Blog wins - awards...and more of our Cedar Key pics!

OK~ First off I want to say thanks to a couple of blog friends.


#1
To Pea ~

This lucky win came in the mail last week! I was one of 3 visitors at Pea's blog who won a bag of these handy little clips! Thanks Pea! I will find many uses for these, I'm sure!








#2
To Hootin'Anni~

Anni has given me this cute and complimentary award! Thanks, Anni!
I'm happy to know I still
'Rock!'
( At least I give it a good try, ehh! :) )

I like this a lot! :)













~~~

...Soo~ to continue with our little trip...

I just want to say I found Cedar Key to be just a very charming and unique place to visit!

I love the over-all, laid back atmosphere of this little island town. I love the natural beauty of the landscape, with plants allowed to grow as God intended. The overly manicured yard is seldom seen here...or, seems understated in my eyes, anyway! Oh, everything is tidy and neat- but very natural and free growing!

This place seems much more tropical than we are in the center of the state. Oleanders grow abundantly there, and I saw many Hibiscus plants growing.

There are many of the old 'Cedar' trees growing throughout the town.
Ceder Key got it's name from these trees...mistakenly named because these trees are actually Junipers - not Cedars!



The foliage looks much the same but the trunk and limb growth are vastly different. These Junipers can have gnarly, unpredictable, trunk and limb growth . Each tree seems to have it's own shape which varies a lot from one to another. In contrast, the Cedar has a more predictable-upright growth- with limbs systematically placed!

The small island town that is now known as Cedar Key was not the original town of Cedar Key...The original was on a small island further out (in sight of the present Cedar Key) This original town of Cedar Key was almost totally destroyed by a hurricane in 1896. The town of Cedar Key was rebuilt on this more protected island after this devastating storm!

Cedar Key is now a tourist town with so much to offer...if you like the feel of bygone times and with a variety of fine sea food restaurants, antique and specialty shopping!

Oh! A very artsy place to visit, with fine art shops of some local artists. Most of the buildings are works of art, too, in the tropical pastel shades!

I just love it!! :) Can you tell?


Some random pics around town!

( Click to enlarge )











































































Oh, my! That's it for now!

Just one more short one on this tomorrow! :)

Well...you DO wanna know what my gifts were - right???



:)




Junie