This Christmas we decided go to St. Augustine for the day with as much family as could make it. We wanted to walk around, look at the sights , see the lights, spend some time with each other, and then have a nice meal together.
This is a modern day copy of what the city wall fortifications used to look like when St. Augustine was young.
The gates to the city.
The oldest wood school house in the USA.
An old ship's anchor next to the oldest school house.
The family minus the photographer.
A shop located next to the water wheel.
A view down the street to the South from the water wheel.
A tourist with his blankee.
The view down a side street.
Inside a ceramic shoppe.
Reading one of the informational signs posted along the street.
My Blushing Bride and also one fantastic Nana.
A shop in a period building.
A street entertainer playing various instruments at the same time. The foot he has off the ground is attached to a drum on his back.
More posing tourists.
Christmas Poinsettias in full bloom.
Tourists sitting on an old cannon barrel.
Handsome grandson number 1.
Handsome grandson number 2.
Handsome grandson number 3.
Handsome grandson number 4.
The only granddaughter.
Grandson number 4 in his "sneak up" position. He assumes this position when told to sneak up on someone.
On our way to eat. Unknown to all, someone's "Bunny" had fallen out of her stroller as we crossed the street just before we entered the A1A Alehouse. I overlooked the bunny on my way out so I ended up at the other end of the park before I turned around and headed back to the Alehouse. Luckily, I found "Bunny" leaning against a light pole just outside the Alehouse. Bunny was most likely picked out of the street and placed there by a sympathetic passerby.
The A1A Alehouse in St. Augustine. We ate there, the food and the service were both excellent but pricey.
There were lights covering the trees throughout the park.
She thought this pipe would look good as a prop in the family Christmas photo her Mom wanted taken. Her Mom thought "not so much".
It's getting a little tired out.
The boots are slowing down.
Sitting under the Christmas Tree at the park.
Resting on a park bench.
Swinging the chain.
Checking out the graveyard in the dark, a good place to not be alone.
Christmas lights in the background.
A quick shot.
Go over there, I want to take your picture.
Checking it out, whatever "it" is.
A view of one participant working on his masterpiece.
Here we have a Mom applying gobs of cement frosting to hold the graham cracker walls together.
Future homebuilder at work applying the roof of his creation.
I can assure you that not all of the gum drops in that bag made it to his, or any other, gingerbread house.
A check of the paper plate on the right shows that most of the gum drops did make it to the paper plate.
Working, working, working.
The youngest cousin present is really checking out the task at hand. As you may have guessed, this is his first year "at the table."
Pumping his older cousin for his trade secrets.
Those fingers are stuffing a face, not decorating a gingerbread house.
It takes an industrial size mixer operated by the Construction Superintendent to make enough frosting cement for this construction job.
It may be hard to see, but he has a face full of goodies and frosting on his eyelashes.
Not much left for young beater lickers.
This one is coming together real nice.
Bracing a wall. Sometimes they had so many goodies put on a wall or roof that the wall or roof collapsed and required a redo.
Mom beefing it up with a large dose of frosting cement.
