My Double Life

 Waiting for the Pioneer Trails bus to come in.

I have a double life in Pinecraft, my summer life and my winter life. Today when the Pioneer Trails bus came in with a full load I realized that my summer life has come to an end and the winter Snowbird season has arrived. I bid my summer life "Good-Bye". No longer will I have the streets to myself or the interacting with "outsiders" who are inside of Pinecraft, Today I bid them "Good-bye" until April.

I also look forward to my winter life. The streets will be loaded with people. There will always be something going on at the park. There will be music fests at Birky Square, the weekly Saturday night Blue Grass on Gardenia Street, and Benefit Suppers at the park a few times a week.

Other than the restaurants there is Big Olaf for an ice cream cone or Emma's Pizza Shop for the best Pizza in Pinecraft. I look forward to this season of my double life. So welcome winter and Snowbirds.

 The drivers today are Laverne Slabaugh and Donny Wagler.

 I don't know if they gave each other a welcome hug, but it looks they'd want to.

Some more visiting and catching up.

LeAnna

 I can't imagine life in Pinecraft without Leanna. 

 Having a good laugh.

 Al is squeezing her bike tires showing the other men how low she is on air, but Lena says her tires are only flat on the bottom and so they don't need more air.  She does have a valid point of view.

 Suddenly all faces are turned to the south...

 The Pioneer bus came in and while I was watching them unload these two ladies stepped right in front of me and so I had decided to do a bit of shooting, especially when I noticed their elbows.

Wonder what they are talking about?

Our Ride to Myakka

 Nancy Ebersole Good and I went for a ride out in the country on Friday. We both needed to get out and about and so we went to Myakka to find the rodeo grounds. On the way back we just stopped off where ever we wanted to explore. Anyway we came up this sign and turned in, much to our delight.

 

 The compost maker, a pile of compost and a few scare crows. We plan to return for a tour when the weather stays cooler.

 They care for some "Special Needs" chicken. Here are two of them. Of course with the extra attention they get they have become pets. 

 Nancy and Harmony visiting. Harmony is one sweet girl Nancy and I both connected with her on first sight. 

 Cattle grazing

 Popcorn sky and wide open space...

 I was surprised to find this Dragon Fly flying above the trees when I saw the pictures on the computer.

 Goldenrod

 These vines reminded me of wild grapes, but I didn't take a close look at them.

 Old swayback horse, that I am assuming is retired.

 and a younger one in the same pasture. All of the above pictures were taken at the Crowley Folk School.

And after leaving the farm we did some more exploring. In a few places we drove through a canopy of trees with Spanish Moss.

 A horse ranch with a special gate.

 This old building is an eye catcher.

And another beautiful horse.

My Day

 The one lady asked me, "Is Mis Emma back?" I couldn't think of who Mis Emma is until she said, "Ray and Emma." Then I knew who Mis Emma is. I will probably get a picture or two of Mis Emma this winter, sitting on her bucket fishing away.

 The hands and...

 face who transplants the flowers for Yoder's Fresh Market. I can't remember if he is Eli Troyer's Joe or Joe Troyer's Eli, but it is one or the other. 

 Indian Corn at Yoder's Fresh Market.

 The Pioneer bus left with about 11 passengers.

 This morning, well all day it was a cloudy and cool. Whenever we had a day like this in Holmes County we smelled the "Stink Plant". But today when I biked pass here the fresh laundry smell filled the air. I stopped and took a few deep breaths and the smell brought back memories of Mom doing loads of laundry. 

He was sitting here when I biked pass and he wouldn't move or fly away. Instead he looked at me with his sharp beady eyes, turning his head this way and that way. Carefully I took a number of pictures and then sped off. I didn't want to tangle with his claws. A few years ago a hawk this size dragged a small snake out of Calvin Knepp's flower bed, flew up to the hydro wires, held it down with his sharp claws, then gave it a few pinches with his beak and swallowed the whole snake head first. Then he sat on the wires and looked me over. I high-tailed out of the area. And ever since I am careful not to get in his way.

Bradenton Beach

 Tonight I went for a ride with Mary Miller. This is probably one of the oldest houses situated at the bay before we got to the Ringling Bridge. Actually I think this house is at the end of Bahia Vista.

 We went up Long Boat Key as far north as Brandeton Beach. Bradenton Beach is more wild and a bit un-kept. It is not as crowded either, more to my liking.

 It was a beautiful evening.

 I marvel at the rock formation. I wonder how many thousands and maybe millions of years it took to shape and for these rocks. Each design is different. 

 Erosion at the roots of a Palm tree.

 And erosion although efforts have been made to make a stop of erosion.

 Have no idea what they are seeing.

 I love the roots of this tree. It is straddling the concrete retaining wall.

 This is at Marina Jacks. By the time we arrived back to this point the sunset was pretty well gone...

And the sailboats were too far out to get good shots of them. Maybe it is low tide.

Tuesday's Bus Day

 When I biked up to the parking lot  before the Pioneer bus came in, LeAnna was no where in sight. Strange, I thought as she is always there and the only way I know she never misses a day when the bus comes in is because I seldom miss a day. This is just a Pinecraft thing and I have never been able to figure out the reason why we want to see who comes in on the buses and who goes out the following day. I guess this is what gives Pinecraft its own flavor.

When Leanna wasn't sitting at her normal place waiting on the bus, I biked around seeing if I can find anything worthwhile to shoot at. And then I saw LeAnna sitting on her stool behind the swing across the street. Here she is hollering to let me know where she is. I love that girl just the ways he is. We all have our own flavor and personality if we choose to be who we are.

 LeAnna's Mom with my neighbor Lewis Mary. She came down on the bus.

While we were waiting on the Pioneer Bus to arrive I saw him walking up Bahia Vista and sitting on the Scat Bus bench. I figured he is waiting to ride the Scat bus but that bus came and went and he was still in that area. He is one of these I know by face but not by name and I see him in Pinecraft now and then.

This morning the CrossRoad bus from Indiana made its first run to Pinecraft for this season. Not many people wait eagerly for that bus to arrive as they like to come in at 6am. Most of us are still in bed.

Out and About

 Today I obviously went on a photo spree. I made this photo look old because the sign is old.

 I don't know what was in the glass, but I thought the glass sitting on the sidewalks added to the flower garden.

 Ada Petersheim at Dutch Heritage.

 Wanda Brunstetter in the middle with her fans. I didn't know that Kelly behind us is also one of my blogger fans. I was pleased to meet her. 

 Darrell, I continue to run into him every now and then this summer. When the other musicians return to Pinecraft he will throw off his painted pants and help make music. 

 I parked my bike with the VIPs on the Dutch Heritage porch. They have plenty of bike racks in the parking lot but it was a bit far for me to walk so I chose this spot.

 On my return from Dutch Heritage I found these flowers against the brink wall.

 There are some Phlox hidden in this yellow blooming bush. If we look for it, we can find beauty hidden in everything.

 Tonight I look another ride around the neighborhood. I biked back to the very dead end of Bimini Street. I don't know why this privacy fence and high weeds fascinate me, but they do. 

 And I love to gaze across the canal to these beautiful southern homes, with the Spanish Moss and Palm Trees. It gives me a nice balmy southern feel.

 This is Becky Fisher's former home. They are putting in brick walkways.

And the end of this day...