I enjoy hiking and Florida provides many unique environments for that activity including the ‘swamp’. I believe the preferred term is ‘wetlands’. These areas are populated with exotic birds (roseate spoonbills, for example) and remarkable creatures (alligators, for example) that you don’t see in many other regions of the country. Not to say that all […]
Leaving the Garden
In trying to create a happy place for myself here, I’m afraid I’ve narrowed this space down to the half acre I call home. I do enjoy spending time in my garden with the plants, birds, and lizards, but how long can I keep writing without acknowledging what’s going on in the outside world? Yes, […]
Easily Entertained
From my garden chair I watch a lizard jump from metal fence picket to fence picket with precision. I look around and see another lizard jump from a bromeliad leaf to a tree trunk and back again, almost as if for fun. I imagine him saying “wheee” as he leaps. Impressive leaps by leaping lizards! […]
Plant Fever
The neighborhood is looking spring green. The deciduous trees are filling in with bright new leaves covering their bony limbs. The Hackberry tree and the Cherry Laurels keep the garden in the shade with only a few patches of sunlight filtering in. The weather is fine for garden work. I went to a garden festival […]
Merlin and other Fairies
The Merlin app is a wonderful tool to use when sitting outside listening to the early morning bird song. This morning the chorus was performed by Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmouses, Cardinals, Catbirds and Northern Parulas. Northern Parula is new bird to me so I did a bit of research. They’re a small warbler with a […]
Orchid World
Yesterday, Joe and I went to an open house of a commercial orchid grower in the small town of Apopka, Florida. Fun facts: During the first half of the 20th century, Apopka provided most of the US with orchids and other house plants. In fact, in 1912 Apopka adopted the name “Fern City” because of […]
A Spring Debut
These notes taken as I rest in the garden were only meant to be my observation; I hadn’t intended to include photos or even put them into my old abandoned blog. I’m not a poet nor a photographer but I felt like as long as I was playing around with words again, I would share […]
Goddess Garden
In the Goddess Garden this morning, a Tufted Titmouse flew so close to my shoulder I could feel and hear the beat of her wings. She landed a few feet away on the side of a tree and we made eye contact for a quick second before she flew up into the leaves above. Magic […]
In the Garden – 2025
It has to be in the morning, otherwise, it’s too hot to work. Or I’m too tired. The Lady Palms became old dried sticks, taking too long to die. Old Lady Palms. A Carolina Wren built a nest in the wreath on the front door. Standing by the front window, I watched for several days […]
An Unexpected Wedding
We went to North Carolina to spread my sister’s ashes and my daughter got married! She didn’t tell me of the plan until she was sure she and Reese would get a flight. The original flight was canceled last minute and she called to tell me that if they get to the airport the next […]
All She Wrote 