The Villages Photo of the Year

Our theme for January 1, 2014 is "Photo of the Year."

Please click here for "photos of the year" from around the globe.

And we wish all of our viewers a very Happy New Year!

Lighthouse restaurant kissed by the setting sun - Lake Sumter Landing

Christmas tree on the Square - Spanish Springs

A peaceful afternoon at Lake Sumter Landing

Eye of a dove - Lake Sumter Landing

Gotcha!

Approaching storm - Lake Sumter Landing

TooJay's in Spanish Springs at night

Heading home at sunset

Mr. & Ms. Egrets have no regrets

Egrets captured in Spanish Springs.

The Tea Plantation Flower & Gift Shop - Lake Sumter Landing

We wandered into The Tea Plantation Flower & Gift Shop the other day while visiting in Lake Sumter Landing.  Cece, at the counter, welomed us graciously.  The shop offers many beautiful gifts and will also handle all of your floral needs.

If you're in the area, stop by and take a look.

A wet evening in Spanish Springs

Canal in the late afternoon - Lake Sumter Landing

In the still of the night

This photo was cross-posted to the blog on our L & L Photography website.

The Nolen's Halloween Golf Cart

Time flies, but I think it was a couple of years ago we ran into John and Kathy Nolen in The Villages.  Their golf cart was decorated splendiforously!  A few days ago, Kathy sent me this picture of their 2013 Golf Cart Halloween Project!  It is even more splendiforous!  Thank you, Kathy!

Be sure to click on the photo to embiggen it!

Boo!

Main street at night - Spanish Springs

Stormy weather in Spanish Springs

Dunkin' Donuts - Spanish Springs

This place used to be a Starbucks. Now it's a Dunkin' Donuts. There's probably a reason.

Red Sauce - An Italian Restaurant - Inside and Out

Red Sauce is located in Lake Sumter Landing. The food and service are excellent.

Pond in the new hometown of Brownwood

Gunsmith - every old western town like Brownwood needs one!

Water tower - Lake Sumter Landing

Photo by Lois Anne.

The villas of Spanish Springs

Photo by Lois Anne.

St. George Episcopal Church - Spanish Springs

Old truck as decoration - Brownwood

Cities Service

When I started driving, oh so many years ago, Cities Service Gas and pumps like this were commonplace. How times have changed. This pump, located in the newest hometown of Brownwood, is to look at only. Don't touch. It's faux. But cute.

Lake Sumter Landing lighthouse at night

Photo by Lois Anne.

Starbucks - Spanish Springs

Photo by Lois Anne.

The Nancy Lopez Country Club and Golf Course - Spanish Springs

Photo by Lois Anne.

A great perch from which to enjoy the music and dancing

Covered bridge - Lake Sumter Landing

Photo by Lois Anne.

La Reina from the rear

La Reina stands across the town square at the end of Main Street in Spanish Springs. Originally, it was The Villages sales office. Today, it houses a variety of businesses and restaurants. This is a view from the rear of La Reina by Lois Anne.

Taking a break in Lake Sumter Landing

Brand new golf car...

It's nothing fancy, but if you decide to buy a home near the new hometown of Brownwood in The Villages, you will certainly need a golf car, and this one should fit the bill! Go to the Yamaha dealer on the main street in Brownwood.

Barnstorm Theater - Brownwood

One-legged seagull dance

Cool bench in the new Brownwood downtown

Closing on your home in Brownwood

If you decide to purchase a new home in the new Brownwood area of The Villages, this is the place to close the deal: You can get your mortgage and a lawyer to make sure everything is done according to the law. And this office is located in the new hometown of Brownwood.

Sightseeing from the "rumble" seat - Lake Sumter Landing

Some of you may be old enough to remember rumble seats!

1957 Oldsmobile

In 1960, we bought a 1957 Olds which looked very much like this car, spotted at a car show at Spanish Springs.  (I think this is a 1956 model).  Our car, however, was a four-door hardtop which means there was no center post so when you put the windows down it was like driving in a convertible with a hardtop.   It was also green and white instead of blue and white.

But the biggest thing was it had factory air-conditioning. At the time we lived in Phoenix, Arizona, so that was like a gift from heaven.  Very few cars sold back then had factory air-conditioning.  We had once owned a car with a small after-market a/c unit that was attached under the dash but it never worked very well.

I loved this car. It was all silvery and shiny and sleek and rimmed with steel. Then one day, on a job assignment driving through the desert (it was 120 degrees!) the heat generated under the hood blew the car's heater hose!  Kaboom!  Steam and rubbery parts exploded into the air to rain back down on the car.

I was 1/2 mile past a little gas station.  It was the only gas station for 15 miles in either direction.  Remember, it was 120 degrees Fahrenheit!  To make a long story short, I walked back to the station and the owner towed in the car mumbling about idiots who thought they could drive 70 miles per hour in the desert running their air-conditioner. No car could do that, he grouched. Eventually, he jerry-rigged parts, fixed it up, and sent me on my way.

Unfortunately, the car never ran right after that. Very small pieces of heater hose had insinuated their way throughout the engine which caused the car to over-heat on a regular basis.  Finally, and with great sadness, I sold the car.

The infamous "wreck" - Lake Sumter Landing

Heading home after a voyage on the Lake Sumter Line