Life...which trail will you follow?

 

Many of you have followed my blog for close to 20 years now. How time flies and how much can change over the years.

 

But one thing I still cling to is my love of nature and the more 'natural' it is, the more at home I am. 

I started an evening hike at 49th Ave trailhead and was pleasantly surprised at how many people were taking advantage of a 'less hot' evening.

This is the trail I walked on.

And this is the one that 'pulled' me in. 

There are a lot of deer in this area so I was happy to see several on my hike.

This is actually the smallest Buck I have ever seen.

Don't you love his spikes!

They moved into the brush and those are my favorite photos!

They were browsing! 

I waved and took photos of this group of joggers. They were enthusiastic and I loved seeing them enjoying some time together on the Greenway.

It's still too hot to get out much but I can't resist one of those 'trails less traveled'.

Casa Viola News! 

A BIG shout out to Brent for painting my house this week and doing such a fabulous job! I enjoyed having you around and getting to know you better too! THANKS Brent!!!

What's new at your house this week? 

Stay cool, safe and calm!

Hugs, Diane 💜

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE!

Two trips to Blue Run Park in Dunnellon!

 There are so many great places to hike here in North Central Florida and I catch myself, saying 'OH...this is my favorite trail'. Is it OK to have more than one favorite?

A couple of weeks ago John and I spent some time at Blue Run Park. 

We'll go back soon for a longer hike but I just have to share the highlight of our stop at Blue Run Park.

Athena the Mermaid

Is there anything more delightful than meeting a real life mermaid?

She was delightful and the sweetest young lady you'll ever meet. 

And of all the 'sightings' I've had at Blue Run Park, this may be one of the most memorable!

A couple of months ago when my son, D. was here we spent a couple of hours at Blue Run Park and I got a lot more bird photos.

White Ibis

Limpkin

Moorhen

And my favorite, a Little Blue Heron!

This hike had a memorable moment too. My son shimmied up a tree and shook down some oranges.

I wasn't sure if an orange growing in the wild would be sweet but it was the sweetest orange I've ever tasted.

If you live in this part of Florida or want to visit, be sure to spend a day at Blue Run Park in Dunnellon. 

Check out the link HERE ! You'll love it! 

You just never know what you'll see!

Love, Diane  💜

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE!

The World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida

 

We may not have sandy beaches and seashells in this part of Florida but we do have The World Equestrian Center. It is the largest equestrian center in the United States and hosts horse shows, competitions and special events. 

It was fun to walk around and see the grounds and all of the beautiful sculptures.

The hotels and shops are over the top! 

I felt like a lady of leisure sitting in the lobby of one of the hotels, sitting by the blazing fireplace while it was in the 90s outside! haha! 

What a place to spend the afternoon!

I've driven by it many times but this was the first time I had spent time there and I enjoyed it. I would love to go back and watch one of the horse events.

Over the years, I've shared a lot of photos of the adjoining horse farms and the beauty of the land.

And if you are thinking that I am enjoying new things outside of my 'comfort zone'.

I went to a concert. Yes I did! 

An Elvis impersonators concert.

And guess what! It was awesome! 

The performers were all so talented and I fell in love with the music of Elvis all over again.

Have you done anything lately 'outside your comfort zone'? 

It's kind of scary, isn't it!

Love, Diane 🌴

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE!

Let's drive out to the Gulf Coast!

 We're discovering the 'real' Florida so we won't see seashells on white sandy beaches!

Great Blue Heron flying overhead

But we might see some fisherman trying to catch something on a hot summer day.

Then again, we might not see anyone! haha!

Did I mention it was HOT!

This was my jeep in the parking lot all by it's lonesome! 

John and I stopped at Felburn Park first and walked on a shady part of the trail to see the beauty of the water ponded up on the canal.

It's one of my favorite spots in Florida but not for a hike in June! We are already in the mid 90s every day with high humidity. 

We had our choice of parking places there too! 

Then we drove down over 4 miles of a dusty white road looking out the window at the canal.

It was so hot, the birds were in hiding.

This is a stretch of the Withlacoochee Bay Trail that ends up at a point on the Gulf.

Happy Birthday John!!!

We were happy looking out at the overlooks. It was windy and surprisingly cool there.

I love exploring the backroads of Florida at any time of the year. But our picnic lunch was eaten inside the Jeep with the AC running! Yes, I know....we are wimps!

A horse on the drive over looks like it has 3 eyes! 

Have you packed a picnic this summer? 

It's TIME! And it tastes even better out on a nature trail!

Happy Independence Day America! 

Thanks again for visiting me and leaving such heartfelt comments. 

Blogger buddies are the BEST! 

Love, Diane 🌴

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE!

I've spread my wings!

 When you suffer a loss, you have choices. If we're not careful, we let others or circumstances determine our paths. But I've been fortunate to have the strength and support of so many that the decisions I made came more easily.

Mississippi Kite

The first hike I made after my husband died was one week after he passed. I took this hike with two of my sons and my daughter in law. A week later, I took another hike with my son, D as a remembrance to my husband. Then when everyone left I hiked alone. I didn't want to do it but I needed to spend time in nature. And as they say....the rest is history.

God lifted me up, my family held me close and friends and neighbors supported me.

Spending time in nature has allowed me to heal.

It has given me joy.

I have hope and now I am looking forward to a brighter future.

Life is hard for us all. We have that in common....we all suffer.

Don't give up. Find joy in the beauty that surrounds you and be thankful.

Words are not enough to thank you for your outpouring of love last week.

All of my blog buddies mean the world to me. We love and support each other....through thick and through thin. It's a good thing. I don't take it for granted.

And of course a special thanks to J. for hiking in the summer heat in Florida. I think he likes me, what do you think?

My hiking buddy J.A. joined us on this hike and that was super special! Thanks J.A. for being there for me for this most difficult year.

God bless you, each and every one of you.

With love, Diane 💜

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

Through thick and through thin.....

 Isn't that true friendship? Blog friends that see you through thick and thin?

You'll never know how much you have all meant to me this past year, I can't thank you enough for sticking with me through the saddest time in my life.

White Ibis in my backyard

But time passes. And we are forever facing more challenges. I know you are all going through hard times, whether you share it in a blog post or not. And I continue to pray for each of you. 

I was so exhausted after months of my husband's illness that when he passed away, I thought something was seriously wrong with me. I even spent one long afternoon in the emergency room having test after test done to find out what was wrong. But the doctor gave me a bill of good health and said I was normal. 

He said to go home and take care of myself so that's what I've done recently.

MaMa Deer on the Greenway

My family and friends have been so great at supporting me and encouraging me. I'm finally back to walking the trails at a moderate rate and enjoying nature with a renewed spirit.

OH MY! 

The spotted Fawn is running as fast as it can to keep up! What a fun siting! 

And this isn't a big announcement but I've reconnected with an old friend I've know for over 25 years and that's made all the difference. He's visited me from Virginia and I've drug him down more than one forest trail and haven't scared him off yet. What fun it is to hike with someone who enjoys nature as much as I do.

The 'You are in Bear country' sign didn't even scare him off!

So please tell me how you are in your comments. I'll spend the weekend visiting my blog buddies and catching up! I can't wait!

Take care and God bless you all. Words cannot express the love I feel for each and every one of you. 

So here's a big Southern HUG for you all!

Sweet hugs, Diane 💜