A Room With a View

Oftentimes I am still in amazement that we were able to buy our condo with, not just one but all of the rooms with a view. Seriously we got lucky for nature lovers such as ourselves. Every single day there is something new to be captivated by, even if most of it I've seen before. That said, things are the same, such as seeing cool ducks or a sunrise, but in reality there is always a twist.

Yes, I have posted many photographs over the years of the yellow blooming Tabebuia trees, however, although I've seen the closer beautiful tree in the past, I can't recall the second one blooming at the same time. Sadly, since I took this, most all of the blooms are on the ground after some windy days, but oh man, when it is at the peak you just can't beat the sight of that shocking yellow. Here's one in full bloom that we used to observe all of the time as it was close to our home. We happened to drive by it the other morning as we were beginning another field trip.

The sight never grows old! I think this year has been especially gorgeous but then again, I probably say that every year.

Here's something crazy....I had an orchid that bloomed and was in rebuilding mode. This one has behaved a little differently as the previous stalks have never diminished, thus they remain on the plant. Well, when I told this to Nancy she thought I was crazy, but, I've searched my blog, just to confirm I haven't lost my mind, and sure enough, here is the orchid in March 2019. What I learned from re-reading that post is that it should not surprise me one minute that this orchid is behaving in an unconventional manner because Michelle and David gave it to me after Carol's death. Well, duh, if anyone was unconventional it was Carol! Rather than the original purple, it has bloomed and now looks like this.

So, not only do the previous stems remain, it has completely changed color!! It is hard to know just what to make of it.

As I sit by my window and type, I see the now familiar sign of the otters at play on the lake. Actually I can hardly believe I am typing that because never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would find myself in this situation. For some reason they, after weeks and weeks of not seeing them,  are out there every day, sometimes one, and then a few days ago, a pack of three.

Frequently when I notice them I go out back with my camera and observe the shoreline. I hope it does not bore you but I came across an interesting sight the other morning as I watched a female Red Winged Blackbird at work.

Step two:

Step three:

Pretty cool, right? Remember what I said about all the blossoms? They have to go somewhere...

Thinking about Wood Ducks, as if you were (!), we are so lucky to have a batch of them on our little lake, as some folks have never had the good fortune to have seen one in person. It won't be long before this couple makes some babies!

In a first for me, and I know that is hard to believe because seemingly, I've photographed everything Florida has to offer, but I swear I've never come across a baby turtle before as I did yesterday.

It was hard to get a good clear shot due to the aquatic plants but I know she is there!

I heard the familiar refrain of a Wood Pecker and I was hoping there was going to be a nest in this tree, yet on closer inspection, there was not the case at all.

Blooming azaleas...what's not to like?

We are nearing the end of Camillea season, so it is best to enjoy it while we can.

Increasingly we are becoming miserable in Orlando, in part because new people keep moving here in droves, making our traffic situation a nightmare. By some accounts, 1,500 people move to our region each WEEK! Heading out on field trips, just getting out of the metropolitan Orlando region often times takes as long as getting to our destination. Although way behind now, eventually it appears as if we will end up like the Los Angeles region that goes on forever, not something we look forward to.

That said, once we do pull into LPV, the world slows down and we LOVE our room with a view. Actually, the whole property is chock full of nature on both lakes. You just cannot beat the sunsets.

On the subject of fantastic cloud formations, this article from the New York Times, is fascinating to say the least. Read it here! 

Holy Cow...just came up on my computer that Michael Bloomburg is backing out of the race! I guess you can't necessarily buy votes after all.

your friend,

Gail