Oranges!

Above are some of the many things we've been doing with all the citrus that we brought back from Florida. We've been eating grapefruit and naval oranges and tangerines, juicing Hamlin and Page oranges, putting limes in our drinks, juicing lemons for lemonade, making orange marmalade to put on our bread, shaving lemon and orange peels to make lemon extract and orange essential oil, and making candied orange peel. While it is 16 degrees outside with three inches of snow. We miss you Florida!

Vacation at Saddlebag Lake

January 4, 2012

After our New Year's Eve concert at Wingate, NC, we spent the night in a hotel and then left the next morning for Saddlebag Lake near Weirsdale, FL. It is on the edge of the Ocala National Forest. We are staying all week at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cope, the parents of our Aunt Robin. They have a beautiful house, and lots of fruit trees!

While here we were visited by our friends the Burnettes, and we had a great time swimming and picking oranges (all types), lemons, limes, tangerines, and grapefruits! There are also rodeo and polo horses next door, so we have had fun visiting with them. We also visited our cousins Ron and Debbie Cockman in Clermont, FL.

Lorien and I (try to) kayak in Saddlebag Lake

Polo Horses on Saddlebag Lake

This grove of naval oranges was in the backyard

Mama and Pippen pick oranges

The Copes' house on the lake

Daddy looks worried

don't jump!

Anissa swings in the back yard

Anni, Arwen, Sophia, Lorien, Anissa, and Kathleen waiting for the oranges to fall on our heads

The Burnman Club select their rodeo horses

Kathleen and Anissa

Lorien had trouble deciding, but finally chose the one with the "C" on its forehead

This one lets Arwen in on a little secret

I have to pull the entire Burnman Club

The Burnman Club just before the alligator attack

hurry! The gators are coming!

Sunset on Saddlebag Lake - we ate dinner on the dock!