An Afternoon Walk Around the Yard

The very first stepping stone I ever made.
The shrimp plant saying goodbye to summer.
Just to let you know what we really do around here.

An Afternoon Walk, Continued

Cowboys, standing guard at the door to the shed.
Broken brown tiles rescued from the dump.
Garden bench with inlaid tiles that served as the lookout point for the dogs that used to be.

The current garden sentry.

Fall in Florida

Today was the first "real" day of fall here in Florida. We awakened to 45 degree temperatures with the need to be outdoors all day. The fire bush and porter weed plants are over six feet tall and in the prime of their bloom.
Once we have our first frost, they will die back to the ground until spring. But for now, these plants provide great hiding places for the cardinals who love to hop in and out of their thick branches.
On the screen porch is the large potted fern with its newly sprouted white frond and lush, soft leaves. Cocoa darts in and under this plant while sniffing the perimeter of the porch for a glance of the gopher tortoise who lives under the edge of the house.
I took advantage of the beautiful weather to clean out the garden shed that had become way too crowded with the vestiges of summer. Now it is all orderly again until the bustle of spring planting begins anew.

The Value of Brush Piles

This is my Zen Garden, an area in the back corner of my yard that I have dedicated to meditation. I have surrounded the red metal enclosure with bamboo and when it has grown to surround the area, will provide a quiet place of respite for solitary times. Right now, though, the brush piles have taken over the yard. We trimmed the trees last weekend and all of the trimmings are littering the property. That's an ok thing for us because we take our time cutting them up and hauling them out a little at a time.
One of the great things about brush piles is that the birds love them. For some reason, they consider them hiding places, little playgrounds, and little birdie rest areas. This morning withing a ten minute period, I saw a pair of cardinals, a pair of bluebirds, three woodpeckers, and various chickadees. Now mind you, this only lasted a few minutes as everyone jockeyed for positions at the recently-filled feeders but it was a thrill for this nature lover on a slow Saturday morning in the out-of-doors.

A Garden View

Today has been a low-key day as I appreciate what is still blooming. While I wish for cooler weather, I am happy that our extended summer and mild autumn allow me to have my plants blooming longer than in other areas. I planted Swiss Chard and Red Beets today, two crops that are totally new for me. I'm hoping that the square foot beds will continue to be the answer for vegetable success.
I placed this little church birdhouse next to the shed right beside the old plow. I did this when Cassidy was coming over hoping that she would have fun looking at everything. She really didn't pay much attention to any of this stuff but I have decided that I like it so it will remain there.
I love the way the river birch looks as though it is shedding its skin. Had to show you that because it reminds me of myself. I realized today that for about the past two weeks, I have not been giving a second thought to what I would be preparing for dinner. This is totally new behavior for me. After many years of being totally responsible for the preparation of all the food in the house, it has been hard for me to let that go. I thought about food all the time to be certain that I would have what I needed for the evening meal. About two weeks ago, I quit caring. I figure that if we don't have enough to eat here, we will go out to get it. Janet it totally ok with that and it takes tons of stress off of me. So after about 46 years of worrying about food, my discipline will be to continue to let go of that issue.

Waiting for a Cool Paddle

This is the Rainbow River, one of our favorite places to kayak. We don't kayak much in the hot weather because of the extreme heat but love to get out on the water once the weather cools off. In October, we will begin taking the boats out each weekend for some serious R and R. The white boat is mine and the blue one is Janet's. The Rainbow River run is a relaxing paddle to the headsprings and back. Can't wait to get started.

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