Tuesday, December 30, 2008

BAD BEES!

I was in Lake Mary, FL when I came across this hand written sign on the side of the road that read BAD BEES.
BAD BEES
There was an arrow pointing across the street to a small wooded area, and although I think the sign may have been a warning, I was intrigued. I took a look around where the arrow was pointing and saw no bees. It was kind of disappointing that I didn't get to see these Bad Bees for myself.
Where are the Bad Bees?
I bet there is a good story that goes with this sign...

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Miniature Train @ the Central Florida Zoo

The Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, FL has a miniature train that loops around the wooded area surrounding the parking lot. It's a cramped ride for adults, but I always enjoy taking the ride around anyway. Here are some pictures from my last visit to the zoo in 2006:
Train
Tracks
Zoo Train
Crossing
Attacking Mini-Van
The Ruins of Woodland Park are hidden in these woods...
Future Track Expansion?
Into Shed
Inflatable Easter Bunny on Miniature Train
Faded Spare Car
Rusty Switch Track
Train Through the Swamp

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas in Celebration, FL

Celebration
I happened to pay a visit to Celebration, FL when I decided to eat at the Market Street Cafe. In December, Disney's planned community has some interesting stuff downtown. This includes snow machines that pump out fake snow every hour and nice Christmas decorations all over town. These are pictures taken in Celebration from that evening:
Now Snowing Nightly
Soap Snow
Snow Bell
Snow
Santa Bear
Ginger Bread House
Market Street Cafe
Celebration Hotel
Theater

This is a video of some of the fake snow in Downtown Celebration, followed by a house with Christmas lights synchronized with Christmas music and music from Epcot's Illuminations show.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Backyard Turtle

I was outside the other day in my yard, and this turtle wandered by. I got my camera and took these pictures:
Turtle
Turtle
Turtle
Turtle
Turtle
It was a little hard to tell since I'm not a turtle expert and his shell was covered in algae, but I am going to assume that this was a Florida Redbelly Cooter. Luckily, this turtle didn't end up in any swimming pools, and I didn't see it squished on any nearby roads, so hopefully it got to wherever it was going.

Speaking of turtles and other reptiles, check out this website. I probably spent at least an hour reading about many of Florida's reptiles that I've never come across.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Longwood Christmas Parade 2008

Every year, Santa Claus come around on a fire truck through Longwood, FL. In the past, it has always been Santa on the truck, and not much else. This year it seems that Longwood has expanded their Santa procession into a mini parade, with fire trucks, police cars, some candy throwing floats, and Santa. It was nowhere on the scale of the Orlando Christmas Parade, but this was kind of better. The parade comes to your house...
Fire Truck
Snow Globe Float
Santa Claus

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Insects #2

Dragonfly:
Dragonfly

This spider built a new web every night for over a month between two citrus trees in my yard. I was never able to identify why type of spider it was, but here it is eating a roach:
Spider Dinner

This beetle was running around the parking lot at the Congo River Miniature Golf Course on International Drive in Orlando. It was huge, and had large claw-like front legs (hidden under the wood). Thanks to the comments on this post, I have been informed that this is a type of water bug commonly known as a Toe Biter. I'm glad my toes were covered...
Huge Beetle with big Antennas

More Florida Insects here.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Mcdonald's Christmas Parade 2008

I went to see the Christmas Parade in Orlando on December 14, 2008. Formerly, this was the Orlando Christmas Parade, but it seemed a corporate sponsor bought the parade with the official name being the Mcdonald's Christmas Parade. The parade circled around Lake Eola and was nice and long.

It started out with the police.
Police Horses
Police Motorcycles
Train

Then Ronald Mcdonald's float.
Ronald Mcdonald
Ronald Mcdonald

There were several of these antique cars advertising Cabot Cheese. Cheese is tasty, but it doesn't go with antique cars in my opinion.
Cheese Cars

These horses were behind a float carrying a bubble machine. The bubbles seemed to be making the horses very nervous.
Nervous Horses

Johnny Martino from the Godfather movies. He was handing out autographed postcards of himself.
Godfather

This float was driven all the way to Orlando from a high school in Palm Beach.
Palm beach pirate ship

Juggler...
Palm Beach High School Juggler

A pony pulling a person that seemed to big to be pulled by ponies.
Ponys

The Geico Gecko...
Geico Gecko

Followed by the Tijuana Flats Iguana.
Tijuana Flats

Apparently people are scared of clowns. There was a group of clowns in the parade, besides from Ronald Mcdonald. This clown in particular actually left the parade route to chase down somebody with coulrophobia across a little park at the intersection of Magnola and Palmetto. It was great.
Scary Clowns

The Orlando Fire Department.
Fire Truck

This is Sir Gus the Kissing Camel. He travels around with the Shriners to events like this. The Shriners stick a carrot in a volunteer's mouth, and Gus reaches down and takes the carrot, thus kissing the volunteer in the process. I was kissed by Sir Gus once in Downtown Longwood.
Sir Gus

And finally, Santa Claus at the end of the parade. Unfortunately, there was no Krampus traveling along with Santa. There should be a few of them in every Christmas parade!
Santa Claus