When One Visits Orlando....

....as 68 million people do annually, for most visitors, the theme parks come to mind, that is if you are not from Orlando. Don't get me wrong there are native Orlandoans that go to the parks, but most of us try to stay away from that part of our area because there are just so many people! We, on the other hand, or perhaps I should say more me than Bruce, although he did bring his binoculars this time, think of our family first, and our friends second. It is a close contest, but I will put birds as number three. 

But before we get into more from the trip I opened my last post with a photo of our home as it looked when we left. Should you want to compare, here is the link to that post. I mentioned that things had changed dramatically and I was not exaggerating one bit!

The creeping phlox were still putting on a show, albeit less dramatic because they did not want to compete with the Japanese Maple that, in some lights looks as if it is on fire, not to mention it fills our view from the front windows, gloriously I might add! It is outrageously pretty if I might be so bold.

So back to Florida where it is not uncommon to see this happen at the Orlando Wetlands when you are strolling along looking at birds.

It helps having a zoom lens but still we were not all that far from the gator crossing the road. Oh my dear readers, it was such a good visit to the Wetlands. Since our previous February visit, the baby birds have grown quite a bit and are easy to spot, beginning with an aptly named bird called a Glossy Ibis.

Common at most lakesides there in Central Florida, white ibis are readily seen, however glossy not so much. Rarely had I seen any until the last few years, well before we moved to North Carolina is more like it. Here the birds are small, small, small! 

The wetlands are designed to filter water before it runs into the St. John's River and consists of many large ponds, or that is how they describe it. Mostly it is shallow water with spindly trees growing in the water where birds and alligators co-exist.

If you have a keen eye, you might note an alligator in the grass. I'll tell you who has a keen eye for gators and that is Bruce and our son-in-law Tom. It's like a game counting gators when we are all together. 

As is always the case I took way more photos than is good for me, but in the case of say the young spoonbills, it is hard not to!

The shade of pink is so beautiful and many of them are showing off their new wings.

It is quite the spectacle and unlike folks coming to Orlando for the theme parks attracts birders from all over, especially since CBS Sunday morning show highlighted it two weeks ago in a segment.  

The Great Blue Heron nest is not getting as much love, however, they put on quite the show while we stood watching from the boardwalk. It was feeding time and it gets pretty wild, or so it looked to us.

It was hard to tell exactly how many were in the upper nest which is above and below, but it seemed like that mamma had her beak full! (my lame attempt to be amusing)

After a bit, both sets of birds settled down a bit.

What a privilege to witness in person and hopefully through this blog; watching the natural world is such a tonic for what ails you!

The spoonbills are the opening act, loved by many; following closely behind are the Sandhill Cranes and their two colts. I believe I posted a photo of the nest and by golly they hatched in our absence and are just as cute as can be. We circled around the ponds until we found them and just when we did, some folks were coming down the path on horseback which happens rarely, but is totally allowed.

Dogs, on the other hand, are not allowed due to the prevalence of alligators. Actually the horses created a little stir with papa/mama crane and the kids went into hiding but eventually popped back out. I have always loved the heart-shaped marking on their heads.

One more of the hiding colts!

Plenty more, believe me, but time to move on. I used to go often during a season, so I am grateful I had the opportunities I've had this year. 

You know me and birds!! Extra, extra!! Listen up!

This little Carolina Wren was at our complex as were the birds below.  The morning after our arrival, first thing in the morning looking outside for birds, I could see some way across the lake, but I was not able to identify them from such a distance. Well....the next morning I looked on our side of the lake and was ASTONISHED to see a family of Black Crowned Night herons along with a green heron and a little blue heron, plus a snowy egret.

Perhaps you are of the mind of who cares and I get it, however, for this bird enthusiast, I was freaking out because I have only ever seen two night herons in the wild before!!! And to think that they were outside my back door and stayed for two days. Such cool looking birds. 

Do you find it as amazing as I do, the variety of birds, both in color and sizes? 

I am happy to report that Christian did not cry when he saw his Grandpa and he even played with him.

We have reached the Christian portion of this post. He is such a little cutie said this adoring grandma, and I am just so interested in his concentration which seems to be quite strong.

Another thing we learned about our little bit is that he has a generous streak or so it seemed when he went out to dinner to celebrate his father and uncle's 47th birthdays. We went to Primrose Lanes, a trendy bowling alley where Bruce and I have been before. Christian had his first restaurant experience and he did so well thanks to his Mommy!

They brought a high chair and it was his first time ever sitting beside his daddy and look what he did!

We have waited a long time to welcome another Peck boy into the family, but it's been worth the wait!

Because I avoid most news I was not aware that Artemis was lifting off the next day when we most likely would have been able to see it from our place! Darn it!! Thursday morning, before leaving the hotel the moon was so beautiful and to think that they saw it up close!

We arrived in Murphy in time to attend all of the traditional Easter services. Here is your favorite blogger and her sweet husband. (How she can take photographs out of those squinty eyes is a miracle, right?)

We came home to a neighborhood awash in spring flowers that I will share in my next post. The days post trip have been busy and then there is the little matter of our garden that is looking good as I add more plants.

Yup, lots of garden stories yet to discover! Woo hoo!

your friend,

Gail 

Family Time and More

Oh my word there is much to say and write down before my memory fades. Oh wait, I have photos for that! I am including a photo of the house the day before we drove down to Florida so that I can note when exactly the creeping phlox blooms. It looked oh so different upon our return; the profuse flowering was fading, however the Japanese Maple went on steroids in our absence.

Tat same day, Bruce's friends from his working days came for a visit on their way back to Tucson, AZ. As is our custom, after a visit at the house above, we walked over to the Murphy Chophouse about two blocks away and enjoyed lunch, followed by a bit of time visiting on the porch. Jim and Fern were delightfully entertaining and according to her, we met before many years ago, although you know me, I have no recollection of that meeting!

Look at us sitting outside!! Yes the weather was definitely warm enough, just in time to prepare us for the upcoming days. 

A few things for posterity's sake, I saw a Brown-headed nuthatch for the first time ever on the Riverwalk.

Super exciting as was the blooming of our lilac tree. Ancient, it does not produce too many flowers, but by the time we returned some were larger, but most were done for the season. They do smell as wonderful as everyone says!

I know it sounds crazy but I was worried about the garden, however, those worries were for naught as John came over every other day for watering and no critters bothered it, so that was very good news indeed. Checking my last post, that should you have missed it, you can catch it here, there was no mention of my potato plants because I did not even know they had come up until the morning of the day we left! I was flipping out and even more so now as there are like five plants, three of which are already seven inches tall!!!

Because we planned to stop in Valdosta we packed on Thursday morning and off around 9:30, avoiding the traffic in Atlanta by taking the beltway, followed by time on SR41 which afforded us some nice scenery as well as the town where saw this wonderful mural. So cheerful with a good message. 

In the morning before our four hour drive to Orlando, I roamed around the hotel grounds looking for birds and found wisteria instead.

When we arrived in Orlando, sadly our tree, while not looking any worse, looked no better!

Since our last visit they cut back all of the shrubs in hopes that they will come back. It seems unlikely that will happen with our tree but I guess we will find out.  

We were anxious to see Christian and our wishes were granted, He's looking at a book that Matt and Tom bought him for Christmas. I just love how he is already concentrating, something his grandmother has always had trouble doing.

 I sent a photo of the two of us to Fallonabout two weeks before our visit hoping she could show it to Christian a few times before our arrival in hopes that he would not cry when he saw Bruce. I think it worked!

Saturday morning we joined our friends from the complex for pickleball, including my sister Nancy. I walked to the courts and oh my goodness, for the first time in years, I spotted an eagle high up in the pine trees by the big lake!

Look who else I saw! Note that roof that is looking very weary. This morning I wrote the final check for our special assessment charge for replacing all the roofs in the complex. Whew! That said, the contractors are doing a very good job, helping to set our minds at ease. (juvenile little blue heron)

If there is anything I miss about Orlando, besides our friends and family, it is the big birds. Always a trade off though and I am learning to photograph the little ones because I practice nearly every day. Sounds pretty crazy when I type it, but it is the truth. :)

We drove to DeBary, about forty miles from where we live in Orlando, on Sunday at noon, for the celebration of Cris's life. Some years ago they moved to a small community on the St. John's River where there are plenty of folks who use golf carts as evidenced by the line up of carts beside the clubhouse when we arrived.

The crowd was large to honor both Cris and his wife Judy and the girls, Katie and Jessica.

Bill and Fallon, 

were able to attend because her Mom watched Christian, something she does at least once a week. 

David and Michelle came as well. 

When our boys were young, Cris (Bruce's brother) used to pull the boys behind his boat on inner tubes,  much to their delight. 

Our niece Mallory came down from Minnesota with her mom Michele, Bruce and Cris's sister.

When asked to speak, both Bruce and Michele told stories. Bruce talked about how proud he was when his brother became an Eagle Scout. I love Mallory's expression. 

At first Judy did not want to speak, but she gathering her courage, she talked about what a good Dad Cris was to their daughters.

Katie and Jessica are to her left. While it was hard to lose Cris, it was a case of being happy that his suffering is over. 

More cousins,

Lots of old photos were displayed and I took a few home. When I picked up the one pictured below, I could not believe it was Bruce on the left, and even though he says it is him, I am still somewhat skeptical! As you may recall, we have known each other for nearly sixty years.

Look at all those badges Cris has! They were two years apart. Bruce and his sister Michele, and Judy and her sister Margie. 

All four told stories from different perspectives and it was a joy listening to them. Cris and Judy married on August 11, 1972 and we married on August 18, 1973. Bruce's Mom and Dad always made a big deal of our anniversaries and the older I get, the more I cherish those memories.

The drive home was easier than the drive there and we drove through downtown on our way back to the condo which is about two miles from this spot.

The weather was the best of the three times we have been there in the last three months which was a blessing. No calamities awaited except the ice maker was frozen but eventually thawed. We did better with our meals, something we have learned how to manage over time.  All positives.

A hard freeze, the hardest anyone can remember, I believe happened in late January killing so much of the vegetation in our complex that is known for beautiful, mature landscaping. 

On this visit there were places with color, including along the big lake.

Something funny I watched was a squirrel carrying a large hot dog bun, presumably from a trash can?

And look who went fishing!

We saw the family two more times, went birding as well as a trip to Costco. I wish we had left one day later in order to see the Artemis take off but we didn't, however, we did see the nearly full moon for ourselves on our last night, over the lake in our backyard.

I spent many hours watching the sky over Lake Willisara, sunrises, moonrises, and birds, always birds.

Will I ever catch up? I'm certainly going to try.

your friend,

Gail

Pink March

I was fed an Instagram post that claimed, "once the hobby of senior citizens, bird watching is being embraced by young people in droves." Fed is the correct word there because, I don't know about you, but nearly everything in my social media feeds are either advertisements, click bait, or people I don't know. It frustrates me, but I suppose I can whine all I want and it won't get me anywhere, so hush up Gail!

It did strike a chord with me though because I just finished a terrific book that I got at the library for a song. Well really a quarter but a "song" sounds more fun. Called To See Every Bird on Earth, it is as much about a father/son relationship as it is about birds, so if either of those topics interest you, perhaps you would find it as fascinating as I did. Yesterday afternoon on my walk in the park, the sound of a bird calling and singing stopped me in my tracks. As the trees are beginning to flower and bud out, it is harder to find birds, but I followed the sound and found a Brown Thrasher, the first bird that captured the attention of the father when he was a teenager.  He went on to find and count over 7,000 bird species all over the world but, it was the sound of this beautiful bird that first captured his heart. 

Such a pretty bird that I have rarely seen in a tree because primarily it hunts for food on the ground. It made my heart sing too. AND I am thrilled that young people are taking up birding!

Nearby a Northern Mockingbird was noisy as well. We had a Mockingbird that stayed atop one of our bushes for nearly a week and I thought it would become a resident bird, but I thought wrong.

A cute little Carolina Wren, the smallest bird with the biggest voice, was in the shadows but easy to follow the song because it is so loud.

Everything is happening fast in our world of nature. One day a tree is bare as can be, and two days later it looks like, well, I don't guess there is anything else like it in the world is there?

I was sad when we had our little snow and then a few really cold days that did not do Sandy's tree any favors.

Some new buds remain, but it won't be long before the tree is green once again. 

Across the street from Sandy's house, is this house with the creeping phlox looking mighty fine this year after Bruce planted more last year. 

Most of the year it looks pretty crummy, but for this display it is worth it. Then too, I have watched a whole lot of YouTube videos on gardening and one thing that is stressed is pruning, so that will be my plan going forward after it blooms. I was so thrilled when I saw my first Yellow Tiger Swallowtail feeding on the prolific blooms. The warmth of Florida keeps bees, insects, and butterflies feeding all year but here it is very much seasonal so a cause for celebration when they do appear.

Last week between the cold, and a minor health issue, walks and pickleball were mostly not happening for me. Then on Saturday it was hot as the dickens! Seriously, from snow on the first day of the week to 85 degrees on the 6th! Today, on the other hand is just glorious both in a beautiful sunny sky and a high near 60.

The pink trees did not wait on me!

And look what is blooming on the shady side of the house.

I did not remember this blooming so early, but it seems to like the little sun it is getting before the Rose of Sharon trees develop their leaves and throw this area into complete shade. 

Friends, the lilac tree is showing great promise, although it is a spindly tree that is definitely in need of some pruning.

Over and over you have heard me talk about the Riverwalk and rightly so. Two rivers meet in the middle of town and are vital to our town for lots of reasons. The walk is broken into sections where some parts are wild and free, while others have lovely sidewalks. Can you guess my favorites?

You may be wondering how the seedlings are coming and the answer is slowly, but surely they are sprouting.

Remember the celery? By golly it's growing too!

In fact it seems to be doing quite well so I have another piece in water in the kitchen.  Things are popping up in the beds that I keep wondering what the heck they are;  I'm pretty sure these are hostas.

We will find out won't we? The grass was growing quite well as were the violets sprinkled everywhere amongst the grass. Bruce's sense of order won out although I will say the blade was high enough that we have plenty violets remaining.

His trustee duties are keeping him plenty busy that's for sure. It's almost as if he was a project manager again without any salary! Speaking of salary, tomorrow one of Bruce's favorite superintendents is coming to visit with his wife. We are looking forward to seeing them and showing off our little slice of heaven.

Here's one of the violets and a big fat bumble bee too.

One morning, out the basement sliding glass door, I saw a bunch of Goldfinch going crazy.  I took this photo through the glass and while it is not very good, I was able to count the birds. At the cottage we had this sort of thing, but this is a first for Campbell Street.

I am more used to seeing them like this.

I'll help you out....twenty Goldfinch, many of whom are beginning to show their bright yellow mating colors.

Our ladies group had a White Elephant sale that was fun and I bought a few things, including an amazing handmade basket with Eucalyptus for five dollars. Because it is a fund raiser I should have insisted on paying more. I bid on this handmade bowl but lost out to a higher bidder. 

I am finishing up a scrappy quilt, sewing on the binding while seated on the front porch because it is NOT COLD! I am using a little needle book that I made many years ago. 

I thread four and sew until I run out and do it all over again. An abundance of natural light helps my aging eyes! The holes in needles seem smaller and smaller to me. Just one more thing that is harder than it used to be. Think opening anything, whether it is a jar, a plastic bottle or something encased in the hardest plastic on earth. It's not easy for some of us old folks!

See this cat. It is a menace cat. It likes to sit on our porch in the mornings and even more so under the bird feeders. Birds do not like cats so birds stay away from feeders. Boo hiss! I filled a spray bottle with water and it did not take many squirts before above cat runs when he sees me picking it up. Go Away!

I saw my first bunny last Wednesday. Today, as a matter of fact, about twenty minutes ago I saw my first groundhog. Both were in the our neighbor's yard. Said groundhog was viewed from my second story kitchen window while rinsing my lunch plate. Both are threats to my garden. Boo hiss!

Our Japanese Maple is coming!! Truth be told, by the time we return from Florida there is a good chance that all the leaves will have opened, a sight to behold. After months of a bare tree in the front yard it is most welcome. It remains to be seen how my blogging will go next week, but I will do my best.

your friend,

Gail

p.s. I hope you enjoyed pink March!