{Cotton Harvest Along Our Bike Route}

Being on our bikes, out in the lovely rural area we enjoy not only clean air but beautiful sights of Georgia crops.

On Wednesday we spotted one huge field where they had started harvesting cotton...

Husband Pieter with his Bicycle Helmet, holding the fluffy cotton.

You also get an idea how tall this pressed wall behind him is!

That is enough cotton for LOTS OF T-SHIRTS...

This one still needed to be covered.

This is the 'Mold' where the cotton is being sucked into and compacted.

Heavy equipment is being used for this cotton harvest.

This is the mechanical cotton picker.

Behind this picker you see the bare plants, to the right there are still 4 rows for the next turn.

Okay, we did go to the same field on the other side, where the harvest still needed to begin, to show you how vast it is!

This is a screenshot of the Youtube video shown below.

Our little Toyota RAV4 with the bike rack and our two Schwinn Bikes parked alongside the road and we walk into the field.

It has been a very DRY summer, as you can hear from Pieter's footsteps through the grasses towards the cotton...

A short, 21 second video, showing you the VAST cotton field...

An up close view of these ripe and fluffy cotton balls.

This gives already a taste of the vast field it is being grown on...

A sea of white cotton balls as far as you can see!

Impossible to look into the low sun, that is still very strong here in Georgia!

Wednesday, October 12 at 18:07 and still 27°C or 80.6°F

Hope you enjoyed this little rural excursion with us on our Bike Route! 

Interesting links:

What does a cotton plant look like?Growing cotton in the south - Interesting short video showing the plant and also its enemy the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis).

Cotton Ginning Process Video I - Showing how those pressed bales are being loaded up.

Cotton Ginning Process video part 2 SilverLake Growers Gin - Showing you how it is being handled at the Cotton Gin for removing all the seeds, sticks, stems and burrs. Also the excess moisture is being removed.

Cotton Seed House Silver Lake Growers GinPart 3 - Showing you what is being done with the separated cotton seeds.

Cotton Trash and uses for it Silver LakeGrowers Gin part 4 - Showing you the waste, which is also being used as fertilizer and in compost.

Cotton Bale press, Docking, Trucking of cotton Silver LakeGrowers Gin part 5 - Seeing the end product being pressed with the use of hydraulics and loaded up as bales to be used to make clothes!

The History of Cotton | Cotton Documentary - Documentary Films with mention of the Arab word Qutun that sounds more like the Dutch Katoen, for English Cotton... Interesting movie!

{Lazy Speckie Girl}

Wow, nights are getting cooler and at times we look at our felines with the thought of wanting to curl up and be lazy...

Our youngest adopted girl is a master at it.

Her name derived from a German diminutive of 'Bacon'...

You get the picture!

She can be very demanding for attention and she forces you to do something with her...

So picking up one of their balls to make her fetch it is the thing I do.

But she's not even standing on her feet!

Catching it all right and looking at me with a face: 'What's wrong? I sure don't need to get up - YOU can run around!'

How can we get mad at them...?

She will never ever be as svelte as her sister by adoption 'Tiggy-Tiger' is and that's okay.

She's happy and just loves her attention.

It is also very hard to brush her, she hates it.

BUT she also has jumped down from the balcony, so she is an athlete after all; when SHE wants to be one.
By the way, her weight is 7 kg.

Thanks for your visit!

{Happy Lunch in Miami with Friend Natacha}

Being together with dear friends is such a BLESSING!

Each and every time we drive down to Miami, Florida we meet with dear friend Natacha and her family.

One of our favorite places to go for lunch together is at The Pasta Factory in Coral Gables. 

It is on Calle Ocho, a famous street in the heart of Miami and Little Havana grew around it, with hundreds of thousands of Cubans that fled dictator Fidel Castro.

Photo is taken on July 2, 2016.

So happy for being together - wish there were not 1,000 km between us!

But true friendship will last forever, especially if a friend becomes like a younger sister to you over the decades.

This photo from our lunch together in 2008, I only used for showing you the windows where you actually can look into The Pasta Factory and see how they make it from scratch.

Started more than 25 years ago when Carmen and Richard Sanders arrived from Argentina with their 3 sons.

They were the previous owners of the renowned Pasta Factory in Argentina and did bring unique skills for freshly made pasta.

No doubt we will be back there many more times together!

Thanks for your visit.

Related links:

{Our EVERGLADES ADVENTURE with friend NATACHA} | previous post by me
{My 30 Years of FRIENDSHIP with Natacha} | previous post by me

{Columbus Day and Saint Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida}

Columbus came to the New World on October 12, 1492

All over the beautiful State of Florida you find lots of historic markers about this early Spanish era.

As both of us LOVE HISTORY, it is always a treat to be in such places.

Our dear friends Jo and Dennis recommended all this to us, they've had their business right there.

These photos are all taken at Saint Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida on June 30.

The only problem was that the sun was so bright; difficult for taking photos!
Here I am standing next to one of the 21 classically-themed white marble statues, inspired by the Italian Renaissance cities.

Haha, usually I don't leave the head off, but it was impossible to focus...

This is what you get!

At least, looking down proved to be without any problems and here you can see clearly the CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS QUINCENTENNIAL 1492 - 1992 marker

Lovely presence at this park.

So here it is:

Saint Armands Circle

Acknowledged as the Nation's Number One Tourist Destination...

St. Armands Cir.

Yes, it is an absolute beautiful place to stroll through the exotic park.

Have lunch or dinner  at one of the many restaurants, as we did have lunch at the famous and historic Columbia Restaurant since 1905, see link below post.

Or stroll and shop at the many shops...

Really, the SKY is the limit here and it is a blue sky almost year round!

Such an exotic, almost tropical looking place!

Husband Pieter is taking it all in...

What a beauty this GOLDEN SHOWER TREE or Cassia fistula a.k.a. Yellow Shower Tree, Indian Laburnum is!

Frankly, I just have to admit that it was HARD to leave this place behind...

Husband Pieter walking towards our Murano Platinum, kind of heavy hearted.

But we will be back!

Indeed, JOHN RINGLING (Yes, from the Ringling Brothers Circus!) had some vision and later St. Armands Key resident Edward Pinto.

We owe them a lot of gratitude for creating such incredible ambiance.

Yes, we also have to visit The Ringling Museum of Art one day...

Lots of reasons for being back here many more times!

Hope you enjoyed this mini introduction.

Thanks for your visit!

Related link:

{Columbia Restaurant since 1905 in Sarasota, Florida} | previous post by me about St. Armands Circle

{Award Nights at Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, Florida} | previous post by me where we stayed...

{Fond Memories of Mom with us in the Eifel, Germany}

Mom & Dad always have worked really hard together in their greenhouses.

Most crops needed harvesting during the peak of summer, so needless to say that they never could have a real VACATION...

Dad was even pulling back from his Sunday visits to his Mother's place, as all his brothers and sisters only talked about their recent vacation trips...

So during my 12.5 years of marriage to my late 1st husband, I've helped Mom & Dad out during my vacation weeks; harvesting gherkins or tomatoes in the greenhouses with them.

We also did plan every summer a day-trip to the beautiful Michelsberg area in the Eiffel, Germany.

Mom looking oh so happy here on October 2, 1976, together with Dad.

Having been just back to The Netherlands, for the 65th time, not having Mom around did feel a bit odd.

Also being once more in the beautiful Eifel, Germany area, did bring back lots of fond memories of time shared with Mom & Dad.

So happy for having still some photos, not good quality but they did capture the joy of the moment very well!

This is from the summer of 1975 near the Michelsberg (Eifel) and also called the Ahr Hills.

You can click on the hyperlinks in pink for finding out more about this beautiful low mountain range and volcanic plateau, where even Julias Cesar left his marks in 54 B.C.

Lots of Roman artifacts are still to be seen in the Bad Münstereifel area.

Well, my connection with this beautiful area is because my late husband's Mother came from there, so I've been visiting it now for almost half a century and still love it very much!

Hope you enjoyed my sentiments of going back into the footsteps of my dear Mom...

1060 times her footsteps have been viewed...

Thanks for your visit!

{Columbia Restaurant since 1905 in Sarasota, Florida}

Back to Florida again, to June 30, when we enjoyed a special lunch at the famous and historic Columbia Restaurant since 1905 in Sarasota, Florida.

Our dear friends Jo and Dennis did recommend this to us...

Alongside Beautiful St. Armands Circle in Sarasota you find this gem...

The setting is very tropical with a covered patio.

We both LOVE history and if you can experience such a historic gem of a Spanish Restaurant - we are game!

We're so fortunate for having dear friends that used to have their business at St. Armands Circle and they sure did tip us!

It seems that the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa's Ybor City is the oldest one of their chain.

In 1905, Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. the great-grandfather of this family business, immigrated to Tampa's Ybor City from Cuba and opened a small café called Columbia Café. 

You can read the history here above...

So I had to have the Ensalada, Columbia's Original '1905' Salad

As for me, I opted for the Columbia Original '1905' Salad with Shrimp 'Al Ajillo' (Cuban Garlic Shrimps) and Pieter had the one with Turkey.

There are now 7 locations all over Florida...

We did enjoy our lunch on the patio, partially in the sun.

For sure we will be back on a next trip as we loved this place!

Thanks for your visit!

{Made with Love in The Eifel, Germany}

It is always a BLESSING for being with those we love!

Especially when they live across the Ocean.

We did visit our 'German Son' and his family.

His dear Father-in-law made us this sweet hanger for a plant.

We visited them in their new home.

Isn't this a very sweet plant hanger, made out of wood?
The pot for the plant is not wood...

Pieter did paint it white and hung it next to our Rose Suite's entrance.

He even found a winter hardy plant for it.

Looking happy already and the blue goes perfect with the Golden Mist colored wall.

THANKS a lot for this special gift dear FAMILY!

The sun was very strong and thus hard to take a good photo.

Even as I type this, it still is 31°C

It sure was a lovely day so far and still!

Wishing you all a happy October week and thanks for your visit.

{Made In Italy Pizzeria in Venice, Florida with Friends}

Hard to believe that September is almost coming to an end...

And the fact is, I'm still digesting our previous trip to Florida where we met with most of our special friends!

Like gettingg together with our virtual friends Jo and Dennis, at the famous Made in Italy Pizzeria in Venice, Florida!

June 29...
Happy together over Pizza, after knowing each other for good seven years.

Yummy Pizza, all made in a Wood Burning Oven!

Very delicious and it did bring back fond memories of our life in Italy...

We also loved the way it was being presented!

After a delicious cappuccino à la Dennis, at their lovely new home, we retreated to the patio with its grand view.

All, including their lovely fur babies Gina and Baci, enjoyed being together!

We wish to head back soon as Friendships are the Best Food for the Soul.

Do you travel long distance to see your friends?