Not The Winter I Remember

Another month and we are getting on well.  Lots of visits and lessons and meetings.  There is a pattern to our days and we are always wondering what the next day will bring. As Christmas came closer we saw the forecast was for 80 degrees.  A different experience.  However, the town had a large Christmas parade...it was staged around our house and we got caught in the parade briefly as we tried to get out of the neighborhood.  Lights and decorations are here and there and we have a little tree in the apartment.  Here are some highlights of the last few weeks:

We have become acquainted with the gentleman above who is an artist and has built his living space (and decorated it) within a storage garage.  He has had us over for a few meals and we really enjoy his company.  On the right are some lights hanging on a Magnolia tree in our neighborhood.

As we visit around the county, people show us their homes, gardens, livestock.  We have seen a number of mules in the area.  Huge buzzards circling in the sky are ubiquitous.

The two pictures below are from Renaissance Farm.  This was way back in the sticks and we found when we were actually looking for the Cane Syrup Festival.  We were a week late on that event but we hung out here for a bit and watched some canning and meat smoking going on as well as the sugar cane press that they let the kids operate.

 The ward had a Christmas Social which included
a nativity scene.  It was very nice and they had
a lot of folks attend who do not usually come. Below

is a young man dressed as the "tax collector." You had to give him a token to enter the cultural hall.

Below is a the "half-mission" Christmas conference in Tallahassee.  Half meaning, half of the missionaries.  Another conference was held the next day at the other end of the mission.  Musical numbers, district introductions (creatively done) and games were the fare of the day.

Some of the local super market cuisine.

We visited a local cave.

Somewhat like Timp Cave but more squeezing and crouching through
the passages.

Molly is always on the lookout for alligators.  No "luck?" yet though.

Nate and Peter drove down for Christmas.  Quite a treat.  We showed them around 

Peter making friendly with a prize goat

 and then drove down to Port St. Joes for Christmas.  Spent
the day walking the beach. Oh, best of all for Molly...they brought Ike!

 Shots of the sea shore.  Very warm and relaxing.

Christmas eve at a raw bar with local oysters on the half shell!

Our area is large.  All of Jackson County.  On a recent Sunday afternoon we visited a country neighborhood where all the residents are related (its called Kinfolk Drive).  We had a delightful time

visiting and singing.  Kind, welcoming, folk who give meaning to our time here.