencing a very wet cool spring and summer. We wanted to avoid all of the flooding ,landslides and washouts plus British Columbia is a beautiful province to meander through rather than just rushing by on the way up to Alaska.. <br />
The photograph above is one of the buildings from Barkerville , a gold mining town that is now a historic park. Most of the town dates to 1868 and it’s pretty unique ,at least to visitors from the states ,because all of the buildings are wood ,either frame construction or log. Many US gold mining towns burnt down and were rebuilt with brick and stone. Others were never rebuilt because the gold had played out and any remaining buildings crumbled and decayed. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/BritishColumbia?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSAyYG6qZyEogE">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/BritishColumbia?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSAyYG6qZyEogE</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-90341604060842719962011-06-18T15:29:00.002-04:002011-08-06T23:26:33.171-04:00Columbia River Gorge (again)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffKG-6ocunEgYY_qPruLR2Wk-bN-n1-ZQxL7ZMYVinEg5OJxP1acQYQdACT41_u9OkIruKOQKLvoz57eQXC3pp-0-KlQE2K5XShXonLPJOW1FJjXAR3xosOBHXJQPV1ObgR3pQYWEL88/s1600-h/v5.jpg"><img alt="v" border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPEyISnV271CrhpFASbGmQGmBmB4cwlFe8i0dvlArCIY7ewCfhxdK9dPjvr0i5ix2a02qtafA1ljf-Yyv9CoJfa6tZhKT-LTFhOgJI-uS2n7r2ObTvem1fOu6KE9y1brw5S-_oYciIb0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="v" width="784" /></a> <br />
Yeah , I know – we were just here a little over a year ago but this is one of those places that we will never get tired of visiting. The scenery is so spectacular ,constantly changing with the terrain and the seasons. Plus it’s on our way to Eden and Burt’s house.<img alt="Open-mouthed smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj212fNVcgXWw5k_T4N8QAeimJgiFF62Bz8knGYJA8OEuchn0cZZRfDkiaFAh2aG0RgqLqtqAVifoM9wjsmZsQVSJEg5qaB90pr72Rj95JNMMkGHL0CKq4vzq6WI2L_I24TmtBrNmvHKMw/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;" /> <br />
More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/ColumbiaRiverGorgeAgain?authkey=Gv1sRgCP3bgduUipW4Gw">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/ColumbiaRiverGorgeAgain?authkey=Gv1sRgCP3bgduUipW4Gw</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-598705498270129302011-06-01T15:25:00.002-04:002011-08-06T23:27:49.250-04:00Nevada’s Ghost Towns<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS2v0a70acHBQBcmHYKPr4CCO_fdAV1fvCPeFHJilJQ_xkSc-63lZMYoyCAP3uLJb-c1lYuFOIqrNKu3vnWwAaQLvn8upj9DkFkO0Yq4IAgPi20HpB-2bVjp-wjfwRUzGiKq-oM-pWwc/s1600-h/v%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="v" border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJh8TketEF64tx_Me-eFnASR0yNcvrqwJN-AjN_futlm_bdLizRaaRhNR0EGVDaFJKo7ajM2twVGiqHzE46R4o-kEvigaAxSXbp1T4JTBNk5krgAgH-pObJueeyWoaScEcA86xm03fOM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="v" width="774" /></a><br />
Nevada has two large cities-Las Vegas and Reno and the accompanying suburb sprawl that has overtaken nearby smaller cities. The rest of the state is dotted with widely spaced towns. Most of them are old gold and silver mining towns slowly sinking into partial or complete ghost towns. Very rarely did the easily mined gold and silver last for more than twenty years and then most of the miners moved onto the next big strike leaving behind equipment and buildings. Fire was also responsible for accelerating the demise of these towns so in many places the only thing left standing are sections of concrete and stone foundations and walls. Berlin ,the one pictured above, managed to survive pretty much intact probably because at least one person was still living in the town until 1970. Kind of unbelievable to us - imagine having to drive over 100 miles to get groceries! But the night sky is incredible this far out in the middle of nowhere. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/NevadaSGhostTowns?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSC_qnr6er1owE">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/NevadaSGhostTowns?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSC_qnr6er1owE</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-18373523513586778362011-05-09T22:01:00.002-04:002011-06-01T15:33:06.166-04:00Indian Country<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxa01W_HJEpt3ib0Vx2yZJmhi7fL2gVZFCJfEnX87ly4Rn3YP7fOsEe_EEWCI9rmpW8SSn40-BFcrS1JfPA5t96hDBWx_J4vcaB9MSLkDsjlwER6_2QSWQnFwx6LqK1ZuDTYsc5IS-4xU/s1600-h/n3.jpg"><img alt="n" border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0A-wNmHGxk9xqUCZ-ONXTs1nfUKsudljz5hgC8y33qjvupzToXtIx4nVDiqFNet2cMJl0KfgEoXD2IP21aiFiNzQBjA0itzXZGWbueiI1qEkEBbBa_lw_7BNP0_IfrlUePZpa0dT-MU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="n" width="774" /></a><br />
We’ve been driving through the Navajo Nation for the past several days. It’s the largest Indian reservation in the US,about the same size as the state of West Virginia. The Navajos migrated to this area of the US ,north eastern Arizona, from Canada around 1400. They found an empty land but evidence of older settlements and a vanished people who they called the Anasazi which means ancient ones. The Anasazi are actually the ancestors of the Puebloan people who now live in northern New Mexico. The Navajo and all of the Puebloan tribes fared a little better than many other American Indian tribes because they were allowed to return to or stay on a portion of their ancestral lands which has resulted in a much more intact culture.<br />
More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/IndianCountry?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCbqL6gyMDZ4wE#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/IndianCountry?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCbqL6gyMDZ4wE#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-74702472065451605662011-04-20T13:52:00.002-04:002011-05-09T22:08:29.457-04:00Texas Wind<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh956d8k1sgiCffSbin06wwHjq8F3_cKBqCmf5cEsK7LSXcAQXOcH0CNf-QKyDne0epYX3XNaPB8NGgOQxI03jEnBxxYM2eEDkZJUCbvagZVTHQPR_qE7vlE64mZPootQs7FAboRqT2dDk/s1600-h/k%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="k" border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqVuJ3Zrasdeyi_VrgSVXh6X9mJFmDBkWlbtVK2e3QoABbkSCvtfi4qkmB_Dqgpg8okvnwbOzct0AF4H9AcWqh9v0VfXa9NvuD4OnVe53dH_c7vPKA5DfAoxt7s45khMSaSbWBYcwatw/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="k" width="764" /></a><br />
It’s so windy that all of the cars at Cadillac Ranch have been blown over at an angle!! <img alt="Winking smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-winkingsmile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1874ZUNxiui-sq1lYH6PaHlKj-vLlSsXKItofe9Jx2MmkUw6er1Wuy45Bn_h5uLdq-9emvYvbQVuvaTNZwi-EtHsdgPIuJ3b3OLD11PTxa400ndszNfdT7UrJ3MmEb73L3FgUZ2gMPU/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;" /> Just kidding-they were stuck in the ground like this. It’s a public art installation where spray painting and even taking pieces of the cars is considered part of the project. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/TexasWind?authkey=Gv1sRgCKu8isWgxqDiswE#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/TexasWind?authkey=Gv1sRgCKu8isWgxqDiswE#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-65122768499994340692011-03-30T14:44:00.003-04:002011-04-20T14:23:34.265-04:00Texas Oil and Hurricanes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiQCvoCOa9kYdz9rTk82UbgLXlXuaOLrY7BbAW7PPGLR0UUQl-t1JUUWfUbaCWora2qgWWzB6v6mDCX5sj7glBmlxHBdTG2AW7W6Ao0my8cujbr88Iv06Gq9N9sV3foMZVPPAur5CaFo/s1600-h/116a%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="116a" border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwkTj0jehjA4y08bpB0ahJtSEzycqpzj91y4vuAuCCQtK-yzXDWT8fAsDHX00Lxio2vu726-Umqs5Ihyphenhyphen6TvzIngZ0fqJr9UWHDd8WqvjRe-LpTiBRrB7RYL2v72i9fHUpjp0KnsEcxws/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px none; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="116a" width="784" /></a><br />
and pink spoonbills. We drove along the Gulf coast through Mississippi and Texas passing by large areas that are still devastated from Katrina and Rita. Most of coastal property for miles west of Biloxi,Mississippi is empty land where beautiful old houses once stood. In 2008 hurricane Ike flattened the entire little town of Gilchrist, Texas. It had been a thriving fishing,vacation and residential community spread across the narrow Bolivar Peninsula. Many places are reverting back to a more natural state which the animals seem to be enjoying. These spoonbills were nesting in a wildlife preserve which is protected but now gets even fewer visitors because of destroyed roads and recreation areas. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/TexasOil?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXWtsulodmN7QE#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/TexasOil?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXWtsulodmN7QE#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-55289637322794836032011-03-09T22:55:00.001-05:002011-03-30T15:46:06.268-04:00Mardi Gras – Mobile, Alabama<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSqUtfaVHE3fweN_0Lne9VEFRQtXWX_1e5iVuauptfr88L8WPZt9PBcPV70aL4ry30e0BJ1VWWIHCAljha6K_RuA2Mfsem_Ddx-dDMDw0y6zuY0g4BQcuerAciYWWrKCQ96tOCgsDgHc/s1600-h/013%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="013" border="0" alt="013" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L_HNiJUpi4WU6lQLM-eYb3J43pmcvNkZZ7mhnVvnYq5oX50ffxNZDTRxPa5pj4jQ2pIFERAbze1rJ2T2iyVAyTg115ISEwmBpm69xN7FT73EAoJMGbm8_IhdcbHmZtFXYPdIxyFTNBk/?imgmax=800" width="784" height="378"></a> </p> <p> We have beads! And more beads and more beads. Our buddy , Joe, has a request in for a couple of grocery bags full but if anyone else wants some let us know otherwise they’ll be donated to Goodwill and recycled for next year’s parades.</p> <p> Celebrations start in early January and as Lent gets closer parades get more numerous ending with the big blowout on Fat Tuesday. We usually go to the parades for two days before we have to take a break. People who live here do it for a month or more!</p> <p> Mobile had the first Mardi Gras in America in 1703. It was part of French Louisiana and soldiers in the fort brought the tradition with them from France. New Orleans became the capital in 1723 and quickly took over the top spot in Mardi Gras celebrations. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/MardiGrasMobileAlabama?authkey=Gv1sRgCMug7qmWtbX0dw" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/MardiGrasMobileAlabama?authkey=Gv1sRgCMug7qmWtbX0dw#</a></p> Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-15790308995797277802011-02-24T20:28:00.006-05:002011-03-30T15:40:33.588-04:00Ringling Museum,Florida<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTgMJxwwECNprUpPq6EfGfXgoP_VrUox89DlcxSdl3-4n5mnKEzUGFEYuO0pnLbRQHYlQXzvLL8tB-gww5bP_gKRHhZeTs2mh9OySCJuoz00VGujf7Yib7iA3KHBmoBcqCxqYpeh-Szo/s1600-h/IMG_3580%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_3580" border="0" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-ZNzilMm-8PlSdHdJbkBHI7lwPryw0VSwJ8amL7YlDtejiezzBdZyVNafWe1bXaGjH47fR5M-0XEqzdNpEOZFj5w_FJeg5ME4WKCCK78DB2JvqUGqM26AlOKctpjvkeWeR3bIJKYkfo/?imgmax=800" style="border: 0px none; display: inline;" title="IMG_3580" width="784" /></a> <br />
Yep , we’re still in Florida! The picture above is the magnificent house that John and Mable Ringling built in Sarasota , Florida. John was the youngest of the five brothers who created the Ringling Brothers Circus empire. Each had distinct responsibilities – John was the booking agent. He eventually became the sole owner and very wealthy from investments in real estate , oil and railroads.<br />
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When John died he deeded the land and buildings of his compound to the state of Florida. John and Mable also built a spectacular museum to house their art collection. Both the house and the museum plus two circus museums are opened to the public but that almost didn’t happen. For ten years after John died the estate was tied up because creditors wanted money that was owed to them. Everything was allowed to deteriorate and had to be restored. Then again in the 1990s it was in very bad condition because money had not been spent to maintain it. Fortunately enough money , half from the state , half from donors ($100,000,000!) was raised to restore everything. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/RinglingMuseumFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCITEmMf7lYer8AE#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/RinglingMuseumFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCITEmMf7lYer8AE#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-84608873503119150142011-02-10T20:58:00.004-05:002011-02-24T20:49:42.955-05:00Birds<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oE7s2jdag9oEGA-iTqHqZl3dytph346NPJOcgGziryak5huxuEKsk6ERK6dmt0fQg8FQ9M389in75bK_VPZGR9dNiwMucSjMzk3_ZB4zTkZA9LfC_PQl1AwUvXtSJ98Mz8nYlWpSyqY/s1600-h/vv%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="vv" border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWKLizgw9oSaQAfd7VE56UxU0rNaxXStIB4tL3Hr-pEMTntT4sKPbnpKxrSIXiIwgieyJgnwgAPGKRUv6JKKWf1MRZF_lxy1ahwGcFQ5CGDTGCgmaXUM2z8z0hY9cUN9uGXwvgAC5J7E/?imgmax=800" style="border: 0px none; display: inline;" title="vv" width="764" /></a> <br />
Hope everyone is keeping warm! We’re staying here in Florida until the rest of the country warms up a bit. Even down here some days are a little cool so when the sun doesn’t shine we head for a museum. This one is a showcase for small aircraft. Most of them were built by hand with plywood bodies and wood framed wings covered with stretched cloth. <br />
More pictures here -<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/Birds?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzl2svVhKQz#" target="_blank">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/Birds?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzl2svVhKQz#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-23848710587458381162011-01-26T10:51:00.002-05:002011-03-09T23:07:26.586-05:00More Florida –House of Refuge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_D1z0ZQmY950oy33HrTIU1_X5ErmbYwObrxFz7SD4e8cUbxCmfbJxRcmg6aFsdAJcIcwsxD6dpd0EuzqhyjNEa7Z2_aII_3aFQgAUIQUHiPqyj7sfiB3JVnAoYhFQbG1EoYOC8I1icY/s1600-h/0133.jpg"><img alt="013" border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVFUJYpdnMwNBj-Mi3OYuyV2cqLp_UVh6JPAlPeYj4lngemL9l0WtDoNn8Egun8vCJlU1YgacBnE28xXFky7Ac_7gHOki6ilyRhGZ3R2u1krXN33QoSitdzh97uCyKQ7ANxCMfloB7Oo/?imgmax=800" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="013" width="784" /></a> <br />
It’s hard to imagine that just a little more than 100 years ago,the east coast of Florida was a total wilderness. There weren’t any roads,few towns and all traveling was done by ship. Tropical storms ,sand bars and coral reefs caused ship wrecks so houses were built as shelters for the survivors. The keeper and his family lived on the first floor and the second floor was a dormitory. The shipwreck victims would be fed ,clothed and sheltered until another ship could pick them up and they could continue their journey. This is the only house of refuge that is still standing. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/HouseOfRefuge#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/HouseOfRefuge#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-65217211514931806002011-01-15T09:55:00.002-05:002011-03-09T23:09:26.193-05:00Southern Florida’s Unique Places<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSPT1T7_adVdxROOo7q-04z8bbupEh_gKkHZU412LmY40fVD_fnDAaa4GQFBhglJVGQvtPAASVwxm33sIT9-fV3V2QyhZo44Zw-mZNInBr97toFVlpnn79_rzvi51fU61IMgQy09I5AM/s1600-h/008.jpg"><img alt="008" border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3zQCrWSRimIpkkhEpEvJ_W49Wi1qOOnJMikkbhYskOdsV59lrtjL405ci-Q0CHIWLXNhHpQ2g8CHfATvqFlGm8nMA9aD4AOlAI4oW-XhHspMQUwKsUlzfTspqYLnQvk-mthdChF-tNg/?imgmax=800" style="border: 0px none; display: inline;" title="008" width="764" /></a> <br />
We’re so glad that we’re in Florida now –sunshine and 75 degree weather! It’s been wonderful. :D<br />
We love to stop at quirky little places and this place fits right in. It was built by Edward Leedskalnin as a tribute to a girl from his hometown in Latvia. She broke off their engagement and he moved to the US. Then from 1923 to 1951, he single-handedly and secretly carved over 1,100 tons of coral rock, and his unknown process has created one of the world's most mysterious accomplishments. Some of the rocks weight 58 tons but he set them in place without any help!<br />
Another interesting spot was the Fruit and Spice Park. It’s a educational county park and has tasting tours of the exotic fruits and nuts that grow on the park grounds. The guides pick samples right from the trees. Any fallen fruit is also fair game –but we were too chicken to try that stuff! More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/SouthernFloridaSUniquePlaces?authkey=Gv1sRgCNWNq7ik4O6qfw#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/SouthernFloridaSUniquePlaces?authkey=Gv1sRgCNWNq7ik4O6qfw#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310709011731423101.post-63105374196761175872011-01-09T09:45:00.003-05:002011-03-09T23:10:35.203-05:00Everglades National Park<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKixMZpY4iuZL4791XYVXksMqi9SffOGDxQGvODRiOFvGjNy0vr7PN7sqpJo-WitA1gIMJ2immZ-qt_05tVur4n3q_J6N9e1MjKIRQl4FtADXq4DCJfVd4X03pvm6ow2LqGkstFwfWac/s1600-h/015%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="015" border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweSG8ARVVLopvktB7Xo6eGo4iINSq3jQrwVA_HUDhdEZP2nqf_SJPemlFUsFla2x-WzM31MYlhz886Qq5XuuRCocLkxpFpY1nPneGAMuxKwZ4UCQvvXAu9Y6YuhySTIN7IY3afMJ3ft8/?imgmax=800" style="border: 0px none; display: inline;" title="015" width="744" /></a> <br />
Alligators! They’re most famous resident of the Everglades but it’s also home for many other animals , birds and of course mosquitoes. We were pretty lucky because it’s been just cool enough to keep the mosquito population down.<br />
The Everglades has even been a home for humans. There are still traces of Calusa Indians villages but the inhabitants disappeared around the 1700s , wiped out by white man’s diseases. Later Indians fared a little better and still live on the edges of the Everglades. They’re descendants of the Seminole and Miccosukee who escaped into the maze of grass, mangrove and small hardwood islands to avoid the mass deportation of the Indians to Oklahoma.<br />
This is such a unique place. It’s the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and has been designated a World Heritage Site. So many people want to live in south Florida which has caused a lot of damage to the Everglades – draining the swamps , diverting water with canals and polluting what is left with heavy metals and agricultural runoff. It’s a constant balancing act to provide for the people while trying to control further destruction and preserve what is left. More pictures here - <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/EvergladesNationalParkFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCOnEj_f4tsKfNw#">https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyandkaren1/EvergladesNationalParkFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCOnEj_f4tsKfNw#</a>Karen and Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07996775051713720768noreply@blogger.com0