Good days in the neighborhood

 Mornings are beautiful here in the neighborhood.  Here's a look at one recent  walk around our (RV) Park:  

 

 

The sky changes rapidly most mornings.  The pictures above are all from the walk of less than an hour.  Sunrise is around 7 a.m.  

 

 

Good news last week was the re-opening of Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve, the preserve next door to our resort.  It had been closed for removal of fallen trees and limbs and other hazards caused by Hurricane Ian.     This was the last of the Conservation 20/20 Preserves to re-open in this county.   The picture above is along the nature trail that leads from here to the entrance to the Preserve.

 

 

The trail itself is kind of a no-man's land between here and the preserve; I'm not sure whose responsibility it is -- of course there wasn't much reason to keep it maintained when the park itself was closed.  The grass-covered trail was quite damp on the misty morning I walked it and besides it was time for breakfast, so I turned around when I reached the Preserve (lower left picture above).  I'm really happy to know this neighborhood walk option is again available for future mornings.   

 Ugly picture below but it announces more post-Ian news:

 

 Yes, here at the Canal Cottage, we have all our ducts in a row.  (And we're an equal-opportunity family in the bad dad-joke department.)   Bill has been spending his days lately in the crawl space under the house   (with occasional breaks for meals).  He's replacing ducts destroyed by the hurricane.  And while he is at it, improving the lay-out so that everything will work better.   (We're not quite an equal-opportunity family when it comes to doing the actual work.  My only contribution was to stomp on the boxes for the recycling bin.)

Installers will be here tomorrow (Monday) to spray new foam insulation .   We're working our way back to normal!

Below is a picture of some real ducks in a row (now I wonder what made me think of this  picture from last year):

 

 Wetlands in our park (not a very good row)

"To get your ducks in a row" is an idiomatic (and somewhat cliched) phrase meaning  to ensure all of the small details or elements are accounted for and in their proper positions before embarking on a new project.   So it is actually quite appropriate for the project Bill just completed, since it had to be perfect before the next steps could happen.     I was curious about the origin of the phrase and learned that there are a whole bunch of different versions.  Here's one link (of many).   

Below are some pictures from an evening walk step out onto porch.   We have had some beautiful evenings lately and I'm happy that the days are starting to get a little longer.

 

(Almost) Full Snow Moon, Saturday February 4

Because of it's current position in its orbit, February's full moon will appear as the smallest one of the year.  It's called a "micro moon,"  the opposite of a Super Moon.  

Morning, noon, and night, we are thankful to be here.

 

Linking to the following sharing opportunities with thanks to the hosts:

MOSAIC MONDAY;  THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SIGNS SIGNS; THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY; and SATURDAY CRITTERS    

Comments

[Barb]

Still busy working to repair the hurricane damage! I'm glad the reserve has reopened, and you can visit again. I love seeing the ground mist.

[Adam Jones]

Really like your moon images. Never easy to photograph the moon.

[Breathtaking]

Hello Sallie :=)
You had more damage to your home than I had first imagined. Kudos to your hubby in knowing how to repair ducts and actually doing the job himself. I would have helped by stomping on the boxes also :=)

So pleased for you that your nature reserve is now open to the public, and you can get out with your camera and do what you enjoy, walking amongst nature in a quiet place. Lovely shot of the lush flora in the reserve. The name Caloosahatchee sounds as if it was named after a Native American Tribe, although I have never heard of one with this name!

Lovely morning and evening shots.The trees are so colourful and your moon shots are fantastic. Since January I have also taken an interest in the moon and taken a few photos, for the first time.
All your ducks in a row is a great saying, and thanks for sharing your photo of the ducks. Always a pleasure to visit Sallie.
All the best.

[Shiju Sugunan]

Gorgeous shots! I like the various views, misty, shadowy and the monochrome moon shots.

[Eileen]

Hello Sallie,

I enjoyed seeing the scenes from around your neighborhood.
Cute capture of the ducks. I like the trail and your long shadow shot. Pretty moon photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend!

[Linda W]

Your nature pictures have a lovely impressionistic light. Glad your ducts are getting fixed.

[Michelle Keltner]

My husband and I both left work early today to repair a water line break in the yard. I think my only offer of "help" was to accompany him to Lowes....where I promptly added some flower seeds to the supplies we bought! lol I feel your pain. I would NOT be crawling under the house! It sounds like you are making progress in your repairs. Thanks for linking up.

[Photo Cache]

Nice to see you again.

Visiting from Skywatch Friday!

Worth a Thousand Words

[Peter B.]

Glad to hear that the Preserve has reopened. Kudos to Bill. Under house crawl space is something I can't (or won't) do anymore. Too difficult!

[Jm, Illinois, U.S.A.]

I saw the full moon. Didn't know it was called a micro moon. Lovely, informative blog.

[::: Heidrun]

Yes, these scenes are lovely. And I agree, this time eachday is wonderful. Our cat wakes me often up early, early in the morning ... and I`thankful. I enjoy ist.

Thank you, being part of MosaicMonday.

Have a wonderful weekend with more such scenes.
Hugs by Heidrun

[Jim, Sydney, Australia]

Interesting to see these.

[Beatrice]

It's nice to see that in between the house projects, ducts and all, you are getting out to see actual ducks, Sallie. As you can readily tell, I enjoyed the puns and no fowl intended.

[Lillian]

Fool moon

[tomthebackroadstraveller]

...yes, it does look good in the neighborhood.

[Penelope Notes]

I'm looking forward to the longer days. Haha … the intended pun is a good one. Also, so nice to have a handyman for a husband. :)

[Gaelyn]

Seems chores are never ending. Nice moon shots.

[Bob]

Perfection Sallie, the moon shoot is sight.

[A ShutterBug Explores]

Glad 'restoration' is coming along ~ lovely photos of your area ~

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

[Alan]

I'm glad you and your community are getting back to normal. Restoration of the preserve is cool and now figure out who is in charge of the trail over there.
Beautiful photos of the sky and the moon.

[Dixie]

Beautiful photos, Sallie.

[Linda Walcroft]

Your night picture are wonderful. I enjoyed seeing the nature preserve photos too.

[Veronica Lee]

Those moon shots are incredible, Sallie.

So glad to hear that life is slowly returning to normal.

Hugs and blessings, my dear friend.

[Pat]

Beautiful moon sky photos, Sallie. I'm glad to hear that your nature preserve is open again and that you are catching up on repairs you needed to make post-hurricane. A friend in Coral Gable's is still waiting for a roofer to do repairs.
We were away last week in a warmer climate and all the flowers made me yeanr for spring, but I know it is a long way away here. So far it has been a snowy winter in Colorado but we needed it.

[somewhereinireland]

Fantastic shots of the ducks and incredible moon captures. Enjoy the week.

[Carol]

I'm happy to hear life is slowly getting back down in your area. It was so sad when that whole area looked destroyed in photos. Lovely photos today.

[John's Island]

Hello Sallie! What a beautiful Nature Trail! The name itself is pretty amazing … Caloosahatchee! Next time I see you, let me know how to pronounce that. :-) Best wishes to you on getting back to normal from the hurricane damage. Interesting bit of info on the February full moon that we have just passed. First time I’ve heard it called a “micro moon.” I have one of these digital watches that shows me the phase of the moon … for today it says “Waning Gibbous.” Really a nice post with lots of neat photos! Thank you for sharing. Also, thanks for your kind words on my blog … always look forward to your comments. Best regards to you from Seattle. John

[Sharon Wagner]

We had a spooky moon here too this week. Cloudy and moody. I'm booked for Florida next November already, back to my old stomping grounds in Bonita Springs. Here's hoping recovery is going strong.

[Lena]

Wonderful! I love the photos of ducks and moon!

[Linda P]

I'm pleased to hear that life is slowly getting back to normal, but I appreciate that there's still a lot to do. I'm glad that there are places where you can walk nearby and get some time to relax and observe the wildlife along the trail. Thank you for sharing the photos and some interesting facts - always learning about your world. All the best for the days ahead. It's good to look up at the same moon and think of one another. :)

[diane]

Your Bill is amazing for his age to be climbing under the building to put in new duct work. Is that for air conditioning?heating? Glad you are getting back to normal.

[David Gascoigne]

It's good to see things slowly returning to normal, Sallie, both inside and out. Fingers crossed for no more hurricanes for a while!

[Rain Frances]

I love that you have your ducts in a row lol...that made me giggle! What a lovely area to walk, your weather looks fantastic!

[Lavender Dreams]

Well, I learned something new! I wondered why the moon looked so small even though it was full...now I know. I don't understand really but I'm glad you wrote about it. We have some beautiful sunsets and night skies here in Florida. I'm so glad you are getting things done and that things are improving. Take care...hubby too! Hugs Diane

[Eileen]

Hello,
It is great that the preserve has re-opened. I would like having another option and place to walk in the neighborhood. Love the cute ducks. Pretty captures of the moon. It is great having a handy husband, my son has been doing some work in the house for us. Take care, have a happy week!

[Little Wandering Wren]

I'm sure you are a professional box stomper!
Have a lovely week.
Wren x

[William Kendall]

The ducks are cute.

[Vagabonde]

So nice for you to be close to a reserve and be able to watch those sweet ducks. Crawl spaces are not fun. We have one under our GA house and only my late husband could get under it. I am pleased that the Nashville house has a basement, even if not finished. Your evening skies are beautiful. Living in a city now with all the street lights, it’s not easy to see night skies.

[ellen b.]

So good to read that things are moving back towards normal at your winter home. Ducks in a row or ducts where they belong, hoping all keeps on schedule. Glad you can enjoy those nice walks. Enjoy the first full week of February!