It Was a Good Day for Cleaning Gutters

Saturday. A lovely day! What began as a chilly morning evolved into a warm one as the day wore on. Both Bruce and I started our outdoor chores wearing sweatshirts, however, by the time we finished, we were down to short sleeves and shorts. And I complain about our weather? Shame on me.

It is a well established fact that winter sunsets are the best. Why this is so, I don't know, but unless the day is gray and gloomy, most nights we get a very nice show. Looking down our street toward the lake.

Last week when we were sorting through Bruce's stamp collection we came across two newspaper clippings which are very entertaining...cascading male manes! When was the last you heard that phrase?

Here's another one:

You can just barely see the date on the second one--1972, a year in which Mr. Peck still was sporting some pretty long locks. Because one of these is from, what I think is a Tampa newspaper, we are presuming that his Mom must have sent these from when they lived in Clearwater, no doubt, hoping to get her son to cut his hair!! With the ongoing beard craze, I suspect there are some Moms out there so wishing their sons would trim those crazy long beards. As to how long the current craze will continue, is anyone's guess, however, one thing we do know is that it will eventually be a thing of the past. (please note the reference to Afros in clipping #2!)

Eventually Bruce cut his hair, but not without some grumbling. :)

What would a post on Camera Crazy be without a bird photo?

I'm pretty confidant this is a mockingbird who stayed in the tree for quite some time. Notice the little buds? Well, here's what that tree looks like today:

Gray sky? Blue sky? You know which one is my favorite!

The market was nice on Sunday, albeit a little chilly. So many folks came to see, and be seen.

It was super nice to be busy, rather than sitting reading a book. When my tent was empty, which, thankfully, was not too often, I worked on the Sunday newspaper crossword puzzle, a good way to pass the time. Talk about busy--all of our food vendors ran out of food! Nice for them. 

People of all ages were out enjoying a lovely weekend day. 

Oops, here comes more birds!! This time the little finches have returned.

As have the blooming Tabebuia trees!

This is not my tree, but any day now, I'll have this to enjoy in our yard. 

When I've not been cleaning gutters, scrubbing the fascia boards with bleach, or selling photography, I've been doing a little sewing. 

I laid out the pattern pieces on some of my sweet estate sale fabric, however,  it took me several days before I could actually cut it. Once cut, it would be a done deal. Making sure the fabric works with a pattern is part of the process. Eventually I went for it...

It is nearly done, aside from the armholes. The sunny yellow band on the bottom makes me happy. I have very few yellow clothes, and I don't really know why. Perhaps they don't make them?

Speaking of bright colors, Maureen called the other day to tell me the name of that spectacular orange vine I showed in this post. Mexican flame vine is what she said, and I've no reason to doubt her as she knows her plants!

We've had a very nice hiatus from Bruce traveling so much, however, that is all changing this week as he'll be gone for three days. Super cold there too, or at least it is to this wimp. He never complains, saying the travel part is the easiest part of his job. That tells you something doesn't it?

The Customers

It's been four days since I left the house and mostly I haven't spoken with anyone aside from Bruce. Bill called to check on me, however, he claimed he couldn't understand me, so quickly said he hoped I would be feeling better soon, and rang off. Angela called while I was dozing, later claiming to Bruce that I sounded like a "hundred year old woman!" How dare she?

Yesterday, I dozed and laid around, so when actual bedtime rolled around, I wasn't as sleepy as had I actually done anything productive with my day. I began telling Bruce some stories about Sunday's market and it was then that I decided I might do the same with you.

In spite of my "art business" training, I cannot call the wonderful people who buy something from me, "collectors." Although Robin insisted that we do so, perhaps that title is better suited to folks who buy paintings. Whatever name I give them, I am so very grateful that there are folks who actually want to trade their hard-earned cash for something I've done. Without further ado, let's meet a few of them from Sunday, shall we?

My first customer was a young girl, say 11 or so, who walked into my booth with what looked to be an extended family. I'm guessing it was her Mother who asked if I had any reptiles--young woman #1 wanted to decorate her room with reptiles. Really? I showed them my gator photograph, as well as a toad sitting on our backyard deck. I like that toad photo a lot. They left, but then they came back and bought the gator, or rather I think it was her Grandmother who did so. Hope you enjoy it!!Telling Bruce this story, he corrected me saying, "honey, I think a toad is an amphibian." Indeed.

Kathy, my market neighbor asked last week about "In Any Language", the Welcome sign from St. Augustine with about 15 languages, as well as sign language. Several years ago she bought the print, however, recently she gave it away. A replacement baby canvas is now hers.

A Brazilian family arrived, chatting amongst themselves while looking at my rack of 8x10 prints.

Because I don't speak Portuguese, and only one of them spoke a smattering of English, mostly I don't know what they thought, however, she did take home my little Menu piece from Lake City. I also love that photo, in fact, so much so, that I look at it every day on my phone's home screen.

A Scottish couple, visiting from Edinburgh took home Charlie Brown. While chatting with them I whipped out said phone, asking them about a photo Matt posted over the weekend during his visit to Edinburgh! What a small world. They were happy that it was shorts weather in Florida.

I can hardly remember the next two sales, one of which was the print of roosters from Key West. I hadn't had that one printed in ages, so I was happy to have a buyer for this one. I'm thinking it was a young girl?

A lovely young woman walked into the booth, while looking at the wall she asked how much does something like that cost while referring to some daisy canvases, as well as a peacock feather. A little out of her price range, after showing her the prints, she said I'll take these two. Chatting with her I learned she had a brand new job, well three months old, after graduating with a Masters of Accounting. Having a son with the same degree gave me something to chat about it. She's excited about her new life, her first apartment, and it all just made me happy to think she'll look at those photos for a while. Unlike most folks, she looked at nothing else. So many people will go through every last thing I have and then walk away, so it's kind of nice when someone is decisive.

The folks above did not even stop, well I guess except to block my easel; I just loved the springy colors of the dresses.

This young woman, on the other hand, did stop and look at the easel. Visiting her Dad for Easter, she now lives in Philadelphia and wanted something to remind her of Florida. While she browsed, her Dad asked permission to take a rest in one of my chairs, which I was only too happy to let him do so. Following a nice chat about her life in Philadelphia, she left with an 11x14 print called, "Greetings from Florida." What does it look like? A windy palm tree against the gorgeous water in the Keys. :)

Lake Eola water isn't nearly as pretty, but it does look pretty nice in this photo doesn't it? This might be called, "Greetings from Orlando."

Next up was a young couple, as in their early 20's young. Visiting me several weeks ago, he bought her a print, and this time she bought her own. Explaining her bedroom decorating scheme we searched for something she both liked, and thought would be a good match. Say what you will, but most folks want stuff to match. I like this young couple and I hope they have a future together--he told me he wasn't very book smart, but if you need anything practical done, he is your man. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of men who are capable.

You'd think we'd be done by now, but by golly we are not! A man, probably middle 40's came in asking if I had any of the Charlie Brown in plastic. Asking him to clarify, I discovered that he wondered if I had packaging for the hung canvases. Assuring him that I did, he claimed to not know why he liked the CB so much, but he did and wanted it. You, and everyone else sir--people are crazy for that image, and to think I took it four years ago and only just began showing it last year about this time! Who knew it would sell every single time I am out??? Plus, I took only one shot--thank goodness it was a good one!

Rubber duckies, construction dumpster and padlock, followed by the TOAD! A while back a gastroenterologist was one of the first buyers of the gator photo. Telling me at the time that he planned to hang it over his toilet, invoking the urban legend of alligators coming out of the sewer, I thought it was pretty clever. So when he came on Sunday afternoon accompanied by a lady friend, we got a laugh about it. "Most people don't get it," he told me. Their loss. Anyway, once his friend found the toad she claimed to not understand her attraction, but she wanted it. Good thing that young girl wasn't interested in amphibians. Rarely do I post anything I sell, but what the heck--I think you've seen a version before...

Maybe I'm posting it because it says a lot about how I feel right now. I call this one, "Why So Sad?", and although I'm not sad, I am tentative, worrying about the weekend. I'm not worrying about sales, more about stamina. I remember taking this toad out of the pool, setting him on the deck and waiting for him to take off, except, he too was tentative. :)

I've been doing this now long enough to see societal changes happening right before my eyes. Rarely, when I first began, did people talk on their mobile, or answer it for that matter. Not so today--mobile phone abuse is rampant. A man walked in, talking loudly a mile a minute on his mobile, rifling through things, occasionally turning to me for a question. Holding the phone aside, he asked a couple of guys what they thought of this, or that. Despite his distraction he seemed interested.

Except, it was 4:00. Bruce had returned, Joseph was singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," and vendors were packing up.

Rarely have I done this, but I saw he was still seated in the beer garden. Walking up to him, I asked if he were interested in anything because we were packing up. Thanking me for reminding him, he jumped up, bought an 18x24 print, telling me he would be back because his teenage son was interested in several things. Time will tell on that one.

My very last customer Easter Sunday was my sometimes neighbor vendor at Winter Garden.

Standing to the right of her stand, she sells the preserved orchid jewelry for someone else, who despite their claims otherwise, sells it for someone else. Handmade--NOT! Or at least not in this country. She is a sweet girl, studying to be a dancer who still lives with her Mom and Dad. Wanting an Easter gift for them, she found a 16x20 print she hoped they would like. I told you she was sweet.

So, there you have it --a little snapshot of the folks who now own a photograph by me. All those little sales end up adding up to a pretty decent amount and it was about half as busy as other Sundays. Aren't you glad or this post would have gone on forever???

Annually, someone is so darn clever they dream up an Easter outfit for the sculpture outside Publix and every time I think they can't outdo themselves and they fool me!

It's a bit of a crazy way to make a living but one thing for sure I can tell you is that it is never boring. Here's hoping I'll have plenty of customer stories to share from the weekend, and I will feel surprisingly good while meeting them!

Working Girl

THIS IS A WARNING--PICTURE OVERLOAD FORTHCOMING!!!!!!!!!!

Regular readers may well be wondering where I've been, or, maybe not. If so, I'm back. Instead of my usual lollygagging ways, I was working my friends. As in, I had to be places on time. Or close to it anyway! So, let's go back a few days and I'll show you what I've been about.

Wednesday afternoon, before mowing the lawn and setting up at Darden, I did my bike ride. As is most often the case, I ride different routes to keep things interesting. After riding down Bliss Street and turning around, as I approached the stop sign at Pershing Avenue,  I saw a little bird on the ground. A cute little bird that was not moving....:-(  My handy-dandy bike basket holds my camera, so, hopping off the bike, I started taking some photos, getting closer and closer.

He, and I'm only calling the bird he because I don't know the sex, had his little eyes closed. Seeing no obvious signs of injury, I circled him and took this funny shot:

He's opened his little eyes! I can almost hear your sighs of relief....

Well, I'm not really one to pick up animals because even though I like them, I'm a tad squeamish. I knew however, that no self-respecting bird lover could leave a bird in the street. God forbid someone should run over him! Looking around I found some dead palm limbs with one of them was shaped just right with a little V opening. Scooping the little cutie out of the street, I placed him in the grass, wondering just what was wrong.

After depositing said bird safely in the grass I took off riding the last four miles. Still, I wondered. I couldn't resist riding back to see if he was gone and indeed he was! One person who heard this story suggested perhaps he had flown into something, and was only stunned. Sounds plausible to me!

Normally we set up around 3 in the afternoon before the first day of the show, however, this time there was a meeting in the room until 5pm, which as it turns out did not get out until a little later. After they left, all the tables and cloths had to be arranged, so killing time,  I watched the sun set.

The new Darden headquarters have a beautiful nature-filled setting with several lakes and loads of trees surrounding the property. Adding character to the property are a pair of Sandhill Cranes that roam wherever they darn well please. Apparently, earlier this year there was a baby, which according to some, was killed by a car. :(  In this photo they are doing their best to get folks to come out of the cafeteria (on the other side of the glass) to feed them.

They are so accustomed to people that walking right up to them, they remain unfazed. Eventually though one of them turned around:

That's quite a wing span isn't it? If cranes don't do it for you, how do you feel about alligators?

There were loads of classes in our hallway for the new Managers in Training, many of them from all parts of the country, who had never seen an alligator sunning itself on the bank of a lake. Cell phone cameras galore!

The actual room isn't all that exciting, and truth be told, there is a fair amount of goods that would not hold your interest, but in this photo, the lady in the green plaid top is Bruce's assistant, Denise:

She is heading to my table to tell me that Bruce has left some items in his old office space that need to come home. Where he will put them is another matter, but home they came after we closed up for the day. Things went well, with 42 prints finding new homes.

Friday morning, as I was leaving a little after 7, Bruce and I crossed paths in our driveway. Taking the red eye Thursday night you would think he would have come home to sleep. You would have thought wrong....he worked all day long and into the night. When I arrived home just before 5, this was what was going on at our house. The old dishwasher is the closest to the lawn (notice the green!!!), the old oven is on the dolly, while the new oven's backside is facing us. 

The installers sent by Southeast Steel were a young married couple with two children, both of whom were quite nice, and more important, skilled. By the time both the dishwasher and oven were installed it was both dark, and getting late. Bruce took over in the kitchen, cutting the cabinet apart,

using a special tool called a plunge cutter. He took the bottom off, cut down the middle support, routed a new groove in the doors, re-attached the bottom, AND made some new trim for the wall and cabinet. Stained no less. Me, after begging him to quit for the night, after all, he'd had no sleep, went to sleep. I only learned this morning that he'd stayed up until 11 finishing the job!

These all wood cabinets are the original from 52 years ago--rock solid. It takes a gifted person to cut that straight. Oh wait--you already knew he was gifted . Originally our delivery was set for between 3-4 Saturday afternoon, however, I was so excited after waking up and finding a taller space, I called to find out if they could get here sooner. Between 2-3. Great!

In the meantime I busied myself by cleaning out my entire spice cabinet, all three shelves full, my pantry, and the cabinets under the counter top adjacent to the dishwasher.  I then tackled the freezer! Two large garbage cans later, and my cabinets are organized once again. Everything went swimmingly with the fridge installation and we were on our way. Now--how do you load it efficiently? So, here is our new look:

Both Bruce and I are loving the LED lighting in the fridge and freezer AND having the food we most use on the top! Fantastic!!

The new wall oven matches the stainless hood nicely, and here's the dishwasher and new microwave:

Bill came by later to see it all and was a tad envious of the sleek front of the dishwasher. Now, I must retrain myself to use it! You see that basket on the counter? Why, that would be my magnet collection, mementos of our travels, which, if you'll recall, covered the freezer door. No longer. Why? Because they do not stick to stainless is why. You should see the side of the fridge though....covered. That said, I put them on the side facing the stove because, really, I'm the one who loves them the most. I imagine that for a few weeks I'll be all paranoid about getting fingerprints on the appliances and after that I won't even notice them?

After all the excitement and working I was worn out, but happy. Sunday the market was super good again. This nice young couple came looking for an over-the-couch grouping;

they seemed to be quite pleased with their choices. Then there were these crazy young ladies:

It's a complicated story, which I know you are only too happy not to hear about, but the one in the middle, at the urging of the two bookends, bought my 30x30 peacock canvas! Woo hoo!

Following supper we finished up the evening by watching the finale of "The Men Who Built America." Very enlightening. It reminded me of my days as a young girl reading all the biographies in our elementary school library. Love that kind of stuff!

This morning my friend Mirjiana and her husband took the Iceberg away to its' new home in their garage. Happy days!

Happy indeed, except for one tiny little thing...I got the email saying I am not accepted for the Mt. Dora Art Festival in the spring. Bummer. Well, all I can say is, I'm glad that I got in last year because it was my sales at that show, and a few other events here and there, that allowed me to have a "new look" in the kitchen......

To Market, To Market

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a hundred times---I bet I could do this. Yeah, right!

It's a well worn tale about how I became a vendor at the Orlando Farmer's Market, going on near SIX years ago which I won't repeat. Search my blog for that if you're interested. What I will say is that never in my life did I once aspire to sitting in a tent for six hours in our Florida heat, but, by golly, I've had more fun doing it than I ever dreamed.

Of course, all that fun comes at a price which is not measured in dollars and cents. Furthermore, without Bruce's help I wouldn't have done it to begin with! So, here's what a typical day doing the market is like.....

We wake up. Bruce gets himself ready and loads the Pilot at 7AM. Loading a vehicle, whatever one is used, is practically a science, and we all know how bad I am at sciences! Bruce, on the other hand, is a genius when it comes to packing. During our years "vending" we've gone from using the BMW and MINI Cooper, to the Honda Element, and now the Honda Pilot ,which is the best of the lot. The Element worked well, but it was filled to the BRIM, including the passenger seat. After some initial trial and error, Bruce figured out a system which we follow faithfully each and every Sunday.

He tries to leave by 7:15, stopping to get coffee at Dunkin Donuts on his way. He unloads everything at our spot, or make that behind our spot and parks the car. The tent is first, the poles to hang the panels next, and finally, the Flourish panels which attach by velcro at what seems like a hundred points. The worst part of this process is when rain is expected he also has to tie on all the side panels. Dreadful! There are weights at each corner, and the tent is also tied to the ligustrum behind our space...just in case a hurricane comes through!

You might have noticed no mention of Mrs. Camera Crazy. Good job! She is lollygagging at home. Not really, but it takes me longer to get going, and he does all that better without me anyway. I arrive around 8:30, by which time he is usually hanging stuff. We used to use more walls, eventually learning that less is better at the market. A show? That's a different story altogether,  best told another day.

Finally, the walls are hung, the front rack and sling are filled, the boxes are behind the tent, and the baskets arranged on the tables. Price tags are hung, and the day begins. Most days I shoo Bruce home not long after I arrive so he can begin his day doing whatever needs doing, which translates into answering 100's of emails.

This Sunday, before he left, we had visitors--Ha and Maria. Ha visited my VERY FIRST day at the market and continues to be a faithful friend and visitor.

Ha, wearing the orange tank top, used to work with Jonathan and Bill at Martini Graphics which is now kaput. Her new employer,  AAA, has a sale around Christmas when artisans come in for the day. I'm hoping, with her help, to be one of those folks! We shall see.

Looking closely you will see two chairs on the left--one for me, and one for whomever comes to visit and wants to sit in front of the pictured wind machine. Usually, before the day gets going, I roam around taking pictures of the market for Dana to use on FB, and share with the city.

Although we only have one vegetable and fruit vendor he has more than anyone could possibly need. Depending on the time of the year, Jonathan and Amy have upwards of NINE tents. I cannot imagine setting it all up!

Those who've been reading from the beginning may remember that when I began, they were selling their corn out of the back of their truck, having farmed it in Belle Glade near the Everglades. These days, Jonathan still farms, but most of what they have comes from other farmers. Dana taught them how to do displays, going so far as to buy them baskets and table cloths. They were quick learners!

After visiting their tents I make my way to the BATHROOM near the playgrounds. That is one thing Winter Garden definitely has over Lake Eola--close bathrooms! I mosey back on the bridge, photographing whatever strikes my fancy. I have met some super great folks while doing this all these years. Some have hung around forever, beginning long before I did. Tim has been giving massages for more than 10 years!

Of course, Jim and Kathy play a big part in my market days. Not only have I purchased oodles of plants and orchids from them over the years, they have become good friends and market neighbors. Kathy is constantly checking my sales book, making sure I'm doing well. This Sunday she was not happy...

Denny, a new friend from WG, has now found a home at Lake Eola where he's having no problem selling his amazing pastries.

Sheila, seated at her sewing machine is another fairly new and awesome vendor who is close by my tent.

The photo above makes my next point. As I sit in my tent, talking to folks, I am amazed at the great variety of people who mosey through the market. Many, dare I say most, are not there to buy a thing, instead preferring to people watch and socialize. Oh yeah, and drink beer while listening to Joseph, who is terrific. I've heard him now, all these years since Dana brought him in, and I never tire of listening to his voice. This past Sunday, I heard a different voice take the mike--he said, excuse me everyone, and I grabbed my camera quick!

I was in such a hurry I did not get the happy couple in focus, rather the folks in front; indeed, he is proposing marriage at the market. And that's not the first time that's happened. I returned after they were seated, bringing them my heart cloud picture, taken one day while at the market over Lake Eola. I've called it "Love is in the Air", and indeed, it was on Sunday.

So, I sweat, I sit, I talk to a wide variety of people. Usually they stop and look at the sling which is both good and bad because I never know what to put in the sling. What do I mean by "the sling?" Well, it is on a frame, holding the 16x20 and 18x24 prints. Mostly I put landscapy stuff in there, but who knows? Perhaps I should be putting something different in there.

The market gets busier as the day goes on; typically, when I should be eating some lunch, I have either visitors, or customers, thus lunchtime for me gets pushed well into the afternoon. And, of course I need another bathroom break, which in the afternoon, usually means a walk to the neighborhood Publix for a small dose of air conditioning. Kathy keeps an eye on things, and is oh so happy when she sells something in my absence. Me too!

I almost forgot to mention the dogs! Good grief, you've never seen SO MANY dogs in one place. They come on leaches, in strollers, in arms, and if that isn't enough for you, some of them are dressed. I've seen it all in my years, or so I thought, until Sunday, some folks came along with this dog...

 Need I say more?

Eventually, particularly if it is a slow day, Bruce returns for the take down. By then, and sadly this is most of the time in Florida, the heat is pretty bad. We each have our tasks, doing everything in reverse order from the morning. Thankfully, if we work quickly, the take down takes only about 30 minutes, followed by my getting our vehicle and lining up with the others. With the large volume of vendors we now have, getting our car into our space to load is--I'm at a loss for words here--maybe, pretty challenging works?

We load as quickly as possible, and most days we are back home by a little after 5. And then we collapse!

In my artist group most of the others do not do outdoor events, claiming it is too difficult. They are right--it is really hard. Could I do it without Bruce? Not a chance! It is hot, it is cold, it rains, and I have slow sales days, but still we go, because really, after all this time, both Bruce and I are part of what we fondly call "our market family." I remember once reading in a blog Matt turned me on to called Spitafields Life (linked to on right of page), that one of the vendors had been at their market for 40 years! Yes, you read that right--40 years! That obviously won't work for us--gosh we'd be in our 90's by then. Only time will tell how long we'll continue, despite how hard it all is, we've made some good memories, met wonderful folks,  and sold a few photographs along the way.

Is This All the Same Artist?

Why yes, it is. Continuing the conversation, the woman said to me, "usually there is a theme, but you've got all kinds of things here. Why yes, I do. Can't help it folks. I just love taking photographs of just about anything. As if my regular readers needed reminding! If you're just stumbling across this blog you'll discover for yourself just what I'm writing about.

Friday night didn't go quite like we imagined when we left the house. Because the hour was getting late for the sleepy heads, we decided to go to a local Italian restaurant in a strip center. Perhaps I've mentioned Amalfi in the past. I won't be mentioning it in the future I can tell you that right now. Sadly, after trying to order pizza and being told they were out of dough on a Friday night, we knew something had changed. On any prior visit the food was quite tasty. These were two pretty miserable glasses of wine:

I think the glass she gave Bruce held about 3 ounces! Eventually the server returned saying they had only 10 inch dough prepped, as in most likely unfrozen? Turns out the chef retired, as did all the staff. I'm saddened that what was once a nice little local restaurant will be closing soon unless they get their act together very soon.

Winter Garden was slow for me however I managed a few sales and enjoyed myself nonetheless because the weather was SO nice after the initial chill wore off. On my way I had to stop and take a photo of Lake Gem Mary. I do so hope you can see what I saw.

The fog above the lake like that in a little line was a very fine sight indeed. On my way home I had to photograph this because two of my boys, not to mention my niece and her husband have all lived in Chicago at one time or another.

People always ask me if I carry my camera everywhere. I do. I'm still experimenting with phonography but I'm not there yet.

Saturday night I watched a little HGTV with Bruce, something I rarely do. He, on the other hand, loves that channel, leaving it on all day above his desk while he's working from home. I am now officially inspired to work some magic on my office. If only we could decide what to do with the floors in the bedrooms! The carpet, although not that old, has somehow become more stained than I'm happy with. New carpet? Wood? Decisions, decisions.

The opening lines came during the Lake Eola market which was jam packed with people, most of whom did not buy a thing from your favorite blogger. And then they did. The final hour was busier than the entire previous six. All in all, I sold 21 things making me very happy. A new buyer bought nine 8x10 prints!!! I think she kinda liked my stuff and I won't be surprised if I see her again. Nice.

I am super excited to show off the next photograph which if it hadn't been so darn foggy this morning I think could have been better. That said, how about seeing through the wings on Mr. Cardinal enjoying his breakfast at the Nuttery?

Before he flew up there he was hanging for a moment on what was supposed to be a baffler; in bird jargon, that means something slippery so you know who can't get to the feeder.

Since I mixed the two seeds, those pesky squirrels have given up on the Nuttery, leaving all the good stuff for our feathered friends.

As you're well aware, the winter so far has pretty much been a no-show, with only two cold days in the books to date. The flowers and birds are all mixed up. This morning while out watering I discovered the azaleas are already blooming.

I thought the sunlight and shadows on the front porch was so pretty I had to photograph it as well.

Mr. Baxter and I took a walk to see what we could see. The Chinese tallow trees, normally bare by now, are just changing and dropping their leaves.

Very pretty aren't they? The neighbor's tree has such interesting branches, all twisty like.

The day began foggy, the sky turned the gorgeous shade of blue seen above and now it's overcast.  I see here that the week should be nice with a little rain (we need it) and some chilly nights for the weekend. Is it any wonder Florida is now the 4th most populous state in the nation?

Spanish moss. Let's talk about how prevalent it is. There's a few globs in the above tree, but nothing like down at the other end of the street. You'd think I'd changed this to sepia but I didn't. Sunset is coming.

According to this, the moss migrated from South Carolina to Georgia to Florida, thriving in warm humid climates. We've got that in spades for most of the year! All the trees at the end of the street have tons of it, probably migrating from tree to tree.

Before I go for the day, let's talk a minute about the veggies from Jonathan and Amy at Lake Eola. Their big farm is in Belle Glade, but now they have a five acre plot to tend in Winter Garden as well. Don't ask me how a couple with seven, yes seven, children can do what they do, but there you go. They do it. The onions below are from their place, called Strawberry Onions because they are planted between rows of strawberries in organic farming.

Very cool, and according to Amy, they are sweeter than Vidalia onions but don't tell the folks from Georgia that. These tomatoes are enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Beautiful aren't they? There is another couple who sell hydroponic tomatoes they grow, which are lovely as well.

Certain times of the year they also have heirloom tomatoes in several different colors. Finally, Joseph Martens, our terrific entertainer, plays musical chairs with the children. The prize? A bag of freshly popped kettle korn from Larry and Dina. Normally I don't get to watch it but I was making a quick run around to get some photos as they were just getting set up.

Sleeveless and shorts in January folks. That's Florida for you.

p.s. One of my visitors yesterday was a photographer and his wife. Very nice folks who I met a few years ago when the city of Orlando wanted me in the annual calendar. He mentioned this blog, saying he could not believe how long I've been writing. My response was, well, unlike a sales venue, or a contest, no one judges me here. I can write and show whatever I like without repercussions.

Thanks so much for being a part of it with me,
Gail