the changing of seasons

Went out on the back deck (we consider it our front yard) and
saw this! I love, love, love acorns. Not fun to step on in bare
Florida feet but they are just so complete - food, seed and big
oak trees. The squirrels are loving it also...if you stand out
there long enough you are hit in the head from them scurrying
around eating up in the canopy.



I gather them also...and of course use them in decorating....


Then we have the lilies...this one is a surprise every year...
and i hope to follow its life along so i can see it change over
the days. Not sure what the little red berries are attached to it
- never have seen them before.


And the orchids.....really must have enjoyed all the moisture from
the storms this year. They are blooming in spite of my poor care.

Our visit from Fay!

We have a wonderful creek on the backside of our property...when
it rains in a developed community to the south of us - they drain
their numerous canals into the creek...when a hurricane comes the
minority is sacrificed for those who have canals behind their property
and do not want water in their yard....so we get it.

This is the levels at 11:50am on Tuesday, August 19th...not too bad
but we knew what was coming.




A little later that afternoon about 3:50 pm - the creek she is arising!
The bridge is tied off on each side...and floats!




This is midway across the back yard as i could not venture further
because of the water and ants...about 5:50pm.



And this is our lake...I took this from our back deck! Fay had
ventured on to the east coast of Florida...and we continued to
have the oncoming tail of the storm...lots of rain and runoff from
the canals to the south...Very thankful we never lost electric so
it was all very tolerable. We did have neighbors whose homes
sit on the ground and they had water running through their
homes...Really a shame because they have been there for years..
a lot longer than the new homes being built with canals...

Lonely Mushroom

Since we have had little rain this last week and are
expecting some from "Faye" my wanderings found
this little guy.

Night Blooming Cactus

Assuming this is a cactus they grow in some of our palm trees.
Most of the time we only have the long arms of green looping
out bare fingers. I have noticed the beginnings of blooms and
the spent blooms....but i decided to walk early this morning.
The sun was coming up through the oaks but not high enough
to shine its heated rays on the blooms.

They have a real nice smell not over powering but they are huge
and full of colors.
The middle has a pink stem out to the yellow flower and the stamen
are bunched to the other end...I am sure God had a purpose
for this arrangement. I will have to find the name of it and do
some research. Fragile, appealing bloom.

The sun is starting to shine a little warmer but the flower is
holding on to its bloom.
So glad i witnessed the show this morning!


Just an hour later the show is over.

A Much Needed Walk

Orange is nice in the garden - spices up the view. We transplanted
these to keep them from being bull-dozed and they keep
producing big full stalks...after they bloom the stalks are cut back.
Nice green and wonderful unusual orange blooms.





I love blue flowers...just so unusual. The purple here is vibrant
and it only blooms one at a time...would really be nice to have
a big hanging pot of them.






I call these hummingbird flowers...i have put them in several
places and they get have very tall stalks with this made for
hummingbird flower on top. Bright red - these are glistening
from a recent rain.





We put this plant in the big oak and it is finally coming into
its new home...nice to look up and find it.





Found this in the yard - just over to the side...it wasn't where
you would expect it and that was the nice part.

Mushrooms

More of the found mushrooms in my yard...


this one wanted the same space as
the mighty oak...so he just curved around and found a little more room.




this mushroom is almost transparent...out of a cut off tree stump in the dirt
driveway.


So delicate at the bottom of a huge oak tree...





some of the tiniest little mushrooms i found...almost missed them.






a visitor to our copper feeding dish...they love this dish-probably
because of the red marble...and they fuss if we forget to empty the
rain water and fill it for them.

Orchid bench

We have moved most of the orchids off the porch to this bench...they don't seem to
mind...no blooms but this is the plant growing period. I have found alot of unplanted
additions to the planters...but they make the whole effect nice until the orchid blooms
arrive.

unusual blooms - all red!

very exotic...and lasts forever. it will send out roots and make more plants for next year.



Most unusual plant...never found more than a couple open blooms...but the ant likes
it also.



I have found this lily every year but never taken a photo...

do you believe in fairies?

the small quiet places full of bright colors and musky smell of earth...





the fairies skip and dance; hidden away - under the tiny mushrooms!

rain and mushrooms

i love this time of the year...the rains come every afternoon...the
oak leaves are on the ground...and the mushrooms start to grow...

new tiny toes

new tiny toes of grandson kobe tucker - two weeks old!

remembering the later days

their lives are spent...their freshness gone...yet



their ageless beauty is to remind us of just days ago....




weathered, a little yellowed around the edges,... still soft, smooth



they are still elegant in their later days...like old southern ladies...
sipping tea, rocking on the front porch....in the shade of the oaks.

planting

to plant trees on an island nearby you have to transport the trees to the island...
we saw this boat chugging along with his load.

the red house

i love this red house. it is an old fish house from the days when the fisherman could bring
their catch to this houses for storage on ice and to sell to those on land. the houses are
family owned -there are five along this stretch but this red one is my favorite...every time
we go fishing i get a new photo.


each pelican gets his own perch to rest and dry in the sun!