1 March, 2014 - WHAT!! Another week has gone past??

Pipervine Swallowtail butterfly

Zebra Butterfly (Florida's State Butterfly)

Monarch Butterfly

Bottlebrush Tree

There was a story in today's paper about the numbers of people desperate to escape the freezing temperatures. I cannot believe the temperatures at home or that it has continued to be so cold for so long. I feel just awful that everyone at home has to go through that. There....got that out of the way. God, it's beautiful here!

We had a great week and believe it or not, we are already starting to think about those things we still want to see and do before we have to leave. If the time continues to go as quickly as it has....we've already been here 7 weeks....we'll be busy for the next 5 weeks.

The six-hour rain delay at the Daytona 500 last Sunday was a bit of a let-down but I think we both ended up napping and then chowing down on chicken nuggets and potato skins for supper while we watched the race. Last year we were watching it in Puerto Vallarta...how continental are we....  The race season has officially begun and with any luck I'll get to see a race or two on the way home.

We decided to go to a matinee this week to see 3 Days to Kill (w/Kevin Costner). After following Gertie's instructions to the theatre, we ended up at the theatre at the Mercado. The Mercado is an entertainment district with a luxury condo complex of course, and about 15 restaurants. There's a space for concerts or other entertainment and a few stores. We went up the escalator to the show and after getting our ticket went into the lobby. There was a snack counter where you could buy sushi, a cheese plate, gourmet sandwiches or the regular old popcorn and chocolate bars. Oh yes, that could be had while sipping a glass of wine or a martini at the bar. When we went inside, I let out a squeal....the seats were B-I-G leather lazyboy type chairs that you sank down into...gorgeous. Welcome to showtime...Naples style! BTW, the film was quite good. Nice to see Kevin back.

I got to the gym for stretch and yoga twice this week and still trying to get a third trip in to complete the week.  There are a couple of other classes around 5:45 pm which I'm going to try and get to provided I can remember to eat lunch later than usual. I have rather odd eating habits and I'm not good at changing them. I have great intentions though and I'll figure it out.

All the times I've been to the Botanical Garden to meet with the writer's group, I haven't had much opportunity to tour the place. We don't finish our 'meeting' before noon and it is normally too hot to spend any time wandering around. On Friday I decided to get up early and be there when it opened at 9 am to take some photos and check out some of the areas. What a joy it was...I almost had the place to myself for the first hour and the bonus was that the butterflies were content to just sit on the leaves in order to warm up so I got to take unlimited photos while they sat and posed! The Asian garden area is wonderful and there is a Caribbean and Brazilian garden as well as a native Florida garden. The Children's garden has a jumping water fountain, play houses, a tree house and so many other wonderful areas for kids. I'm so impressed with the garden! They have a large water area that attracts all the native water birds (herons), a Zen garden and so, so much more. I think I took nearly 300 photos and it felt so good to be able to wander and take my time. It opens at 8 am on Tuesdays for photographers so I will be back next week.

Our next visit will be back to the Corkscrew Sanctuary which is about 20 miles from here. We did a recce yesterday and within 5 minutes we saw some extraordinary birds but because it was late we didn't do the 2-mile boardwalk. It's a large nesting area for the Wood stork and they are busy nesting right now and viewable from the boardwalk. We saw the most beautiful Painted Bunting...blue, yellow, and red feathers...can't wait to get a photo.

It was beautiful today and we spent almost 5 hours at the beach. There was a lovely breeze, which is dangerous, as the sun is still hot but you don't feel it. We lather up quite well and try to stay under our beach shelter when we aren't shelling but Wayne's feeling some warmth on his chest tonight. There was a wedding on the beach...there were 4 little girls as 'bridesmaids' and they each carried one big paper flower--they were so cute.

Added Sunday: We were up early and decided we'd go back to Corkscrew Sanctuary. It was cool when we got up and there was some fog but we knew it would burn off as soon as the sun broke through. We got there shortly after 9 am and made the decision to walk the 2.5 mile boardwalk. There were a few people but certainly not crowded, as it tends to get later in the day. What a wonderful spot! In the early 1900's the area was prime territory for hunters killing the large white herons for those glorious feathers the herons sprout during mating season. They were nearly killed to extinction and the enormous cypress trees indigenous to Florida almost decimated by logging. The sanctuary is one of the last nesting areas for the wood storks. We walked...or rather ambled...for a couple of hours and sat at one of the many benches along the way to eat a snack and just enjoy the quiet. The quiet was interrupted a few times by people who don't seem to understand that birds will not hang around when you talk and laugh. It was a beautiful way to spend a morning and we had lunch there and then headed home.

Tomorrow is the ballgame....Spring training game Minnesota Twins vs Toronto Blue Jays which should be fun. Until next time, keep that toque down low and the scarf pulled tight! Love and hugs to all. xx