Loblolly Bay

The trees in my back yard that I thought were Red Bays, appear to be Loblolly Bay Trees.  Most of us just call them wild magnolias.  They have been particularly beautiful and prolific this year.  So much so that I have to sweep away the fallen blossoms from the bridge every day.  Oh, by the way, this is the same tree that had the clump of bright red leaves a few weeks ago.  You can see it on the June 2 post.  Any way, I digress.  If you notice the leaves, they are identical to the bay leaves in the jar in your pantry.  So my question is, can I substitute one of these nice fresh green leaves for the dried brown ones?  One website said they were poison, but the US Department of Agriculture says they have no toxicity.  So now that I know they aren't poison, I still don't down if I can cook with them.  When I give it a try, I'll let you know.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,
Sandra

You Gotta Love the Irony!

Last year, I put a reminder on Feathers and Beaks to keep looking up.  But if you want to experience all of Gods beautiful world, you have to look all around.  In our recent drive thru the Everglades I noticed a lush green spot in the water.  I took a few shots and moved on.  Today, while reviewing the pictures, I was taken by the irony of this shot.  I wanted to name it Love God's World, Hate God's World.  How sad it is that we
take for granted all that God put here for us to enjoy by tossing our trash out the window.  A heart shaped leaf or a empty soft drink can...Which do you prefer?

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,
Sandra

Question Answered!

You know how you wonder about things?  Just passing thoughts.  But you never stop to "Google" it or ask anyone who knows.  Well, I've been wondering about something for a long time and I just got the answer.  All around north Florida, you can find beautiful gardens filled with Caladiums.  The colors are so exciting and eye-catching.  Every time I looked at one, I noticed the shape of the leaf and how it was so similar to the Elephant Ear.  Is it a kind of Elephant Ear I wonder.  Well, alas, Caladiums are part of the Elephant Ear Family.  My next door neighbor to the right has huge ones planted at the back of her garden.  The leaves are at least 20 inches long.  The neighbor on the other side gave me some plants a couple years ago.  Its called "Black Magic."  They are quite beautiful and very odd.  Here a picture of how they look.

Some of the others (below) in my garden are beautiful as well.  Caladiums are so great because you plant the bulb and forget about it.  They come up each year, they multiply and its so easy to transplant the new ones.  They love the shade but can tolerate sun.  Bugs don't bother them much.  What more can you ask for?  Especially when they bring such color and beauty!

Til Tomorrow, Stop wondering and look it up!

Tweetles,
Sandra

Bromeliad (cont.)

Last Saturday, I told you about the shock of seeing bromeliads growing in the cypress trees of the Everglades. Well, what I didn't tell you was a rotted limb had fallen into the road with a plant still attached. We stopped and I scooped it up and put it in a paper bag. I have now planted it and am curious to know if it will survive in soil after living on air. I'll keep you updated with photos to see how it progresses. This is 2 days in the ground.  Looks pretty good so far, right?  Its kinda dry but we'll see.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Marshlands of the Everglades

One last shot from the Everglades.  This is the beautiful marshlands.  For miles you can see this breath taking landscape.  It home to snakes, birds, insects, animals and a myriad of vegetation.  What a phenomenal world God made for us.  Everything just works in tandem.  What a shame we don't take better care of it.

Don't forget to look and see what amazing things there are all around you.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Florida Gator (and I don't mean a UF Gator)

I was thinking no trip through the Everglades would be complete without seeing a gator.  We were almost to the end of the 24 miles Loop Road when I saw one.  He was totally undisturbed by our presence.  I would have questioned if he was still among the living except I did see his eye blink.  Or was that a wink? 

Til Tomorrow, Keep Smilin',
Sandra

Umm! Lunch Time

On our drive in the 'Glades, we ran across this guy just enjoying his lunch or perhaps it was just a snack.

This reminds me, I have to go buy groceries.

Later,
Sandra

Glad I live in NORTH Florida

I have to backtrack a bit, to show you one of the "perks" of living in the Keys.  I have only one thing to say - I'm glad our lizards are only a fraction of the size of this fellow.  It was about 15 inches long!  Oh My!

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

The Everglades

We only stays a day and two night on Duck Key before we headed northwest to Ft. Myers thru the Everglades.  I had never been in the Everglades but my interest had been piqued by the book I'm reading, A Land Remembered, a historical fiction about Florida.  Great book - I highly recommend it.  We opted not to drive on I75 aka Alligator Alley but took a more scenic route.  We went on a very remote road called Loop Road.  We just stopped along the way to watch and enjoy the sites.  Over the next few days, I'll share some of those sites here.

I love seeing things that surprise me.  And this one really did.  The Cypress trees were full of bromeliads.  Not just a few,  but hundreds.  I read that orchids also grow in the swamps there but I didn't see any this time.  My drive through the Everglades was truly beautiful.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Just Floating Along

So, we're down in the Keys.  Duck Key to be exact.  We went out on a boat and stopped at a sandbar.  It was fun to wander and explore.  We saw conchs, all kinds of crabs, herons but the most interesting things I saw were these plants floating on top of the water.  Piper and I stood looking and she voiced my thoughts, "That looks like a work of art, GrandMommy."  That from a five year old.  I took about 8 shots and they are all just as beautiful.  

I wanted to tell you what the vegetation is, but I couldn't find a single picture on line that looks even similar to this.  So I feel very special that I saw this "Work of Art."  Don't forget to click on the image to zoom in.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

What a look

It's not unusual to see that look from your kids.  Especially teens.  You know that look..  That says:  Really?   Or duh!  But you never expect it from a random bird.  He only added to the guilt I already had for eating a hotdog at a truck stop on the way to the Keys.  We travel in style when we go on vacation.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Moss Roses

An old fashioned flower that was popular in my Grandmother's days, the Moss Rose, has resurged and is very popular this summer.  Here are some reasons you might want to plant some of these gems in your garden:  They're cheap (.99 each at Home Depot), beautiful, take very little care and are edible.  With a mushroom like texture and a lemony taste they are used in stir fry.  They can also be eaten raw and are very high in vitamin C.

If you're interested in a recipe: http://paisleycarrot.com/2012/03/thursday-throwback-moss-rose/

Oh, and did I mention, they are beautiful.  They range in color from all shades of pink to orange and yellow.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Unknown Nest

Well, I found this nest high up in a tree in my yard.  But I haven't be able to determine what kind of a nest.  Is it a squirrel, Is it s osprey, Is it Superman?

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,
Sandra

Santolina

This spring, I made a trip out to a local herb garden to see what I could add to my herb garden.  I found this lovely, feathery plant in the Aster family, Santolina.  When I got home I researched and found that it has been used through history as an insect repellant.  The dried plants were and still are used in sachets in clothing drawers to repel moths and hung in pantries to protect food from insect infestations.

One interesting use in history was to make a tea from it to cause the body to expel internal worms.  UGH!  Who knew?

Til Tomorrow,  Tweetles,

Sandra

Amaryllis

If you have Amaryllis in your North Florida neighborhood, you may have noticed, they were very showy this year.  They seemed to be more prolific and to last longer.  That could be due to the amount of rain and also the cooler temperatures we had this spring.  Here's a picture of one of the plants in my courtyard.  It looks like velvet.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Spath

The Spath or as it is commonly know the Peace Lily has been a baffling plant to me.  I had one, you know the one in the vase with the water and the fighting fish.  Alas, it died (both of them).  I got another and planted it in a indoor pot, it never bloomed and alas, it too died.  Got a third one and just as it was about to pass on, I planted it in my courtyard. Might as well, its dying anyway, right?   It got so big, I had to split it in half.  Then there were two.  Winter came with cold weather and the plants turned brown and I cut them down, but with the spring came new growth.  After three years, the two have become 6 and now live down by the pond.  They are truly beautiful.  So, when you read about the care of the Peace Lily House Plant (mist daily, trim all dread leaves, keep in a shaded area, etc.), you have to wonder....

Til, Tomorrow,

Tweetles

Sandra

The Backside

I've had such a good time showing my peacock picture that I posted earlier this month.   But what I didn't share about that picture was how difficult it was to get that pose.  When I saw the peacock and he saw me, he immediately turned his back to me.  As I tried to move to the front for a shot he rotated and continued for several minutes.  But, in the tenacity department, I was the winner.  I thought it might be interesting to show what the backside of those beautiful plumes looked like.  Surprisingly, that angle is quite stunning as well.  Notice the support feathers and how they hold the long feathers upright. God orchestrated everything quite well, don't you think?

Til Tomorrow,

Tweetles.

Sandra

Female Cardinal

As is the case with most species, the male is so much prettier than the female.????   The Cardinal that catches our eye is that beautiful bright red one, the male.  (Perfect example was my photo posted April 16, 2012.)  But this female struck me as particularly beautiful.  She seems to be attuned to her surrounding and in perfect control of all things except, maybe, her hairdo.

Well until tomorrow, Tweetles,

Sandra

Travel Safe!

I posted this a few months ago on FaceBook but I wanted to make sure it was on my blog.  I zoomed from across the pond to capture this very strange interaction between reptiles.  After researching, I found this was not such a strange event.  If you research the photos on line, you'll find that some don't co-exist so amiably.  I was just stunned when I witnessed this and was reminded of one of my favorite childhood song:

She sailed away on a sunny summer day on the back of a crocodile,
"You see," said she, "he's as tame as tame can be;
as they travelled down the Nile,"
The croc winked his eye as she bade them all goodbye, wearing a happy smile,
At the end of the ride the lady was inside, and the smile was on the crocodile!

This is what our gator looked like at night. ( Remember you can click the photo to enlarge it.)

Until tomorrow, remember to travel safe,
Sandra

I Love Frogs

I'm trying not to get too tacky with my "garden art," but I thought this frog was perfect to sit amongst the ferns and caladiums.  She has such a determined look on her face.  I planted two lantanas that make a perfect "hair do."  Some people love a gazing ball, but I find it much easier to spend time looking at this sweet face.

I wonder if she's the one who took that big bite out of my coladium!!!!?

Til tomorrow, ribbet to you too,
Sandra

The Mimosa - Not the one you drink at brunch.

Originally from China, Mimosa or Silk tree was introduced to the United States in 1745 and cultivated since the 18th century primarily for use as an ornamental. Mimosa remains a popular ornamental because of its fragrant and showy flowers. Due to its ability to grow and reproduce along roadways and disturbed areas, and its tendency to readily establish after escaping from cultivation, mimosa is considered a Category II invasive by Florida’s Exotic Pest Plant Council. (from http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu)

The mimosa can be planted or transmitted by animals.  Interestingly, the seeds can be dormant for years before it grows.  I took this photo this morning on a neighborhood walk.  It is a beautiful and interesting specimen.

Til Tomorrow,

Tweetles

Don't forget water for the butterflies

This is a really beautiful plant I bought at Trad's Nursery in Mandarin last fall.  They had one displayed in a cobalt blue planter and I found a less expensive substitute one.  This plant is a Fire Cracker plant.  I find that there are several with the same name.  One has much finer leaves and are more droopy.  This one is extremely hardly.  It made it through the winter outdoors.

But the message I really want to relay is how important it is to have small containers with shallow water for the butterflies.  The shallow water allows them to drink without getting their wings wet.

University of Florida offers these guidelines:

Major Components of a Successful Butterfly Garden

1. Adult nectar sources: attract and nourish adult butterflies.
2. Larval host plants: attract ovipositing female butterflies, serve as a food source for developing larvae.
3. Shelter: vegetation that provides protection from temperature extremes, storms/rain, and predators as well as locations for roosting/sleeping.
4. Water source with fountain: allows for easy and consistent access to water for drinking and thermoregulation.

For more information on Florida Butterfly gardens visit:  UF site

Til Tomorrow, Don't forget to water the butterflies,

Sandra

Unknown Insect

Today, I'm sharing a photo I took of an insect that I'm unable to identify.  He caught my eye  because of the brilliant colors.  The insect itself is so beautiful but against the bright yellow daisy, it was striking.  And since I'm so attuned to colors....(those of you who know me, know I love Red and all other bright colors!)  After a lot of research, I was unable to determine what he is.  However, in my search, I found a really cool site I'd like to share with you all.  Discover Life  Even though it didn't work in this case, it is a fun way to identify an insect.  You select a choice for each part of the insect and the possibilities are narrowed as you select the shape of the head, the number of wings, etc.  I do wish I could identify this fellow.  If anyone know, please pass it along.


Til Tomorrow, Keep a lookout for nature's wonder,
Sandra

Bark Lice

A few weeks ago, my grandsons and I were exploring and came across this very strange group of bugs. We took a picture and then came home to research on the Internet.  These tiny creatures bark lice are also called cattle lice, not because they get on cattle but because they travel in herds.  They don't get on humans, some have wings and others don't, and even though they make webs on the trees, they don't do any damage to the tree.  Below is a   YouTube video that is fun to watch.  When one moves, they all move!

YouTube Video

So Til Tomorrow, what strange and wonderful thing can you find?
Tweetles,
Sandra

Very Odd Mushroom

I got out of my car, in the rain, to take this photo.  It struck me as a very odd mushroom.  I came home to research and have three possibilities of what it is.  It is either a Jack-O-Lantern fungus, a hedgehog mushroom or a lobster mushroom.  At least those are the ones that look similar.  On one website there was a basket full of mushrooms that look like these and the man was drying them to use in soups during the winter.  How do you find out which mushroom are poison and which are ok to eat?  Anybody have info on this?

It looks like a work of art, don't you think?

Til Tomorrow,

Sandra

Bat Face Cuphea

In my quest for strange and wonderful flowers, I found this unique one.  The Bat Face Cuphea is named for its resemblance to a bat.  The dark purple look like the face of a bat and the red looks like its ears.  This plant is supposed to be a magnet for hummingbirds.  And even though my hummingbird feeder continues to need refilling, I haven't seen any hummingbirds so far this year. Don't forget to click to enlarge the image for a better look.  It's kinda spooky how much it looks like a bat.

Til Tomorrow, Tweetles,
Sandra

Butterflies

A few years ago, Mr. Wiggins, a man in my neighborhood, started to clear an overgrown area adjacent to his home.  It was an unsightly lot filled with palmetto bushes.  I watched with awe as he worked and I occasionally wondered about his sanity.  It was a BIG job.  But now, it is a haven for butterflies and birds.  I spend a lot of time last summer visiting with Mr. Wiggins and asking a myriad of questions.

I was so inspired, that I wanted to make a sanctuary for the butterflies, bees, hummingbird and all birds.  In my search for plants, I found some wonderful attractors for the visitors I hope to have.  One very interesting one was a butterfly plant.  Now there is butterfly bush with large purple flowers and there is a butterfly weed that butterflies lay eggs underneath the leaves and when they hatch, the caterpillars eat that weed.  But I found a special butterfly plant.  Not only does it attack butterflies but it looks like a butterfly.

 I'm constantly amazed at God's handiwork and ever grateful for the beauty all around.

Til Tomorrow,
Sandra

My Virginia Garden

It's been a great year to plant and work in our yard. As I was out searching for new and interesting plants, I found myself being drawn to plants from my childhood. I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's (Mamma's) house as a child and I have such fond memories of waiting for the four o'clocks to open in the late afternoon and collecting the dried zinnia blooms, saving them in a brown paper sack and crumbling them in my hands to plant in the spring. I'm sorry most children don't have these wonderful nature experiences. My grandchildren do. We wander around looking for wonderful interesting things and never know what we'll find.

 Now, back to the point. I now have Mamma's favorite flowers planted in my Virginia Garden (Jewel Virginia Jones was her name.) Those were Zinnias, Four O'Clocks and Moss Roses.  And I feel such joy and comfort in these memories.

Until tomorrow, remember, we don't always have to be looking forward, sometimes its really nice to look back,
Sandra

This was the most interesting picture I took today.  I promise it isn't photoshopped although it really looks like it is.  This is a Red Bay Tree in my back yard.  This tree leans so far over the water that it actually touches the water.  A few years back, a special Japanese Beetle made it way through Florida and killed almost all of the Red Bays.  I lost 4, but the others survived.  This particular Beetle was untouched by the typical insecticides and caused quite a panic.  It is a lovely tree.

Tweetles,

Sandra

I'm Back!

Well, I'm back.  And where have you been?,  you might ask.  This is a rather embarrassing confession I'm about to make.  The week of my last post - of what I perceived as perfectly marvelous examples of photos, I decided that having my photos on a stock site would be so exciting and rewarding.

Alas, as we all know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and when my photos were rejected, I was, shall me say "devastated".  I know, it was childish.  After all, I was taking the pictures for my own enjoyment.  I guess I thought I needed some validation.

So now, I'm back and with a newly uplifted attitude.  I've been validated.  I entered one of my photos in the Clay County Fair and am now am the proud winner of a BLUE Ribbon AND $3.00 cash.  So, I'm back and here's my winning photo!

Tweetles,
Sandra