Here at home in Oregon, the sun is shining, temperatures are still late summer-like and flowers are still blooming.
But my head has been in Florida thinking about the after-effects of Hurricane Ian.
So many people in the Fort Myers area where our winter home is lost everything. We are incredibly fortunate that our winter home is still standing and did not sustain wind or water damage inside.
We know this now because our son, who lives in Colorado, was able to drive to Fort Myers to assess the damage, take pictures, and do the awful job of outside cleanup. We are so grateful.
So Geoff is camping out in our Florida house -- there is no electricity but the water has been turned back on (with boil drinking water warnings). No air conditioner either and in Florida this time of year that really is a necessity. I am sure he is not sleeping very well.
The hurricane left all manner of debris around the cottage (and the whole neighborhood). Some of that is from the storage area under the house (basement crawl space) but much of it is from other places -- it could have blown in from other houses in the resort or the Canal could have washed it in from who knows where. It's very sad -- and a lot of cleanup work.
Nobody who lives in our resort was injured, not even the people who are permanent residents. But there was a lot of damage from the terrible winds and from water surge from the Canal and River. Our next door neighbor's home was just about totaled, They will not be returning and we will miss them. We do still plan to return later -- but it won't be the same.
Meanwhile though, as we plan for our return to a changed Florida, we continue to enjoy this beautiful Pacific Northwest Autumn. And we never forget to be grateful.
The Dahlias are from a garden at our Lane County (Oregon) Fairgrounds. When we stopped to take pictures I talked to a garden-club volunteer who was cutting flowers. She told me that September was their prime blooming month and that I should put the Club's annual Dahlia Show on my calendar for next year. I will try to remember.
Blue Sky - Oregon October
Linking this week to the following sharing opportunities. Thank you to the hosts:
NATURE NOTES; THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; and FRIDAY BLISS
Sallie, this looks like a Bauhinia purpurea or "Orchid Tree". See:
http://www.exotic-plants.de/seeds/trees/Bauhinia-purpurea-purple-orchid-tree.php
Posted by: Nick | March 15, 2012 at 03:04 PM