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Last Friday we left the dreary rainy chilly mountains for the flat land in Rockledge, Florida to spend Christmas with Mark and Jen.  We always do the trek in two days staying in Valdosta heading south and Perry, GA heading back north.  Purchasing the Sunpass was the best money ever spent making the drive through Atlanta easier, quicker, and less stressful for Cliff.
Cliff with his Florida dogs,  Schroeder and Ember.  The dogs aren't really settled comfortably on a human's couch.  Cliff also has a pug,Toby, in Virginia.
Our weather was cool the first couple of evenings and days, breezy during most of the five-day visit, and high 70's during the last couple of days.  Sunday we visited Sledd's U-Pick Farm.  This time of year you can walk the sunflower maze and pick eggplant, cabbage, kale, peppers, broccoli, and a few other vegetable on her farm.  I just picked kale and broccoli to bring home.

Acres upon acres of happy sunflowers swaying in the breeze.
Mark cutting broccoli heads and kale for me.


Long rows of gorgeous cabbage.  I knew I couldn't transport all the vegetables home that I wanted to pick.  I was in heaven talking to the farmer who is a long-time friend of Jen's.  Next time we visit Jen and Mark in a different season, we'll go to her farm and pick different vegetables.  She has a large strawberry u-pick each spring but flooding rains this year ruined her whole strawberry crop.

After the farm we headed to Shiloh's in Titusville.
From the open deck at Shiloh's Restaurant we could see the NASA launch pad.  Many days the dolphins are visible but not while we were eating Sunday.  I do miss the inter-coastal waters and eating seafood outside.
Cliff, Schroeder, and Mark relaxing back home.
Mark and Jen just being Mark and Jen!

Christmas day was spent with Jen's family in Titusville.  I made my gluten-free brownies so I could have a dessert.  Jen made scalloped potatoes and other family members brought smoked turkey and other wonderful dishes.

Wednesday Jen and I went to Cocoa Village. Cliff visited friends back in Deltona and Mark went to work.  In all the years Cliff and I lived in Deltona, we never drove to Cocoa Village.  Really quaint little area.  So enjoyable.
Jen and I had lunch on the porch at Murdocks.  Thank goodness my aching muscles were healing from the concrete fall I took on December 1 because we walked all afternoon visiting shops and spending all afternoon outside.

On the way home from Cocoa Village we stopped at Total Wine, a huge warehouse of beer, wine, and liqueurs.
I enjoy the artsy labels even on the beer and stouts.  What a great job it would be to design such beautiful labels to help sell the product.

We left Thursday morning arriving home safely by noon today, Friday, dodging most of the torrential rains and flash flooding.  















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