and it’s a great place for taking photos.

Here’s the youngest (that I know of) in the performing group. She’s 18 months old and I think her name is Lilly.

There was an entire fleet of fairies at the fair (that makes sense, doesn’t it?)

(or is she a faun? confusing because she has wings, but she also has horns.)

other (types of)  ladies were there, too.

What else? Let’s see. A falconer,

Mistress Mary,

Someone who dressed up for the occasion (a time traveler, perhaps?), and

B, who came to take photos, too.

For more photos, go to my christine davis site.

Florida Cracker Cowmen got their name because they cracked their long whips to herd up the cattle.

The Florida Cracker Association takes to the trail annually, and camps at ranches along the way…

Appeared they had a fine time, ending up at the bar, horses and all.

For more photos, you can go my christine davis site or the mean old bitch site.

Anyway, I digress. Here are photos from this year’s Lake Worth festival (and for more photos, go to my christine davis site.

I’ve pretty much cut and pasted. I have ridden on trains many times in Europe, and found it a great way to get around…

It was a great way to see the French countryside, and the Alps.

Glacier Express

Arguably the slowest ‘express’ on the planet, the 180 mile ride on this delightful route takes a good 8 hours. The train links the two mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. 291 bridges, 91 tunnels and an altitude of 6,670 feet.

Images courtesy of Puddles, +Jun+, janetmck

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Images by Stef Flater (1 + 2)

A three-day trip, through beautiful country side, the Orient Express inks a number of  European cities including London, Venice, Rome, Budapest or Prague.

Pride of Africa

A once-a-year trip, planned on the Pride of Africa is a 14-day epic expedition through Cape Town, Dar Es Salaam, Kimberley, Pretoria, the Kruger National Park, Beit Bridge, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Lusaka and through Tanzania to Dar Es Salaam.

Images by Rovos Rail

Eurostar

Image by lewishamdreamer

While in Europe, take the train, rather than a short flight…Although you’ll get to spend plenty of time in the Eurostar under the sea.

Flam Railway

On this  train, one will ride through the world’s longest fjord Sognefjord, where on a 20 kilometer trip you’ll get to see an amazing descent from an altitude of almost 3,000 feet into the fjords of Flam.

Images by Sugeo, Laurakgibb, kurlvink

A popular tourist attraction in Norway, this is all about exploring unadulterated beauty of nature at a leisurely pace.

Palace on Wheels

Images courtesy of nzer and rdtc.in

Step on the Palace on Wheels and you will find exactly what you have been promised with the name. The train that starts from Delhi in India and ends up in the royal state of Rajasthan, offers complete luxury on tracks, much like the pampering enjoyed by royal kings in the days long gone. Just to roll back time, a steam engine is used to pull the train initially out of Delhi, adding further to the experience. An elephant welcome in Jaipur, lunch at the Lake Palace in Udaipur, a camel safari near Jaisalmer and an afternoon at the Taj Mahal; the Palace on Wheels is the most comfortable way to explore India.

Eastern & Oriental Express

All images courtesy of Orient-Express Images

Stretching between the ultra-modern Singapore and Bangkok, and traveling through lush green tropical forests, the Eastern and Oriental Express is modern, stylish and comfortable.

Royal Scotsman

The Royal Scotsman is the most expensive train ride on the planet. Just consider the fact that a 4-day trip on the Royal Scotsman costs more than an entire 19-day first-class trip on the Trans-Siberian, and you will get the idea. The observation car accommodates 36 passengers (yes, only 36 passengers allowed) in comfortable armchairs along with cabins specially designed for dining and other purposes.

Images by lolothian, christymacintosh, jeffmcneil

The train pulls over at night when you need to sleep and while the trip offers a great passage through little known waterfalls, mountains and valleys, it is obviously not for everyone.

Trans-Siberian Railway

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Elmschrat)

Stranahan House

Frank Stranahan

The Stranahan House was one of several structures built between 1893-1906 along the New River in Fort Lauderdale, FL, by Frank Stranahan (photo).

Frank arrived in 1893 to operate a barge ferry across the river. Soon, he was running other businesses: a trading post, post office, bank and hotel.

He married school teacher Ivy Cromartie and built her a home right on the New River in 1906, the Stranahan House, which still stands today as the oldest remaining structure in Broward County.

Frank and Ivy were considered Fort Lauderdale’s First Family.

This is also where Stranahan’s story turns grim. He suffered from depression and his mental health could not endure a hurricane that devastated his businesses, or the financial effects of the Great Depression.  Stranahan committed suicide on June 23, 1929 by strapping a large iron gate to his ankle and throwing himself into the New River.

There are many reports of Frank Stranahan’s ghost in the Stranahan House, as well as the ghost of Ivy Cromartie. Other ghostly presences include six family members and the apparition of an Indian servant girl near the back of the home. The Stranahan House is now open to public tours. (Photo of Stranahan: Broward County)

And then there are a whole series of ghost videos. here’s one and will take you to the others.

Nice, isn’t it?

My mom had a black swan that she’d talk to. Pauly, he came with the farm. It was a sad day when he died…

My sisters bought my parents two white swans, for their anniversary, I think, but they flew away. Life is short!

So many wonderful things about living here. It’s 6:30 a.m. and the birds aren’t awake yet. Wonder what I will hear this morning?

Every Sunday morning during August, he takes groups to find and rescue baby turtles who did not make it out of the nest.

Here is a link to Schonfeld’s story and a turtle primer that I wrote up for The Coastal Star.