Silver Springs State Park, Florida

Glass-bottomed boats aren't the only thing wonderful about Silver Springs State Park near Ocala, Florida. Family-friendly and entertaining, this longstanding park has educational programs, public art, natural surroundings and cold springs.

Sandhill Crane Nesting Pair and Chicks

Back in February in my post about the Indian supermarket I found in Tampa, I announced that I was reducing my posts on this blog from weekly to twice monthly. Well….that didn’t quite work out the way I thought. Instead of just giving me more time for both my blogs, which it did, it also caused a cascade of potential blogs posts to pile up. So, I announce today with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I am returning to my weekly posts here. Look for more improvements in the next few months as well. Yay! I hope you are happy about it, too! read more

Pasco County Fair Parade in Dade City, Florida 2016

As you might imagine, I have been experiencing a little culture shock since recently moving back to Florida from Europe. In the spirit of “when in Rome” I’ve tried to find interesting things in the local area to amuse myself with and to report to you.

On a recent, rather stir crazy day, I ventured out to Dade City, about 30 minutes’ drive from my home. I’d never been there before but had heard they had quaint antique shops to visit and a very walkable shopping district. read more

Sweet P’s Barbeque and Soul House, Knoxville, TN

A couple weeks back I traveled to the Knoxville, TN, area with a friend to visit her family. Along the way I got some really nice shots. The weather was perfect. Though it was February, the sun shone, the temps were warm and the people and food I met were wonderful.

Our first stop was a ‘que place my friend knew about. It’s not near the airport nor is it on the way anywhere we were going. Her son-in-law is from the area and had taken her there previously. Fortunately, I got to go, too! read more

Patel Brothers Indian Marketplace, Tampa, FL

Because I am now writing a second blog with a friend called America’s Test Chicken, I’ve gotten deeply involved in the cuisine of India. One of the challenges we faced in exploring the exotic ingredients was finding them! We paid far too much for the spices at gourmet supermarkets, if we could even find them.

However, I discovered an Indian supermarket in Tampa! It’s part of a huge chain called Patel Brothers that has 50 locations in the USA.

Most locations are in the eastern part of the country, but one is in California. Apparently it’s been around for many years and must be a boon to Indian people who want to cook food from their home country. I know I would have loved an American supermarket in Germany at times. In addition, the prices are really cheap at Patel! read more