The Santa Fe River was clear and looking beautiful, so I grabbed some video to share with you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=llmFanZUXMk

Summertime is in full swing on the river -- there were some kids playing on a rope swing across the river, and there have been more people out enjoying the water -- fishing, swimming, and kayaking.

Ichetucknee River

This is a video of a recent kayak trip on the Ichetucknee River. Everything from the head spring (Jughole Blue Spring) to the CR-27 bridge is a Florida State Park.

The park is big and there are two entrances – one at the head spring and one at the exit.  The north entrance allows swimming and has a place where you can jump in at the beginning of the river and float down.  Watch out in the summer – they only let so many people go down each day to keep it pristine.

The south entrance is more popular with “tubers” (the floating kind, not the eating kind).  During the summer months people come here to cool down, and the park service runs a shuttle to take you back to the parking lot.

click here to see the Ichetucknee State Park Website

From the website:

For information on tubing from the north entrance (3.5 hour float) please call the North Ranger Station between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (386-497-1216) seven (7) days a week.

For information on tubing from the south entrance (1.5 hour or 45 minute float) please call the South Ranger Station between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (386-497-2302) seven (7) days a week.

For more information please call the park office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (386-497-4690) Monday through Friday.

Country Living is quiet, most of the time… but having all this nature and space around you gets old after a while and everyone knows that Summer is Time to Party!

From Zucchini festivals to Great Music there are many festivals all summer long in North Florida. Many events throughout the year are held in small towns and cities across North Florida.

High Springs Florida: Big Pioneer Days Festival April 24-25

The next big festival is PIONEER DAYS scheduled for April 24-25 right here in High Springs. They expect over 1000 people will attend. It’s a time to step into the past and look at the way our ancestors lived. They simulate a cowboy shoot out, and have many different situations to show how it was back when. There are also the food booths -  with lots of good food.

Go! Have fun and get to know your neighbors.

Here is a link someone posted on YouTube:

High Springs Sink Hole

New Location

Instead of it Main Street High Springs, Pioneer Days will be by the City Hall sinkhole & police department.  It is just past Main Street, behind the Women’s Club

How many cities would be bold enough to advertise a party by a sinkhole?

It is a landmark and if you have never seen one, or wonder what it is, stop by the party – look for the crowd.

The festival is being sponsored by the High Springs Chamber of Commerce and their website is http://www.HighSprings.com.

Why is High Springs Here?

Women's Club in High Springs

The city of High Springs was first established in the 1840’s and became more settled in 1888 when the phosphate mines and the post office was established here.  As of the 2000 census there were approximately 3800 people that live in the vicinity. We will see how much it has grown in the 10 yrs when we get the new census reports.

High Springs is not such a small town anymore. It  has some great food, shopping, and if you like antiques, this is the place to shop.

Want to Live Here?

We have several listings in the area, take a look:

Cracker style charm, $225,000

Modern Home In High Springs, $179

Home w/ 10 acres on the Santa Fe River, $649,775

photo by Andrew Rocco

The buzz in Gainesville’s real estate & construction world this week is all about the TV show that tears down houses: Extreme Makeover Home Edition!

Video from Thursday

Here is a video from the site today, the walls are up and the roof is going to be finished soon!

Watch the Spectacle!

Spectators are welcome 8am to 8pm every day – park at the old Ford Dealership on main street and a shuttle will take you to the build site.  Click here for a map.

Spirit of Giving

A while ago Extreme Makeover Home Edition decided to do a show in Gainesville, FL and this week they are doing the filming.  The crew seeks out businesses and people to volunteer their time, money, and materials for a good cause.  The TV crew covers production costs, but the community covers the cost of actually building the home, very impressive! Here is a list of Donors & Sponsors.

Ark Remodeling & Construction is the contractor, and Ricky Strickland was on site today with a smile.  He even brought in his TV to the VIP tent so everyone could watch the live feed of the construction.

“It is an honor to take on the challenge of building a house within a week for a very deserving family in our community,” said Ricky Strickland, President, Ark Remodeling & Construction. “We are committed to taking care of people and making a difference in everything we do. We are proud to support bringing our Gainesville community together and show that even in tough economic times, we can rally together to make a difference for one of our neighbors in need,” said Strickland.

Everything in a Day

Building a house is a big project, but doing it all in one week is an amazing thing to take on.  The crews work around the clock and they have to some some special materials to stay on track, like cement that doesn’t have to sit for a week before you can build on it.

The week started on Dec 2nd with a pep rally for the volunteers.  Demolition day was Tuesday Dec, 8th and ends on December 14th when the family returns to see their new home for the first time.

Keep Them Company

Spectators are welcome 8am to 8pm every day – park at the old Ford Dealership on main street and a shuttle will take you to the build site.  Click here for a map.

Protecting your credit during the holidays by MyFICO.com

Listen to the story of 3 people, and how their choices affect their FICO score after the holidays are over.

This is great info to help you keep a handle on your scores, especially important if you are thinking about buying a home in the first half of 2010!

Click Here for the Video