Pickleball Crazy

A few days ago, I opened the back door to see what I could see, something I do most every day because, well, you never can predict what will be out there. Knowing me through this blog as you do, that is surely something I need not even write. At any rate, aside from the beautiful sunrise creating shadows across the lawn, I spotted an owl. Naturally, I got my camera.

That little blob in the middle is from condensation on my camera lens, something I fight every morning when I take the camera from the air conditioned space out into the morning humidity. Once it was clear, I walked right over to the owl, talked to it a bit and watched as it watched the water, waiting for something, I know not what. Eventually she/he took off and I watched the path, finding her in the ligustrum tree. (males and females look so much alike it is hard to tell unless they are side by side in which case, the female is larger)

Such a beauty, although I would not want to get too close to those claws! Needless to say, it was a good start to a routine morning. We are up early so as to eat and be ready to be on the court by no later than 8:30 if possible for our practice session.  There are numerous articles on the web about how pickleball is addicting and that is for a reason. It's hard to get enough pickleball in spite of the pandemic, or in our case, the heat. We are mindful, before you get worried, that we are in the midst of a global health crisis, so we keep our distance and wash our hands. That serve that was eluding me? I'm making some improvement after watching an instructional video. I was so fired up that we went to the court on Sunday evening, having played for hours in the morning where I was dismal, and on this occasion I had Bruce take my picture, something not seen often in this space and for good reason--I am much better behind the camera than in front of it!

As you can see we play on tennis courts with the yellow lines representing the size of the pickleball court, a good thing for older folks especially because there is a lot less ground to cover. You would think that with the size of Orlando, and given the exploding popularity of the game, there would be dedicated courts in the City Beautiful. You would think wrong. So, on Monday morning we took a drive using the still, seemingly forever under construction, I-4!! As you can imagine, I was not the one behind the wheel because I have refused to use it for years now. In an aside, I got a text from Jackie who asked if yesterday was the day we left Vancouver in 2018 and I had to refer to the search engine on this blog for confirmation. Firstly though, I had to look at the calendar as I rarely know the date anymore! I found the last blog post from Vancouver here, should you be interested to learn she was about right.

Anyway, back to the dreaded Interstate 4...

Normally we would have avoided it at all cost, but Mr. Peck was in a hurry to arrive at our destination. In lieu of camping due to the heat/pandemic, he is obsessed with pickleball so we went to see where people play the game on real courts in Daytona Beach Shores. Yeah, Orlando has none and DBS has ten. And before you think it is only an old folks game, that is a myth. Sure, loads of retired people play it, but increasingly young people are taking it up because it is so FUN. And how was it that we had first hand knowledge of this place? Here's the scoop---a couple who live here have a place there too, and in fact, Leslie of said couple, taught Greg to play on what I think was their first date. Long story short, they introduced it to our community going so far as to pay for the first court lines in order to get folks to play on the underused tennis courts. Is this too much information when you could care less? I hope not because we are so very grateful. Us and about twenty other new players here at Lake Pineloch Village! So we found the place and were so impressed. Forgive the shadow as I took this photo from over the fence.

All kinds of folks were out having fun. Looks super nice doesn't it? In a first sighting of something like this, I imagine it is because it is a beach town? Rather than hand sanitizer, it is sunscreen!

We thoroughly enjoyed watching the play and chatting with a few women who were so nice, one having been to Greg and Leslie's wedding last year! Small world, huh?

When it became too hot we found a spot to get on the beach just to cool off. In a first, we only took one towel and the bag containing my camera. First Bruce went out into the water,

returning to tell me the waves were pretty big. Well, while Nancy was visiting she went to Ormond Beach to see a friend for the day. All was well until such time as she was caught in a RIPTIDE that nearly drowned her in very shallow water and she is a good swimmer. Normally I'm a big fan of playing in waves but this time I was a little gun shy so two trips into the water was enough for me.

Plus, while at the courts, Linda told us about a place about five miles down the road in Holly Hill with a new and exciting pickleball facility. Talk about fantastic!

Wearing our masks, Ryan toured us around as if we would become members. Below we are in what they are calling the loft for watching the action from which I took the photos.

They've only been open a week, however, it was over a year in the making through a partnership between a private couple and the city of Holly Hill, which I imagine is quite small. And yes, eight of the 24 courts are covered!

 Yup, a city of 12,000 people! The couple at the bottom of the photo proved that looks are deceiving.

As it is, our courts work fine but it sure was neat to see an actual court devoted to pickleball. Lots less chasing after balls! As I mentioned, there are more and more people joining in, once they give it a try. As such we needed a paddle rack which I will tell you more about in another post.

And here is Leslie with Bruce as her partner. His concession to the heat is a headband to keep the sweat from his eyes.

There are pickleball courts in Orange County but they are way out in Winter Garden which does not surprise me in the least. Winter Garden responds well to their citizens wants and needs as I discovered while doing the market out there. This morning we went to see what their courts were like and soon after walking up we were greeted by the nicest guy you could ever meet, Doug who told us all about how they got the courts, who plays and when you can play for free unlike Pictona where there are daily fees or memberships available.

Our skill set is still not up to the players that were there but we did get on one of the unused courts for about 30 minutes to see what it was like. We learned that some folks out here use their own ball when they serve, thus only their hand touches it. That seems workable when the space is so small. It was crazy hot, but before we left Winter Garden we went to a park along the Lake Apopka shore.

 I spotted one baby alligator and while pointing it out to Bruce, he spotted another!

As you undoubtedly know, Covid 19 cases in Florida are surging, although from what I've read, it is to be expected as the virus looks for new hosts. I am reading a novel right now about the end of the Civil War and the raging cases of yellow fever. I should mention that is but one aspect. Anyway, as I was reading I was thinking they were referencing cholera but I was thinking wrong. Yellow fever is entirely different, producing a horrible hemorrhagic death. A virus, that took them a long time to figure out, caused by mosquito bites, countless people died and still do for that matter, mostly in Africa. It took nearly six years to develop a vaccine for it back in the 1930's. I know there are some science minded folks that read this blog that perhaps might be interested in this fantastic website that shows the timeline for vaccines of all the major diseases. It was there that I learned how yellow fever affected the building of the Panama Canal, among other things. I guess the point of all this is that life is pretty awful right now and of course, very close to home with Cris still in ICU, having received one transfusion of convalescent plasma yesterday, but it won't always be. Let us hope that some super smart scientists will develop a vaccine for Covid-19, which, by the way, does not carry the same ring as Yellow Fever, sooner, rather than later. Six years? God help us!

Our new way of living on display at the park.

Stay safe my dear readers! And learn to play pickleball the first chance you get!

your friend,

Gail

Call Me Crazy

Where shall I begin?

This morning I emptied the dishwasher first thing. Not blog worthy except for the fact that I did so because our owl stayed away today. Most days this week however, we've been treated to the sight of the owl quietly perched on a tree branch. Except one morning I watched as she swooped down to the water for something tasty which she proceeded to eat on the branch. I have no clue where the other owl went, but I'm thankful for every morning when one of them shows up.

Bruce came outside yesterday and began hooting at the owl who soon proceeded to fly off!

As you can see by the blurred motion, I get excited and can't for the life of me hold the camera still!! One morning while out searching, I was most delighted to see a Green Heron perched on a fallen tree branch. Herons of every type are easily seen around these parts, the green ones not so much.

Another morning, from our bedroom window, there was some excitement when I saw a mother Wood Duck and her brood walking in the grass, presumably to head over to the canal that leads to the big lake. It was Bruce who suggested I head outside to see what was happening. Never one to need prodding, I popped outdoors. Mama hid her family well in the grass...

that is until a Red Shouldered Hawk came flying in looking for food.

You should have seen how fast the duck family moved in an effort to be safe! Fortunately they made it to the water in time, although the mama was quite vocal expressing her either relief, or dismay that it happened at all!

Staying on Lake Willisara, I have no explanation why this is so, but our four ducklings seemed to have made it past the danger phase with all four of them growing up!

Because you have been following along, I bet this surprises you as well. Generally the ducklings don't make it so this seems to be quite rare. Interestingly enough, or at least to me, is the fact that the Papa has been nowhere to be found unlike earlier in the season when both parents were attentive. Isn't it fun watching real time nature?

Veering away from nature for a moment, let's go inside, specifically our bedroom where I had Bruce hang this super neat plant hanger that I filled with cuttings.

I nearly returned it because I couldn't think of a suitable location, but then thought of this idea which will work better once we replace the art work. Another thing I began work on is a small bed quilt for the end of our bed. While I love the scrappy one I have, in an attempt to coordinate things I pulled fabric from my baskets along with a few new purchased pieces which are shown piled up on my sewing table.

For me, this little corner is what makes a house a home. Firstly a better look at the drapery material! On the shelves is a wooden Puffin Nancy brought back from Iceland, a flower calendar from London, a photo I took at Bill and Fallon's wedding, the framed photos above are ones my Dad took in Rome in the 60's, and the list goes on. That orange stuff on the left is the awesome ironing board Bill gave me for Christmas several years ago that stayed up when I had my sewing room. Now, however, I struggle to find a good place to set it up when I'm sewing. For now, I iron in our bathroom. That's a new one, right? One of the reasons I wanted to make something more of our bedroom is that it felt so sterile before that it did not foster a place for creativity, thus my sewing machine remained in the off position. It would be a stretch to say that I've got my mojo back just yet, but I did put together a super simple piece that is still in the works.

Here's something exciting.....our very first Gardenia bloom!

Right about now you are thinking to yourself, same old, same old. Or maybe you aren't, but you would love to see something brand new. Am I right? Let's get on it then, shall we?

Thinking through my twelve years of blogging, I can't remember a time that I featured fungi, but then again, we all know how bad my memory is so I could just as easily be wrong about that. In any case, two days ago when Bruce was walking with me around Lake Davis, almost immediately I noticed a greenish colored mushroom in the leaves under the spreading arms of one of the many large oak trees.

Not long after, I saw some that were deep orange. And then I saw others that were of various sizes, some small and some huge as the one pictured below.

Were they all there on Tuesday and I just didn't notice? A mystery was developing and the more I saw the more intrigued I became. As we did with the alligators, I began a mental tally, thinking that I'd seen at least ten different mushrooms. So?

Following our sweaty walk, we visited Maureen who is doing as well as can be expected. No better, but no worse. Then we came home and had tuna fish sandwiches. The thing is, I could not get those mushrooms off my mind, prompting me to go to the web and find out what I could about Florida mushrooms. Not as much as you might think, or at least with my limited skills. What I did find, however, were not one, but two Facebook pages devoted to edible mushrooms. Scrolling through I still wasn't really able to identify the ones I'd seen. In spite of the crazy heat at that time of the day, I told Bruce, I think I'll go back and get some samples to examine. "Sure honey, have fun!"

If you can imagine, aside from the Muscovy ducks that followed me because I was holding a bag (and small knife), I barely noticed the birds while collecting sixteen different kinds of mushrooms! You know what comes next don't you? Yup....photos!

That one in the front that has what looks like cocoa powder on it was very interesting, although I still can't identify a single one of them, they sure are fascinating.

Some come in little clumps, some are thick, some large as a pita bread, and oh so colorful.  The undersides are as varied as the caps.

Once I was home, I got a large sheet of parchment paper, carefully laying them all out, dirt, twigs, weeds, and all. Before long a few small bugs crawled out prompting me to re-think where I had them. Yup, they went back outdoors on the front porch. I even had a little show and tell when I went to the pool to meet up with Susan, Sandy and Gayle who humored me by feigning interest. Just kidding, I think they weren't faking it!

During that afternoon hunt, I never did spot the greenish one, but it did satisfy my curiosity, at least for the time being. That said, it's highly unlikely that I will become a forager, simply because it is too scientific for the likes of me. Anyway, I'm still learning about birds, and I hope you are as well.

While Bruce is attending the condo association budget meeting, I am doing laundry in preparation for our trip, only two days away now. Woo hoo!!

your friend,

Gail

p.s. I began this post yesterday morning, stopping for an excursion that began with me returning all the mushrooms to Lake Davis in case they are food for some creatures. Perhaps I'll pop over there once the laundry is done and check on them. Call me crazy....

A Garden Visit

This is not the first time I've visited the Van Deusen Gardens, nor do I suspect it will be my last. During my visit in November, the fall leaves were nearing the end of their life cycle. Then too, we returned in December, and it was utterly freezing, as you may recall from this account during Matt and Tom's visit. Because we've had nothing but rain, or so it seems, on the one day it was not meant to rain, I took the #10 bus to see what I could see. Oh my! What a difference a season makes.

Wendy, my "friend" from the liquor store, urged me to go now while the trees are still blooming. Furthermore, according to her, I'll need to return in mid-May when all of the Rhododendron are in full color. From what I saw, I can't imagine how they can get any better, however, I'll take her word for it.

Friends, I can't tell you how magnificent it is to be able to see all of the new flowers and plants. I am dying over it! And I thought snow was the pinnacle. Our time here, while I thought it would be wonderful, has exceeded all of my expectations for a multitude of reasons, including, but not limited to, the seasonal changes. Although there are some days when the weather makes you feel as if you never want to get out of bed, having something to look forward to makes life very interesting indeed. I do have to wonder though, had the weather, during my two day visit to Vancouver three years ago, been anything like this April, if I would have been as keen to move?

Without further ado, let's walk around the gardens, shall we?  This time I exited the bus at Granville and 37th street, walking East on 37th until I got to Oak Street, rounded the corner leading me to the entrance. It is too bad I did not cut through the parking lot because, had I done so, I would have walked by this display.

Actually three boards, similar to this one, were lined up along the walkway, showcasing some of what was in bloom that day. Out of the fifteen highlighted plants, I recognized TWO of them from previous experience. What fun to see so many beautiful unknown flowers.

At least now I know for certain what a Cherry tree looks like, although, not all 40 types planted around Vancouver. Before I left the house, checking the website for times and admission cost, I saw that there would be filming in the gardens during my visit, and sure enough, on the lawn not pictured above, all manner of film equipment was being set up.

Speaking of flowering trees, the pictured women give you a little perspective on how tall the trees are.

I'd heard a lot about the beauty of Rhododendrons before coming here, and actually I'd seen some in England one time that were fabulous, but there is just something about being able to see them come into bloom that is nothing short of amazing. And there are just so darn many blooms!

It was chillier than I'd hoped, with intermittent sunshine. I'd counted on full sunshine; alas, that was not to be. In fact, walking home, I finally looked at my phone, discovering it was but 45 degrees. No wonder I was chilly! Do you prefer to see the Camellias up close,

or a whole bunch at once?

More rhodies!

From the looks of this post so far, it seems as if it is the season for pink, doesn't it? Well, here's more pink for you.

There is a large garden devoted to Heath, the above pictured plant, although I'd thought it was Heather before this visit. Seriously, it is very captivating, coming in a grand scale of colors. As a bonus, it seems as if it attracts hummingbirds.

I roamed all over the place, coming across the maze which I nearly skipped until such time as some youngsters, say aged 8-11 came along, who agreed to let me follow them through, as they'd done it before.

Long time readers can well imagine how excited I was when I came across this sight.

By golly, another cute bird in a Cherry tree!

Coming across the flower below, what I was calling a plaid, turns out is a snakeskin pattern, having learned this from Jane who sent me a photo of one blooming in her English garden. Doing so, she had no idea I'd seen one here just two days prior.

Should you be wondering, I'd be making more of an effort to learn the names of all of the flowers if I were to actually live where I'd see them again. As it is, I'm merely enjoying the beautiful unknown. That said, I should have known by now, having seen hundreds of them, that this flower is a Hellebore, although with the drooping head, I wasn't quite sure. A couple happened to be walking by and I couldn't help but point out how cool the flowers are up close. They agreed with me, although they are hard to photograph in their natural state. Suggesting he hold one for me to photograph, I agreed. I find it very difficult not to be enthralled with the intricacies of a flower in bloom.

Then I noticed a perfect white one on the ground.

They moved on and still not content with leaving the area, I looked around, noticing this tranquil spot.

Hmmm....what is in that bowl next to the bench? Here's what:

Problem solved! Now all the pretty little faces could shine, in the above case, floating in water. I'm not sure which one I preferred, the water version, or this one where they are set on stones.

I've been known before to point stuff out to folks, can't really help myself if the truth be told, and the above sighting warranted that. A young woman with a child in a stroller nearly missed her Instagram moment until I insisted she have a look. Fortunately none of my children were accompanying me as, no doubt, they would have been highly embarrassed by their Mother. :)

Before long now, or so I suspect, the yellow of the tree will be a beautiful deep green.

I also suspect, one of the reasons Cherry trees are so beloved is because they add such a lightness to the landscape that still contains a fair amount of brown.

The above just had to be included as a reminder that behind all that gray, there really is some blue sky. Although I did not cover all 55 acres, I saw a lot, showing you but a fraction of the place. Perhaps I will join as the cost per visit is $11 and a membership is only $45. Makes sense to me.

Which was not the case the next day. In fact, Friday was so ugly, I stayed home sewing all day, leaving only during a brief respite to meet Bruce for dinner. During the day, however, one thing of note happened. I saw a flock of birds land on the building in front of ours and could not figure out what they were. Searching the internet, using all sorts of descriptors, I finally discovered that they are Pelagic Cormorants in breeding colors.

Not that I suspect you care, however, should you, it is the white belly band that denotes breeding.

Unfortunately, today it looks like this again. Boo hoo! I told you it could get very ugly, didn't I?

Bruce is on his way to Whistler where it is snowing today, however,  he is leaving the driving to another as they check on the restaurant there for some repairs. And unless I get really gutsy, it will be another sewing day for me.

yours truly,

Gail