Traveling

A lot of my time as Florida TOY involves driving from one place to another. This week I've driven from Orlando to Jacksonville, Jacksonville to Ocala, and now Ocala to St. John's County (near St. Augustine), and then home. Later in the week I drive up and back to Ocala. Sounds kind of boring don't you think? Well Wednesday driving through rural Florida I went from horse farms to the woods to farms. I saw the Green Peanut Farmer's Market, Yankeetown Fish Camp, and the most beautiful wooden Victorian style church I've ever seen in Florida as I passed through Citra (20 minutes later I was still kicking myself for not stopping to take a picture). I passed over Cross Creek (home to Marjorie Rawlings, who wrote the Yearling), and turned the car around in Putnam county as I saw huge bunches of vegetables being taken directly from the fields to a roadside market. I brought home a cauliflower head that must measure over a foot across (for only $1.50) and two bunches of broccoli almost as large!

And the drive gives me a chance to reflect (I'm planning new lessons and additions to our school garden when I get back to school next year) and I listen to my music. I show my age when I share that I'm cruising to Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, The Guess Who and Poco! I change out my tunes for each trip.

So I'm seeing a part of Florida that many residents don't see. It heartens me to know that some of my "old Florida" still exists

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