Legacy

Martinique

2011-12-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

I almost forgot Martinique, one the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean. We stopped there after Barbados. We took a bus tour through the interior - lush, mountainous, steep lopes -and I was glad I had not booked the hiking tour because it would have been very strenuous. It is probably easy to hike on your own because I saw trails and maps the way they mark trails in Germany and France.

Martinique is a French Department and therefore part of the EU.

Our guide was cute and had excellent English pronounciation.

Our goal was a Rum distillery. It had an excellent gift shop with wonderful rum-sugar candy and premium rum.

The distillery is on an ancient lavafield right below Mount Pele, a dormant volcano.

Our next stop was the town of St. Pierre which had been completely destroyed by the eruption of Mount Pele. Somehow, I thought they would have preserved important buildings in an archeological park, but today, St.Pierre is a small, traffic chocked town, rebuilt, a few ruins left. It is still very interesting and beautifully located.

Saint Pierre and Mount Pele from afar.

The above picture was taken when we sailed along the coast to our next destination, but before we get there, I have to show you the biggest surprise in the harbor of Fort de France, capital of Martinique.

The real Fort der France

La Romana, Dominican Republic

2011-12-11T10:11:00.002-05:00

Our last stop was La Romana in the Dominican Republic.

The caves were beautiful no photos allowed. San Pedro turned out to be an exercise in contrast. Shacks next to renovated homes, decorative bars in front of windows and balconies.

Barbados

2011-12-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

We went to the Atlantic side of Barbados, very beautiful.

Iles du Salut

2011-12-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Inselns des Heils oder des Teufels?

Das Wetter war uns hold. Wir konnten die Teufelsinseln besuchen, wo die Franzosen ihr beruehmt-beruechtigtes Gefangenlager hatten. Auf der groessten Insel waren Verwaltung, Kirche und Krankenhaus untergebracht. Einige Gebaeude sind restauriert und eines davon ist heute ein Hotel, das an unserem Wochenende gut besucht war. Die Gaeste kommen mit eienr Faehre von Kourou auf dem Festland. In Kourou befindet sich die Abschussrampe der Ariadne Rakete, mit dem blossen Auge erkennbar.

Parintins

2011-12-10T11:30:00.000-05:00

We spent two days in Manaus. Then Regatta turned downriver.

Our last stop on the Amazon was in Parintins. The town has a huge festival in June when the 'blue' and the 'red' compete in a spectacular dance show which illustrates the legend of the farmer's daughter and the ox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTacXGWqajU

The villagers

Snake dancers

Farmer's daughter

The ox - Bom boi

Seductive river ghost

Most beautiful woman in village

Shaman

When cruise ships come to town, they put on a abridged version of the big show in an airconditioned hall near the pier. It was one hour of non-stop energetic dance, spectacular costumes and great entertainment.

Meeting of the Waters

2011-12-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

The yellow-brownish Amazon and the dark Rio Negro have different levels of acidity, different speed and temperature. They also support different species of fish. They meet a few kilometers south of Manaus and form a straight line until they finish mixing completely 6 kilometers further down. The brown water of the Amazon wins!

As part of the Meeting of the Waters tour, we took a side trip to one of the swimming villages. The houses upon the hill are built on stilts high enough for the rising river water in the rainy season. The houses on the water are placed on balsam trunks which will float up.

We were in one of the small canoes, passing this houseboat.

In the rainy season, the water lily leaves will grow much bigger. They are hemmed in by tree trunks to prevent them from floating away.

Manaus

2011-12-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

We took a tour to see the highlightsof Manaus.
Since its heyday was over 100 years ago during the rubber boom, Manaus has sunk into poverty and is only now rising again. The city builds apartments for slum dwellers and has transformed one former favela (slum) into a park.
This manion was built by a German rubber baron and is now a government building.

The famous opera house

A favela

The city seen from the river. The Azamara Journey is a sister ship of the Regatta.

All city streets were choked with traffic.

These young guys are on their way from the city market to the river where boats are loaded.

If you look closely at the left, you can see the underpass the young guys are using to get to the river.

The banks of the Rio Negro are filled with boats of all sizes. Manaus is on the Rio Negro, not on the Amazon. The water of the Rio Negro is so acidic that it does not support mosquito larva, hence no mosquitos in Manaus.

In the rainy season, the river rises up to the black line.

Manaus

2011-12-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

Manaus reimt sich auf Chaos.
Suedamerikareisende sind es wohl gewoehnt, aber fuer mich ist es die erste Stadt Suedamerikas und ich bin fasziniert vom Treiben im Markt. Da die Haupthalle renoviert wird, hat sich ein Grossteil der Staende auf die umliegenden Strassen bis hin zum Busbahhof verlegt.

Boca da Valeria

2011-12-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

Diese winzige Amazonasdorf ist ein Halt, den man nur entweder herzlich begruessen oder total ablehnen kann. Wir sind eindeutig das Sonntagsvergnuegen der gesamten Umgebung, die per Boot angerueckt ist. Kreuzschiffpassagiere sind Geldquellen, die es auszunutzen gilt.

Eine Kinderriege begruesst uns - ohne Lieder, aber dafuer aufdringlich.

Die Zwerge ergreifen die Haende der Passagiere und fuehren sie zielgerecht zur Dorfmitte.

Dort wartet die Bar, in der die kleinen Fuehrer eine Limonade und Chips erwarten- bezahlt von den Gefuehrten.

Wir sind eher geschockt als amuesiert und reagieren, indem wir dem Dorf entfliehen, noch ein paar Aufnahmen, allerdings nicht von den als Indianer kostuemierten Kindern, die vor den Huetten stehen und pro Foto $ 1 erwarten. Eine Fahrt im Kanu wuerde $ 5 kosten. Das Geld waere uns egal, uns stoert die Aufmache.

Amazon: Santarem

2011-12-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

Das Boot des Piloten, der mit seinem Rucksack in unser Schiff huepfen wird. Das Wasser des Amazonas ist gelblichbraun.

Unsere erste Stadt ist Santarem. Hier kommt ein Nebenfluss dazu, dessen Wasser nicht wie Lehm aussieht. Es wird aber bald vom Amazonas verschluckt.

In den Hochlandwaeldern hinter der Stadt machen wir unseren ersten Dschungelspaziergang. Am Ende der Trockenzeit sieht es hier wie in Florida aus, obwohl Baeume wachsen, die bei uns nicht ueberleben wuerden, z.B. Gummibaeume und kaelteempfindliche Palmen.

Unsere gesamte Gruppe ist wie fuer eine Expedition ausgeruestet, doch es wird nur ein einfacher Waldspaziergang. Sogar die Toiletten haben fliessendes Wasser und Fluessigseife.

Port of Spain, Trinidad

2011-12-05T18:50:00.000-05:00

A lively welcome, lots of contrasts in this city.
This is our last stop before we head for the Amazon.
Check out some more photos of Port of Spain.
http://animoto.com/play/9BlYAvhGlXqH93KUsybxfA

Saint Lucia

2011-12-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

Independent, pious, poor and beautiful Saint Lucia

Saint Barthelemie

2011-12-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

Better known as St. Bart or St. Barts, this small French island has a heart stopping approach by air, a fancy yacht-encrusted harbor, and lots of super-rich home owners.
Check out this small video.(Yes, I know how to spell 'the'.)
http://animoto.com/play/fG0kFKFQPdFlKVANJhj8Gw

Hamilton, Bermuda

2011-12-03T17:50:00.000-05:00

Sunny blue sky, white roofs, delightfully colorful homes, off-shore banking ... Enjoy Bermuda!

Embarkation Point: Manhattan

2011-12-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

Am Tag vor unserer Einschiffung besuchten wir das World Trade Center. Leider konnte ich fuer diesen Sonntag keine Karten mehr bekommen, die uns einen naeheren Blick erlaubt haetten.

Der naechse Hafen wird Hamilton, die Hauptstadt von Bermuda sein.

Cruise to the Amazon

2011-12-03T07:44:00.000-05:00

Our itinerary:
NY,NY - Hamilton, Bermuda - Gustavia, St.Barts - Castries, St.Lucia - Port of Spain, Trinidad - the Amazon: Santarem, Boca da Valeria, Manaus, Parintins - Iles du Salut, Guyane - Bridgetown, Barbados - Fort de France, Martinique - Spanishtown, Virgin Gorda - La Romana, Dominican Republic - Miami, Florida

Our ship:
Regatta of the Oceania Line, not quite 700 passengers

Fall in my Backyard

2011-10-17T07:16:00.000-04:00

Muhly Grass in Bloom

Fall in Ferndale

2011-10-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

Beautyberry

Ferndale Preserve

Lake Apopka in the background

Grey Hairstreak

Dotted Horsemint

People Watching

2010-09-28T01:19:00.000-04:00

Would you like to wear long pants, a shirt and a scarf around your face in Florida's heat? Maybe her husband and children are waering long pants out of sympathy.

Cool dudes!

This may very well be the last post in this blog. It causes a lot of trouble up loading the pictures. Wait for a new edition in the future.

Dr.Seuss

2010-09-27T01:23:00.002-04:00

When you turn right, you wind up in Dr.Seuss' Landing where you meet all your favorite characters - that is if you are a child.

Island of Adventures, Universal Studios

2010-09-26T01:02:00.001-04:00

Universal Studios has two parks, one of the is the Island of ADventures with Harry Potter's world and Jurassic Park. Today's photos show the entrance area. The bazar lies behind the gates.

The modern city - more like the idea of the modern world as it might have apperaed in the fifties - is located between the parking garages and the gates.

Jurassic Park

2010-09-25T04:53:00.002-04:00

Right next door to the wintry world of the wizards, Jurassic Park Jungle gives some relief from the crowds.

Can you see Jurassic Park next to Hogswards?

We went to see Harry Potter ...

2010-09-23T19:23:00.001-04:00

Before Harry entered the Wizarding School, he lived with his mean Mugle (non wizard) relatives. One day, an owl delivered a letter to him. Look into the rafters where the owls are waiting for their assignments. Of course, there is the greatest little candy store. We couldn't find any weird flavors, however. Before he could go to the wizarding school, he had to buy a wand. The actor in this small store did a great job selecting and 'selling' wands to two young brothers, a really nice feature in the park. Finally, Harry arrives at his school. The inside has a really cool ride, sort of a low rollercoaster with soaring video. I need to close my eyes throughout most of the ride.The school's choir was superb, very likely opera trained voices.Inside the school in the waiting line for the ride. We were allowed to cut in line because we had two birthday babies with us.

We went to Ikea ...

2010-09-22T22:40:00.003-04:00

Bluebird Eggs

2010-07-12T14:51:00.000-04:00

Summer Juice

2010-07-09T19:59:00.002-04:00

Red ripe juicy watermelon somewhere in Marion County

Courtyard

2010-07-08T04:22:00.003-04:00

Courtyard

2010-07-07T04:13:00.007-04:00

Green Anole

2010-07-06T04:03:00.003-04:00

A green anole has made his home in our courtyard. It is a type of lizard native to the southeastern United States. It can change color to blend with its background.

A View of Natural Legacy

2010-07-05T04:07:00.003-04:00

Around Legacy

Backyards

2010-07-04T04:54:00.002-04:00

A look at some of my neighbor's backyards. A gardener lives here.Their view into the wilderness.

Early Morning

2010-07-03T04:48:00.002-04:00

Our house is in the background and on the left in the second picture.

Sunshine Mimosa

2010-07-02T04:03:00.003-04:00

Sunshine mimosa is a native plant that prefers sun and sand.

Pelican, Swan, and Squirrel

2010-07-01T04:27:00.003-04:00

Uwe's Photos

Manatees in Homosassa

2010-06-30T04:44:00.006-04:00

Uwe's Photos

Fort Myers Beach

2010-06-29T04:41:00.002-04:00

Uwe took those photos in May this year. He runs a message board on travel in Florida.

Scrub Jays

2010-06-28T04:26:00.001-04:00

Horse Farm

2010-06-27T01:43:00.001-04:00

Next to Church Pond, there is a horse farm.

Church Pond

2010-06-26T01:31:00.001-04:00

Church Pond has many cattails.

Church Pond

2010-06-25T01:47:00.001-04:00

Old Quarry Pond

2010-06-24T01:12:00.002-04:00

American Lotus

2010-06-23T01:01:00.003-04:00

American Lotus in Old Quarry Pond

Bluebirds

2010-06-22T04:22:00.002-04:00

My neighbor called me over today to show me that her bluebirds were starting to come out of the box. Mom still came and fed them, but they were peeking out and one had already left.

The bird on the left is a great blue heron.

Barking Tree Frog

2010-06-20T20:44:00.003-04:00

This grass green guy with spots sat in one of the flower pots when I woke him up and he jumped down. He still has a patch of dirt on his back.

Lightning Strike

2010-06-20T02:25:00.001-04:00

Lightning Strike and Spanish Moss

Red Mallow

2010-06-19T02:57:00.007-04:00

Red mallow in a neighbor's garden

Sandhill Cranes

2010-06-18T02:45:00.002-04:00

Two sandhill cranes cross Meandering Trails at the 'Wildlife Crossing' sign.My new kickbike. Everybody comments on it.

Black and yellow argiope spider

2010-06-11T17:06:00.003-04:00

This harmless orb spider is also called the 'writing spider'. It picked a great spot where insects fly against the screen. Visitors with arachnaphobia have to enter the house through one of our other doors.

Lotus

2010-06-10T16:55:00.004-04:00

American lotus in Old Quarry Pond, a spectacular plant.

Eustis 1

2010-06-05T04:17:00.001-04:00

Eustis has a small park right on the lake.

The public pool is right behind the the concert hall.

The trains used to run for tourists a few years back, but the rails are in such bad shape that they stopped the train.

Living along the railroad tracks.

Eustis 2

2010-06-04T04:53:00.001-04:00

Eustis is one of the small historic towns in Lake County. It was named after one of the generals in the Seminole Wars.

Although it is spearated from Lake Eustis by the old railroad line and extremely busy Route 19, Eustis has managed to keep most of its downdown stores open.

It did it again!

2010-06-03T04:50:00.000-04:00

Brian Jungen

2010-05-31T04:52:00.000-04:00

Swiss-Canadian and First Nation
Exhibition in the Museum of the American Indian in DC Plastic chairs

Baseball gloves

Basketball shoes

Golf Bags

Basketball shoe

Plastic containers

Museum of the American Indian in DC (1)

2010-05-30T04:43:00.002-04:00

Iroquois? The Central Hall is impressive

Four differents kinds of canoes were displayed.

Birch Bark

Behind the museum

Museum of the American Indian in DC (2)

2010-05-29T04:15:00.001-04:00

The museum is close to the Capitol. The sand-colored stonework reminds me of the cliffs in the American Southwest.

Native plants in the garden at the front.

Aa Buffalo Kachina

Looks like a Hawaiian outrigger.

Cactus

2010-05-27T04:30:00.000-04:00

The cacti from school are doing well in the Florida sun.

Birds

2010-05-26T04:38:00.001-04:00

Here is someone who takes great pictures: our neighbor Reinhold.
Great blue heronSnowy egret

Tricolored heron

The difference between a heron and an egret? All egrets are part of the heron family, a subdivison as I may say so. Not all herons are egrets.

Orchid Society Garden (1)

2010-05-25T02:47:00.001-04:00

Phalenopsis

Heliconia

Frauenschuh

Orchid Society Garden (2)

2010-05-24T02:26:00.000-04:00

The American Orchid Society ahs a fancy building right next to Morikami. There is a greenhouse and otudoor gardens.

Sugar cane

Water Reclamation Facility (1)

2010-05-23T04:37:00.001-04:00

The spray fields are located a bit further away from the plant. A farmer grows Bermuda grass of the finest quality out there. One of the holding basins.

Wildlife likes the basin. This green anole basks in the sun.

Pumps to get the water out to Legacy.

Balloon

2010-05-20T04:46:00.001-04:00

A balloon landed in Legacy on Sunday, May 16, 2010. Luckily Carolyn Anderson Katz took photos from her lanai and was nice enough to share them with me.

Morikami (1)

2010-05-19T00:04:00.003-04:00

Some of the stonework used in the garden is antique. All of the firebush were cut like bonsai trees.

The romantic garden style is what most people have in mind when they think of a Japanese garden for their home.

Turtles and koi live in the murky water and are obviously used to feeding.

Morikami (2)

2010-05-18T04:48:00.001-04:00

The Gulfstream Bonsai collection is exquisite. Cypress

Bougainvillea

Morikami (3)

2010-05-17T04:21:00.001-04:00

The Morikami Museum and Gardens are on land donated by George Sukeji Morikami. In 1904, Jo Sakai organized a group of Japanese farmers who founded the Yamato colony in Palm Beach county. Yamato is an ancient name for Japan.

These farmers tried to make a go of farming the land, but had to give up in the 1920's, only George Morikami stayed.

When George ws in his 80s, he donated land to Palm Beach County with the wish that it be used as a park to preserve the memory of the Yamato Colony.

The Morikami, with its unique gardens and collections, is one of Palm Beach County's most treasured cultural attractions.

Of the four gardens we visited, the Morikami is the most beautiful with the best vistas. It is also the one requiring the most maintenance. There is barely a bush that wasn't shaped into just the right configuration to provide the best view.

Morikami (4)

2010-05-16T04:54:00.003-04:00

This rock garden is one of the oldest styles of Japanese gardens.

Three kinds of Zen gardens.

Miami (1)

2010-05-15T05:22:00.002-04:00

While watching the sun rise behind Miami Beach, I noticed lots of trucks waiting in line on the harbor bridge.

A close-up shows all the trucks lined up along the waterfront boulevard.

They come from a side street as well.

This traffic jam is "normal' on days when a container ship has arrived.

View from the waiting room in the German consulate.

Miami (2)

2010-05-14T04:41:00.002-04:00

Miami Waterfront ParkToo much concrete used, in my humble opinion

View from out hotel room

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (1)

2010-05-13T04:29:00.002-04:00

Stunning tropical blooms (clerodendrum)

Bromeliad

Cameron Gainer created Nessie

More polka dots by Yayoi Kusama

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (2)

2010-05-12T04:13:00.002-04:00

Dale Chihuly's End of the Day Tower from 2005 in the Windows to the Tropics Conservatory

Lots of bromeliads in the conservatory

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (3)

2010-05-11T04:52:00.002-04:00

William Lyman Phillips designed his garden with wide vistas of tropical palm trees.

The desert section was added later.

David McKee's gorilla is part ot the art displayed throughout the garden.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (4)

2010-05-10T04:33:00.002-04:00

The Garden is large which makes it nice to use the little tram. We passed tropical plants like this clorodendrum.

. The pumpkin field created by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

The desert section

The African baobab tree, a young 75 years old.

Vizcaya (1)

2010-05-09T04:47:00.003-04:00

Vizcaya seems to be a popluar spot for Quinceanera photos - the sweet 15 party in Mexico and other Latin American cultures.

One demurely covered statue.

Vizcaya (2)

2010-05-08T04:30:00.002-04:00

View from the breakfast room into the gardens. At Deering's time, there were extensive agricultural gardens as aprt of his estate. The garden must have been more expensive than the house.

It affords many beautiful vistas.

All the statues are strategically covered, after all they are located in the USA not in Italy.

View back to the breakfast room on the south side of the house.

Vizcaya (3)

2010-05-07T04:14:00.003-04:00

James Deering of International Harvester wanted his winter home to look like an Italian Estate. The interior courtyard was uncovered at the time. Deering bought antiques from different periods on his travels throughout Europe.

Some of the rooms are light filled, but quite a few are rather dank and dark.

Obvioulsy, he also travelled to Quimper, France and bought these dishes displayed in the Butler's pantry.

Vizcaya (4)

2010-05-06T05:59:00.003-04:00

Vizcaya was built by the Chicago industrialist James Deering from 1914 - 1916 in an italianate style. The Biscaya Bay view from its terrace is stunning

Along the shore, a pavillon to the right and a Venezian stone ship in the middle.

The stone ship from the other side.

A view towards the stone bridge behind the squared off bush and the modern bridge in the background.

Our Yard

2010-05-05T05:13:00.000-04:00

Confederate jasmin in bloom front door fern

fish

front door again

Ugly little cactus surprised us all.

Growth spurt in sago palm.

Clay Island

2010-04-29T02:07:00.001-04:00

The canals on Clay Island are full of alligators, most are large and crusty. One 15 footer crossed the path but was too far away for my camera.

ClayIsland is a peninsula in Lake Apopka. It used the be the site of muck farms because of its rich soil. After generations of taking water from the lake for irrigation and putting it back in with phosphates and nitrates from fertilizing and toxic residue from spraying, people had to move because the became sick and the Lake had died.

St. Johns River Water Management District bought the land and is restoring it. right now, it is a wetlands with long canals and abundant wildlife.

Great blue heron

Butterflie on pickerel weed

In addition to adding aluminum sufate as a floccating agent, the residue from NuRF is sprinkled on the ground in order to prevent leaching of nutrients back into the water. Tehre is no fancy machine from Germany, but the area is very large which helps in restoring water quality. Unfortunatley, Lake Apopka's watershed does not provide clean water. There is still a long way to go to clean up this lake.

The hill in the background is Sugarloaf Mountain, the second highest mountain in Florida. It is part of the "ridge" that runs down the middle of Florida and peters out north of Lake Okechobee

The ridge is the remnant of ancient sanddunes that separted the gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean when most of Florida was under water.

Marshall Swamp Trailhead

2010-04-28T05:11:00.000-04:00

If you didn't know yet: a swamp has trees, a marsh has grasses and sedges. This swamp is east of Ocala and south of Silver Springs State Park.

Before the Civil War, there was a sugar plantation in this area. The swamp was percolating with gasses from decaying leaves.

Tillandisa city on this tree. Tillandsias are epiphytes related to bromeliads and pineapple.

The dipnet found these black fish.

Aa native carnivore pitcher plant.

Several bridges lead across areas that have permanent water or muck.

Bobcat

2010-04-27T01:12:00.001-04:00

While we were hiking out there in mosquito-laden swamps and sundrenched marshes, yelling excitedly when we saw a bobcat from afar, my neighbor Maggie stayed home and took this photo right out of her Floridaroom. Way to go Maggie!

By the way, he is staring at Maggie's Persian cat who is staring back. Sorry the first photo is fuzzy.

NuRF

2010-04-26T04:52:00.000-04:00

Where the water flows back into the canal.

The water is much clearer here. More water plants grow and more fish live here. Fishing for bass is important here for tournaments that bring in needed tourist money.

The racer stopped right behind the lock, moved his boat to the side and started fishing.
I googled him: It's Michael Howard from Nashville, Arkansas, and he is listed as a sports fisherman.

Critters

2010-04-22T04:20:00.000-04:00

Charles Fedunek's pet alligator

It has a soft belly. When the alligator becomes too big for Charles' office, it goes to Gatorland.

Charles also brought a rat snake which he handed to Leslie.

Teresa Watkisn brought a carnivore pitcher plant.

A male gopher tortoise.

Hickory Point

2010-04-21T04:57:00.001-04:00

The citrus orchard is right next to the swamp. It must have been a feat to establish it there.

The giant swallowtail likes citrus blooms.

Duck potato, edible tubers in the water

Royal Fern

The skeletonizer has eaten all the green off the palm leaf.

The precise work of a woodpecker.

Pandora?

2010-04-20T04:36:00.001-04:00

Hardwood SwampSpanish Moss

Titi

Bald Cypress

Cypress knee with brown anole

Cypress Swamp

Cypress Knee

Air Potato

Micanopy 1

2010-04-18T04:46:00.001-04:00

Micanopy's museum flies the colors of the nations who once established settlements in Florida: Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the USA and ?

Next to the museum, a little country store
.

with a front porch

Old farm implements and their gardian

Grist mill

Sugar mill

Stove

Soda machine

Cross Creek 1

2010-04-15T04:08:00.002-04:00

In Marjorie's garden The tenant house

About a mile away, The Yearling restaurant offers alligator steak and sandwiches.

Ravine Gardens State Park (2)

2010-04-11T04:22:00.000-04:00

Staircase into the ravine Two springs at the bottom

View down into the ravine

Azalea trail

Cypress in spring leaves

Resucrrection fern on log

Azaleas

Pretty fern

Bamboo

Ravine Gardens State Park (1)

2010-04-10T04:04:00.003-04:00

Ravine Gardens State Park is in Palatka It is a deep ravine planted with many azaleas.

There is a formal garden and a much larger natural area.

Palatka

2010-04-09T04:36:00.000-04:00

Palatka has an important past as a steamer stop on the St. Johns river. Several murals in town depict Palatka's past.

Putnam County courthouse Palatka is one of the many Central Florida towns whose downdown has fallen on hard times.

Big Box stores and chain restaurants at the outskirts have deprived Palatka of its business center.

Allamanda, Azaleas etc.

2010-04-08T04:18:00.001-04:00

Loropetalum chinense

2010-04-07T05:39:00.000-04:00

Jacksonville Beach

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Jacksonville Beach on Good Friday

Jacksonville Beach

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A block from the beach

Fern

2010-04-03T05:58:00.000-04:00

A nice neighbor gifted me these two ferns.

Flower Power

2010-04-02T04:54:00.000-04:00

Gaillardia survived winter. Big bird vulture on the blackberry vines

Blue salvia

Native orchids

Petunia and delphinium

Toothache Tree

2010-04-01T04:34:00.000-04:00

Great defenses. That's why the tree is also called "Hercules Club".

It likes dry soil.

Water

2010-04-01T04:28:00.001-04:00

This meadow is now a river - lots of rain this spring.

Church Pond

Cherokee Plum

2010-03-31T04:28:00.000-04:00

Cherokee plum in bloom and native bromeliads

Highly toxic rosary pea is intertwined with the cherokee plum.

Backyard Survivors

2010-03-29T04:34:00.000-04:00

Walter's viburnum is blooming its head off.This look-alike a banana shoots new leaves up wheras the real thing is dead.

Our lanai plant bed.

Unfazed coral honesuckle on the arbor.

All the way from the back.

Trout Lake Nature Center

2010-03-28T04:35:00.000-04:00

The main building It's been such an unusually wet spring that some trails are under water. Since Trout Lake welcomes students, a temporary boardwalk was installed.

Trout Lake Nature Center

2010-03-27T04:11:00.001-04:00

Trout Lake Nature Center is located in Eustis. A boardwalk leads through the wet woods out to the lake. The high trees are the perfect roost for all sorts of birds.

The black vulture prefers the roof.

The swampy woods are home to many plants whose names I don't know or don't recall if I ever knew them.

A home for a flicker on the tree.

Spring in Florida: not a single mosquito, but later in the summer ...