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This is a sticky post -- just for the purpose of quicky letting people know (sort-of) where we are right now. Scroll down for newer posts.
We are ON THE ROAD AGAIN!) On our summer road trip this year, we are heading for Colorado, where we will visit our son and daughter-in-law (and the beautiful scenery their home state offers). And, from there off for Oregon to visit more family and old friends. (Cue up the Willy Nelson.)
SHARED WITH THE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO POINT THEIR EYES AND THEIR CAMERAS UP. Visit them at SKYWATCH FRIDAY
Here's the view across the street to the west. ........ Straight out of the camera, these were taken from our front and backyards one morning last week -- within less than 10 minutes of each other.
And from the back of the cottage looking East across the Canal.
It feels like magic when moonset and sunsight are simultaneous.
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Here's the beautiful morning five minutes after the dawn picture:
A great beginning to a beautiful day!
SHARED AT LESLEY'S SIGNS SIGNS, a meme where I'm having way too much fun. Go look -- or add your own post.
So, according to some people who got an awful lot of publicity, last Saturday was supposed to be the day that all true believers would be lifted up while the rest of us remained on Earth for a while.
When I went outside the next morning, I noticed that enough staff members had been left at the newspaper to put out a Sunday edition (YES!). But I also noticed right away that most of the other park models on our street were empty and all shuttered up.
Which means either that our neighbors had been lifted up OR that they've gone back to their summer homes "up" North.
I guess we'll find out when the next Winter Season starts here at Upriver RV Resort!
Notes:
Sign photo from the Register-Guard, the excellent newspaper we read when we visit Oregon. Our daughter called our attention to the picture -- -- the billboard was on a street that we used to travel frequently when we lived there.
FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY hosted by Springman. Go there to visit professional, purposeful AND HELPFUL birders as well as amateur accidental ones like me!
We are getting ready to abandon our Florida home for the season (hot hot weather and hurricane season approaching...time for us to hit the road).
And so there has been no time this week for purposeful birding expeditions.
But serendipity happens! We spotted this beautiful hawk while waiting for a temporarily carless neighbor whom we had driven to an appointment.
This wild-looking spot is just at the edge of the parking lot for a large medical building complex, right off a busy commercial street.
I wish I had a recording -- he was not happy with our being there, but remained for some time -- complaining bitterly all the while.
For THAT'S MY WORLD. Our outdoor paradise here in SW Florida has some odd drawbacks this time of year! It seems only fair to let our neighbors who have already left know what they're NOT missing!
You never know what you'll see on your boat dock these days! This guy looked to me like something that dropped in from outer space.
Lubber grasshoppers are hard on plants and even though we don't have one, we try to help our gardening neighbors by (permanently) getting rid of some of these frequent visitors. But it is disconcerting because their big dark eyes seem to make them more personable than most insects.
The adult lubbers are huge for insects -- three to six inches long. And they have a voracious appetite. Here's a Link for more information.
The lovebug hatch lasts less than a month, so it's not a long-term problem, but definitely an annoyance during the season. Wikipedia has an article, but this one is funnier -- and, as far as we know, biologically correct.
Not so harmful but also no fun is the annual spring hatch of Lovebugs. (Yeah, that's two bugs on our car window, doing what they do to create more lovebugs for next season.) These are miniscule compared to the grasshopper -- only about 1/4 inches long, but they are real pests. To get an idea of the problem, multiply this pair by, oh a million or so, most of which seem to have shortened their already brief life by splatting on the hood and windshield of our van. They don't bite but they sure can mess up a car.
THIS POST IS LINKED TO WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY hosted by Springman.
** REVISED AFTER A LITTLE HELP FROM (VIRTUAL) FRIENDS. THANK YOU to all the birders who identified what we incorrectly guessed were some type of juvenile heron as instead LIMPKINS. Needless to say, a new bird. We are happy to know and grateful to all who helped with the ID. It's wonderful to be a small part of this virtual birding community.
Quite a few of these birds were hanging out last weekend at Lake Trafford in Collier County.
We think they are juvenile herons of some sort, but can't identify them for sure, even after consulting Sibley.
This lovely Great Blue was among the other birds we sighted at the lake:
So it was a good birding afternoon, even if we couldn't identify everything we saw (we needed some of you professional birders!).
A silly day at the Shell Factory for THAT'S MY WORLD and SIGNS SIGNS.
The old picture postcard below is courtesy of PostCardy (see links below); the rest are mine.
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PostCardy is an avid postcard collector and blogger who showcases a remarkable vintage collection of postcards, with fascinating history and factoids that go along with the cards. I discovered this Blog by linking through Signs Signs .... and I was quite surprised to see this post: Shell Factory . Surprised because the Shell Factory is located less than five miles from where we stay here in Fort Myers. It's still going strong. Admission to this kitschy attraction is still free, although out back there is a petting zoo and "wildlife adventure" for the kids and there is a charge for that.
This kind of 'touristy' attraction isn't really our thing -- we didn't take pictures when we visited the first year we were here -- and hadn't been since. (I couldn't even talk Bill into going again this time.)
But lots of people like to visit and especially like to take visitors -- and, based on the way the friendly staff seems to recognize a lot of customers, it seems as if there are many regular local and snowbird visitors. The restaurant is also quite popular -- it hosts music and dancing several times a week during the season and some people who live here at Upriver are in a band that plays there regularly. Here is a reminder of the iconic sign in the postcard. Not quite as impressive as the original.
Inside, there are all kinds of souvenirs to purchase, but the Shell Factory is redeemed from being exactly the same as all tourist traps everywhere by the fact that it has a lot of ....well...oddities just to gaze at... and there is no pressure to buy the stuff that IS for sale.
But of course if you really need a shell-framed mirror or a pink flamingo, or a slightly tasteless postcard they'd be happy to sell you one. You can also buy ice cream, sandwiches, toys, Florida souvenirs made in China, or, of course, any number of any kind of shell.
I'd rather go to the beach to look at shells, but as far as souvenir shops go (or just because we all need a silly day sometimes) the Shell Factor isn't a bad place to visit.
WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE . Go look or link.
The chickee huts at Manatee Park here in North Fort Myers are nice places to get out of the sun -- or for a spontaneous picnic. They can also be rented for planned events.
These thatched-roof buildings are just a little different from the picnic shelters we were used to in Oregon.
For all of us snowbirds, the best thing about these Florida shelters is that they get used in January as much (or more) than they do in July!
FOR SKYWATCH FRIDAY. If you love the sky (and who doesn't?) go there and click on the links.
Morning view from the East side of the canal. This is the best time of year to see sunrises -- because they happen a little later in the morning.
This post is linked to SIGNS SIGNS, the perfect sharing opportunity for anyone who loves the written word in posted form. Thank you Lesley for hosting.
NO DIVING. But it's OK to fly off!
These cormorants were enjoying the morning at the BoothBay Harbor campground where we stayed last summer. We spent about a week in that wonderful coastal village but hardly any time at all in the campground ... just sleep, shower, breakfast and then we'd be off to explore. Just before we left the day we checked out I took a walk around the grounds and found that the campground itself offered this picture op.
LInked to WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WATERY WEDNESDAY
Another springtime morning on our Florida Canal.
We are wakened by the varied calls of the Mockingbird who perches on the lamp-post outside our window.
It was a lovely symphony and a great way to wake up. Early morning is the best time to go for a walk this time of year -- it gets too hot later. Here's the way the Canal looked this morning: This morning we heard the mourning doves call as well.
The Canal is almost empty and most of the Park Models are closed for the summer. But we think that our neighbors who have left already are missing some lovely mornings!
This post is linked to RUBY TUESDAY. Thank you Mary!
We do have Spring flowers here in Florida (well, our neighbors do). They are just not the same ones we were used to in the Pacific Northwest. There is very little that is understated and quiet. The Royal Poinciana (last week's Ruby Tuesday post) is sometimes called the Flamboyant tree, but it definitely isn't the only flamboyant plant.
Springtime also brings out the insects, including these big huge grasshoppers called 'lubbers'. They're pretty flamboyant themselves.
Here's a closeup of the one sitting on the plant above. (They are not good for plants -- given the chance, they will nibble them to death.)
It's quieter people-wise here in our RV resort (most of the snowbirds have already left for their Northern homes). It seems like summer to us (in the high 90s mid-days) but the neighborhood birds, squirrels, and insects think it's spring. So from that aspect, it's a lively time of the year.
This post is linked to WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE. Go there for a different look at the world!
This is a first post to Weekend in Black and White. Seemed like a good place to jump in.
FOR SIGNS SIGNS at LESLEY'S. This is the window at a Yacht Brokers at Fort Myers Harbor. AND because when I downloaded the picture, I noticed the excellent reflection of part of the River District, I am also linking this to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS hosted by James.
You can buy a yacht here whether you speak Spanish, Russian, or Oakie. Oakie -- say what?
We guessed that maybe the owner is from Oklahoma. (The brokerage was closed when we passed the window so we couldn't check it out -- it might have been fun to pretend to be yacht shopping!) I suppose they would sell to someone who spoke Floridian -- or Oregonian, or, you know, maybe just English.
This post is linked to WATERY WEDNESDAY - go get your eyes wet!
A quiet morning in Fort Myers, also known as
The City of Palms
FOR THAT'S MY WORLD Go visit it! and RUBY TUESDAY at Mary's.
The Royal Poinciana trees are just starting to flower. They aren't in full beautiful bloom yet but I'm so in love with this tree I couldn't wait to share. And the seed pods are interesting at this stage.
Here's one that's a little further along, probably because it's warmer beside the building.
We posted a picture of this tree in late May last year -- click here .
We didn't know its name then, but have since learned. It's also called the Flame Tree or Flamboyant Tree and it is easy to see why.
By the end of this month the trees should all be in full bloom -- the ones planted in more open spaces will make a better picture because of the beautiful contrast with Florida's blue sky.