A Full-time Life

MORE FROM OUR PALM BEACH VISIT

  

A couple of Ibis guard the waters from a Boardwalk railing (fence?).    The sign (below right) might lead you to expect to be climbing a steep mountain soon.

 

 

But we are used to flat-land Florida by now and the sign couldn't fool us.   Even at our advanced ages, we managed to hike up this "elevation" without even using the rail   (and without even breathing hard).  We did 'perspire' a little, but that was because of the heat, not the exertion.     Seriously, note the handrail on the left of the bottom picture --  I didn't notice any elevation gain then and I don't see it here!  It's all relative I guess -  we are from the Pacific Northwest where a change in elevation usually means more than "climbing" a few steps higher than sea level.  

 

 

 

Two  Sandhill Cranes browse the fence-line near a boardwalk at Wellington.

 

 

We watched from poolside as the Christmas full moon rose.    These aren't the best moon shots I've ever taken -- the tiki lights at the Palm Beach hotel pool bar and the city lights in the distance were a little distracting.  But it was a beautiful evening!  Sometimes I still have to pinch myself to believe that it is the end of December and we can actually sit outside late into the evening enjoying dinner al fresco.    

 

 

LINKING this post to SIGNS SIGNS; ">GOOD FENCES; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; and SATURDAY CRITTERS.

 

Thank you to all of the hosts for providing these wonderful sharing opportunities.

 

 

 

SOUTH FLORIDA GETAWAY

 

Our Christmas getaway  was a combination of City activities and wildlife-watching.    I guess we both have split personalities, because this is exactly the kind of mini-vacation that makes us both happy.  

This is the view from the 12th Floor of our Hotel in Palm Beach.   We always have fun exploring different areas in our part-time home State and this was a new part of for us.   

We ate a lot of delicious food -- and I was too busy enjoying it to  remember to take a single picture.    (I laughed at the recent cartoon where the waiter is asking his customers if something is wrong with their food because they haven't taken a picture of it yet. --  

Just one more example of how different life is in the 21st Century.) 

At any rate, pictures or not, we had a great time enjoying the City and the food and the hotel amenities. 

 

But we really had a lot of fun finding the birding spots in the area.  (And that part of the trip was definitely the most picture-worthy.) 

 

 Here are some we saw.    None were brand-new, but all were first-time-this-season.  (It is always good to see old friends when we get back to our Winter home.) 

 

    

Tri-colored Herons in various poses.

 

 

  

 

Usually when we see Sandhill Cranes they are standing out in the middle of a big flat field and so it is hard to show how really  large these birds are.  Here, the tree provided a better visual.  (These guys are around 4 feet tall.)

 

 

 

We saw all of the birds in this post at Peaceful Waters Sanctuary in Wellington.  Here a pair of Common Gallinules enjoy  their aptly-named home.

 

Linking to:  OUR WORLD on Tuesday; NATURE NOTES; MOSAIC MONDAY;  and WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Many thanks to the hosts of all of these fun sharing and learning opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

 

(These  are repeat pictures, because we're still recovering from our cross-country trip -- and just enjoying the weather and friends here on the Canal -- fun, but not picture-worthy just yet!  There will be plenty of opportunities for nature and pictures after the Holidays!  )

 

 

LIGHTHOUSE, SANIBEL ISLAND

 

 The weather is a little different, but the spirit is the same.  

 

 

 

 

Whatever pulls your sleigh, we wish you all the joys of the Holiday season!

 

 

Linking to OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY.  Thank you to Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Arija, Gattina, and Jenn  (the OWT team).  

 

LIGHTHOUSE, SANIBEL ISLAND

 

 The weather is a little different, but the spirit is the same.  

 

 

 

 

Whatever pulls your sleigh, we wish you all the joys of the Holiday season!

 

 

Linking to OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY.  Thank you to Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Arija, Gattina, and Jenn  (the OWT team).  

 

LIGHTHOUSE, SANIBEL ISLAND

 

 The weather is a little different, but the spirit is the same.  

 

 

 

 

Whatever pulls your sleigh, we wish you all the joys of the Holiday season!

 

 

Linking to OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY.  Thank you to Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Arija, Gattina, and Jenn  (the OWT team).  

WE'RE BACK!

 

 We're home for the Winter!

 

In spite of slow areas like this, it was a fast cross-country trip (for us) as we made the 3,750 mile trip in ten days.  

 

 

 

In fact, it was actually the kind of road-trip that makes people say they hate road-trips.  Nothing but driving, eating, and sleeping.       (We didn't exactly hate it, because we are a couple of those weird people who just like to go places -- but of course traveling is more fun when you stop and explore along the way.)

There was a lot of country like that above  --  not much to look at but sky, sagebrush, and lots of long-distance truckers and fellow travelers.  

 

 

 

But the boredom was punctuated by moments of joy.

 And we amused ourselves by reminiscing about times we've spent in every state we crossed.  We've visited pretty much every one of the points of interest on this route.   But this time, we were in a hurry to get back to our winter home.

 

 

 

It's a big country out there -- these desert scenes in the middle of our trip really point out how much space there is out there.  Lots of room, but not much water.

 

It's good to be home!

 

(And we don't think we'll go anywhere at all ---- for at least a week or two!)

 

Linking to: OUR WORLD on Tuesday (very late -- I must be trying to be the last entry); WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY and SCENIC WEEKENDS.  

 

Thank you to all of the hosts.