Come Out And Sit A Spell

Come out on the porch and visit a while. It is very warm out here these days and the yard is very dry since we haven't had rain in over six weeks. It seems to rain all around us but not here where we are. This porch is my place of solace, regardless of the heat. I come out here to rest and renew and it seems that I need to do that more and more. Those of us working for the school systems throughout the state are under great duress with budget cuts for next year. We know there will be more work to do and fewer people to do it. So each afternoon, I pour myself a little wine, bring it out to the porch and let nature's quiet wash over me. The hummingbirds dart from bush to bush, the bluebirds splash in the birdbaths, and the rooster next door announces, once again, that his internal clock needs re-calibrating. I love life in the country.

Rainbow River Run

Today we went on a kayaking adventure on the Rainbow River, a trip we have wanted to take for quite awhile. We have spent time walking around and enjoying the scenery at Rainbow River Park but have never gotten out on the water except for a few short minutes in a rented canoe about three years ago. Today, the water was perfect. We arrived at 8am before most folks had finished breakfast and had a glorious morning getting to know a new stretch of water.

This river is a body of water that was so filled with garbage in the 1970's that is was not even usable. After much concern by local residents, with several ordinances enacted and three tons of garbage removed from the river bottom, this pristine place emerged. Now controlled by the state, it was formerly a privately owned tourist attraction with glass-bottomed boats cruising the headspring. The beautiful Rainbow River is one of the finest spring-fed rivers in Florida. The water source is a first magnitude spring, one of the largest in Florida. Many smaller springs add to the flow in this river. Today it is protected by strictly enforced ordinances and one is not allowed to bring any food or beverage on the river unless it is in a re-usable container that is not a throw-away.

Sue, our guide, took Janet and I into a little narrow spring run that gave me, in particular, some great paddling experience in tight spaces. At one point, we had to lean forward in our boats to go under an overhanging tree and I got wedged in and had to shimmy myself out. Even though the water was very shallow, it took some maneuvering to get un-stuck.

With rain in the forecast and a stiff wind coming up, we called it a day by noon. However, the day was awesome amid the herons, cormorants, and turtles on the Rainbow River. This beautiful place is only twenty minutes from home so you can bet we'll be back.

A Tribute To Mom

This gardenia bush was a gift from Shannon to my mother on the first Mother's Day that Mom was in an assisted living facility. It was a very small potted plant when Shannon sent it. Because the facility had very little space for plants and because the plant was yearning for sun and water, I brought it home and planted it in my garden. I have had it for three years and it has never bloomed. This year, as I approach my first Mother's Day without my mother, the bush has burst forth with ten blooms today and many more buds ready to pop. I take it as a sign that although my mother is gone, she is in yet another form that continues to bloom and thrive.

Today In The Garden

We wanted you to see the garden as it is beginning to take shape for the early summer. The roses and honeysuckle are blooming and the purple petunia is still showing off, even though it's late in the season. The hummingbirds love everything that is red or orange; the chickadees have a brood of five and are flying from feeder to feeder; and this evening, we saw Daddy Bluebird feeding two youngsters in the front yard. The center octagonal bed is completed so now the sundial has its new enclosure and the garden construction is completed for this year.