Pink would be my color

If I were a house, I'd be pink.  The flowers would grow next to me and admire my paint as I compliment their blossoms.  Pink houses cameo in Rock and Roll songs  and on Main Street.  When you are pink you are soft, delicate and sweet.  If I were a house, I would be pink.

Sometimes a porch is not a place-it's a destination

There's a park in Bartow, Fl  called Summerlin Park at Lake Wilson which is on the campus of Bartow High School.  It's beautiful.  The grounds have a walking path around the small lake that is home to at least one small alligator.  Approaching this crepe myrtle flanked gazebo on the water you pause, step inside, and are glad to have taken the steps to get there.

It's okay to be BLUE

This house is blue but it makes me happy.  I didn't get to meet these folks, no one was home.  I pass by all the time and today was especially bright and sunny, the house spoke to me and said "TAKE MY PICTURE!"  I did, I am  sharing it with you.

Today is the day for sweet iced tea on the porch in the evening while you read the entertainment section of the paper and hunt for a metal glider in the classifieds.  If you drive by~ wave, honk or stop by.  I'll be here...swatting mosquitos.

Contagious

Within my small (but growing ) readership I have had some neat experiences this week.  My precious pal, Karla, posted this pic for me on facebook as a result of her and her son's bike ride this week.  Knowing that I am addicted (and she is too) she shared something with me that she knows would make me smile.  Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE the window!?  Karla and I met in high school.  At one point, we both had Toyota Tercels (her's yellow, mine red) and beach cruiser bikes (hers purple, mine pink).  We also each have 11 year old boys named Peyton.  (How odd is that?  Karla and I  weren't even connected  when we were in the baby having years).  More recently, we have decided to have neighboring homes with front porches downtown in a few years.  It's an ideal..but is something to look forward to when our matching babies leave the nest...  Life requires long time friends..and gardens with windows- don't you think?

1715 S. Fla Ave #7

The EXIT Realty house is beautiful.  There are original mouldings and windows, fireplace surround and mantle,  it's just a pretty house.  You should stop in sometime and take a look!  What I like the very best about it is the front porch..it's like another room.  Even on hot days, the porch catches a breeze and it lingers around to cool the people who happen outside to sit a spell on the porch.  There's enough room for tables and chairs and a row of rockers.  Standing on the porch you could just imagine people playing cards or bridge~ sipping iced tea.  I picture people with me on that porch when I am there.  Doesn't it just seem gracious and romantic?  Just seems like there should be a daily tea party.  I haven't sat and watched a summer storm pass by on the porch yet..but I will.  Or maybe I will sneak up there in the evening when everyone is gone and sit and rock and think.

#6- It Had Teeth!

I pass this home several times a month and am always perked up by the whimsical fearlessness that drove an owner to paint on the home.  Driving by, one notices lots of goodies all around so planned and cheerful that it would be tragic not to stop for a knock on the door, a chat and a pic.  I was wrong...  Pulling up, I noticed amongst the doo-dads  SEVERAL Do Not Enter and Keep Out signs.  Welcome is only from afar.  Oh well...there's always #7.

I was supposed to knock on a door today...

But I went blueberry picking instead.  I didn't know you could pick blueberries in Lakeland and I didn't know I had almost missed it!  I drove out to the farm today and picked my first blueberries.  I picked my first banana spider also.  At first I was unskilled and couldn't even see the derned things but by the time I had picked a spider, dodged a snake, received a bee-sting and slipped in the mud patch I was a blueberry ninja and came away with 4 pounds of berries.

On the way out I met a horse~ I will call her Prissy, because she was.

Keeping a promise to the sleeping  ogres, I made a home made blueberry pie.  Did these distractions help me choose my next  front porch to knock on the door of?  Yes.