Who Doesn't Want to See Baby Swans?

You may be happy to learn that I am back in the saddle, and I mean that literally! Today was the first time I've ridden my bike in over two weeks--woohoo!

Sunday, Bruce insisted on staying with me at the market, knowing how easily I was tiring, and it was nice to have him there. Lots of friends stopped by for visits making the day go pretty quickly. Happily, one of the small canvases, with the new frame Bruce made from scratch, sold, so that was worth the whole day as far as I'm concerned.

Our friend Ha stopped early on with a new camera in her hands. She'd bought it for a trip and was doing a little practicing around Lake Eola. I see loads of folks with cameras every Sunday, and I am one of them, however, my focus (!) is only on photographing the market. WELL, Monday I saw Ha posted a photo of some baby swans from her Sunday adventure, and that got me very excited to see them for myself.

I hope you will enjoy my stroll around Lake Eola in search of the cygnets. A Florida Spring can be quite beautiful because, although it is beginning to get pretty darn warm, the humidity remains low. Oh how we wish it were always so!

With camera in hand, I began my stroll, coming across a black swan on her nest with just one egg that she seemed to be trying to move into a more comfortable position.

I mention the one egg because before long, I came across a white one who is expecting a half dozen!

While I was taking a photograph of a blue heron chilling in the cool water of Lake Eola,

the white swan settled back onto her nest.  Keep in mind the big mound for later....

I have no idea if they are related or not, but some turtles were hanging together.....

none of which look any too young, so forget the Spring business here! This blue jay looked a little small to me, so perhaps it is a spring youngster.

Generally I am not a big pigeon fan, don't know why because they do have a lovely coat of feathers.

In fact, they are pretty darn colorful, aren't they, what with the red feet, orange eye, and all that iridescence around head and neck?

The vantage point below is probably everyone's favorite these days.

You might recall that Darden donated the sculpture. There are all brand new swan boats, replaced last year with models that have a roof if one cares to use it. In storage, they keep the tops down.

Well, this is all just fine and dandy, but where are the cygnets??? As I was getting close to where the market is held, I took a photo of the "bridge" which is filled with tents every Sunday.

Lovely, right? Well, lo and behold, as I carried on, I turned around, and THERE THEY WERE!!

A half a dozen darling cygnets! Now, remember that nest you saw? Well, their nest is up the embankment and I watched them scramble up and into the nest. Adorable!!

Time for a little rest after all that exertion!

Then back down they go again...

Obviously, I could got get enough of their cuteness; eventually I tore myself away, but it was not easy!

There are a lot of swans at Lake Eola, and it is hard to know how many of these adorable new ones will survive. Then too, swans can be kind of mean, as this poor little woman discovered.

She was hardly bigger than a minute, bless her heart!

Lake Eola is lovely, especially on a Monday morning when the crowds are thin to non-existent. Nothing like those beautiful parks in England, but it's what we've got! There is another side to Lake Eola which is all too sad, the homeless, who live in the park, or try to anyway.

Sadly those are probably the only possessions the man on the bench owns. :(

Working in the yard with Bruce this morning, I finally cut back my Paperwhite stems, something that I've wanted to do for ages, however, one must wait for them to start dying back if one ever hopes to have blooms again! This one was finally clipping away when I came across this little cutie sitting atop a weed.

Now that was exciting. A little later, putting the tools away, a Monarch came to say hello.

Can you stand any more cuteness for one day?  Of course you can't--it would just be too much!

I hope this has brought a little smile to your face....

Until we meet again,
Gail