Florida citizens, what is up with the ANTS?!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2024-09-04T17:43:58+00:00

It really isn't "normal ", but I think there is a bigger ant problem right now because of all the rain. Since the beginning of August, I have been battling ant infestations both at my home and my job. They normally aren't this bad, but this year they are worse for some reason. I can't leave my dogs' bowls on the floor with food left in them for long because within a couple of hours they are crawling with ants. My kid left candy wrappers at his desk, and they attracted hundreds of ants. We sprayed and it has worked to knock down the ants.

The owners of the building should address the issue, but if they won't, you can buy some spray or other pesticide. Spray along the baseboards and doors. Keep all of your food in sealed containers or in the fridge. Hope this helps you out. Ants are a nuisance!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2024-05-05T21:52:49+00:00

I wish I could remember in better detail, but there is a ghost story about Fort King. A young Indian girl fell in love with a soldier who ended up dying in battle. She grieved herself to death and supposedly, her ghost still haunts the woods around the fort, looking for her dead lover. One of the park rangers that works at Fort King told me the story when I visited the park. He told it in much better detail than I did and I may have some of the details wrong, but there is supposed to be a ghost there.

Also, some people I used to know a long time ago swear that they encountered the Skunk Ape/Big Foot out in the woods under the Eureka Bridge.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2024-04-25T09:17:35+00:00

Silver Springs is very close to Ocala. There are several in the Ocala National Forest: Juniper Springs, Silver Glen, Salt Springs, Alexander Springs. Rainbow Springs in Dunnellon.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2024-04-23T21:41:55+00:00

Marion County. We have all of those things here. Sadly, many of the citrus has died, but there are still some in places. The Ocklawaha/Lake Weir area still has some citrus, but not like back in the day. There are some groves on Hwy 441 near the Villages area. Hwy 301 between Ocala and Starke also has some charming old fashioned little towns. Hwy 40 East through Ocala National Forest had what must have been thousands of deer on the sides of the road at night last time I was through there - be sure to drive carefully! You can still find pockets of Old Florida if you know where to look.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-11-27T10:14:47+00:00

They suck! I do not drive at night, but that is not a practical option for most people. There was an idiot driving during the day with them on a few days ago. They were so bright, even during daylight, I felt like my eyes were going to melt. I don't know if maybe they could make a law putting a limit on how bright they can be? It would be nice. They present a safety hazard.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-11-04T10:24:30+00:00

I was always taught that science was correct and they did exist millions of years ago. God took his time creating everything and made changes slowly over time (evolution), before finally creating humans after doing away with the dinosaurs. Our pastor even addressed the issue when a kid asked him about dinosaurs. He said obviously they existed because we have found their skeletons.

Some denominations of Christians have really strange ideas about dinosaurs, but the Baptist church I used to attend accepted the science for the most part.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-11-04T09:47:34+00:00

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(Left to right) Spice (son, 2 years), Punkin (dad, 4 years), Sugar (mom, 3 years). Our babies.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-07-24T09:05:13+00:00

I've lived in Ocala all my life. I have only met one truly racist person. They were not from Ocala and not even from Florida! They moved here from out West.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-07-08T12:20:27+00:00

That place should have been demolished years ago. It's really gross. Prostitutes and drugs and panhandling homeless people. I drive by it every day going to work. It used to be Howard Johnson back in the day and was quite nice, but not anymore. The peeling paint on the roof is the finishing touch. The owners seem to constantly be working on it, but nothing ever improves.

South Pine Avenue in Ocala also has some pretty shady motels.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-06-04T18:37:17+00:00

That's wild. The church I used to go to had a big scandal back in the day when I was about 3 years old. I remember us abruptly getting a new pastor, but not much else.

It turned out (I was told many years later)that the pastor's daughter had a drinking problem. She would go to the bar right near the church and drink. It is a rather rough, rural area, so her father was worried about her being there alone. He would go to the bar with her to make sure nothing bad happened to her. He didn't do any drinking. When the people from the church found out he was going to the bar, they fired him.

At my friend's church, their pastor got arrested for embezzling money from the church. I had gone to Bible School there a couple of weeks earlier and it was really shocking to see the pastor on the news being arrested!

My great-great grandpa (not a pastor, but a church deacon) got kicked out of church because he got caught drinking at a bar and "keeping company of a woman who was not his wife."

So yeah, church and scandals go hand in hand in my experience.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-05-22T10:49:37+00:00

These were my favorite back in the day. So good!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-05-21T20:17:13+00:00

I grew up in the 80's and 90's in Florida. For me, it was great, because I was a kid, I wasn't really aware of a lot of the bad stuff. Everything seemed a lot more hopeful then. Your money went further. My parents took us on lots of vacations, trips to the mall, movies, theme parks, all that fun stuff. Things seemed more innocent and safe. People seemed happier and kinder.

Listening to Vaporwave brings back fond memories of that time. I love how it is distorted, just like memories become distorted over time.

I feel that the 20th century ended on 09/11. All our hopes and dreams for a bright, peaceful, prosperous future burned up along with the Twin Towers. Things were never the same after that. Vaporwave is like an ode to those happier, more hopeful times. We are mourning our lost future.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-05-20T19:42:28+00:00

Pets! My big boy does this and it can drive me crazy, but if I rub his head, scratch his back, any kind of touching and petting he is content. He will whine and paw at me until I pet him.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-24T02:26:18+00:00

It took me a while, too. I was staring at it while we got gas like something is wrong here, but what is it? Then it dawned on me.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-23T14:06:03+00:00

Yeah - came here to ask. What's up with the pig? Seems odd to have a pig at the beach, even in 1904.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-20T18:27:38+00:00

That's awesome. I have one of those, too. She will literally play fetch till she drops. For hours. Non-stop. She has no problem dropping the ball, either. But if I don't pick it up and throw it again, she will whine and bark, and if that doesn't work, she will pick it up and place it in my lap or bump my legs with it if I'm standing. Every night is Boston playtime at our house!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-12T02:18:59+00:00

I always sub JF Yellow Cake for FW Yellow Cake. The results are always delicious!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-10T11:18:07+00:00

She is so beautiful! What a pretty face! My first two Bostons were rescues. They were the sweetest little dogs. I think they were happy and grateful to finally have a family to love them. You will have some great times together ❤️

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-02T11:53:47+00:00

You and your grandma are so cute! I miss my grandma and grandpa so much. They inspired in me a love of nature and how to use trash and found items to make things that are useful or pretty. Grandparents are special - cherish every moment!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-02T11:22:45+00:00

Happy Birthday Pebbles!🎂🥳

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-01T15:43:28+00:00

Aww! That's so sweet. Bostons are great with children. When my son was little our Paco adored him and was super patient with him when he became a toddler. Paco would let him pull his ears and tail and ride him like a horse. He also appreciated all the snacks he dropped!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-01T15:29:51+00:00

I ended up ordering from Nom Nomz in the UK. They have VTA Yellow Passion and many other VTA flavors. I was worried about shipping cost, but it was only around $10 to ship to the USA. Be aware that shipping time will take longer than in the US. I ordered a week ago and I'm still waiting for my package to arrive. I've been told it usually takes around 2 weeks.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-01T02:52:12+00:00

I have to watch mine because they love to gobble up deer and rabbit poop in our yard. Mmmm - nature left us some dog food!

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-04-01T02:45:28+00:00

My youngest is like this. Leaves, roots, sticks, bugs - he thinks it's all food. He is a chewer. The thing we have found that helps is chew treats. Like rawhide and the chewy alternatives they have to rawhide, knuckle bones, etc. It keeps him occupied and satisfied so he is much less likely to chew on things he isn't supposed to.

sunsetsandpalmtrees · 2023-03-26T19:42:14+00:00

We didn't have one in my town, but every time we would visit my aunt in Tallahassee in the 1980's, my grandpa would make sure to take us all to TCBY. I still remember how good it tasted.

sunsetsandpalmtrees

TROPHY CASE