Hi allison
DonnieBrook's Subtropical Adventures!
hello there JoAnn!
The Villages are huge, Jo Ann---about 70, 000 folks. They take up 3 counties. When we had our home, a woman I taught with lived 5 min. away, & I never saw her, even though we were there for 3 months--Louise, I will Dmail you before we leave---end of Dec. & get your cell phone number as I will not have a computer with me. It would be fun to do Ding Darling!
Sounds good, Marilyn!
Louise, your place there looks great. Makes me wish I was there. I just got over the flu and now have bronchitis, but won't be long till I'm over that. Going back to work tomorrow after being out for 1 1/2 wks.
I love your new hibiscus! What a beauty! And your living wall is great!
Oh, I just love visiting Florida and may do that this year. I've always wanted to go to Sanibel, and I'm thinking maybe I'll take my Dad there in Jan. or Feb. Ding Darling sounds great. I have not been there. Been to the Everglades. I have a friend in Marco Island that I've visited several times. It sure is beautiful there. I love the white sand beaches and all the shells.
Karen
Louise and all, I'm here too.
You're in FL, Laurel?
Karen
Yes, Karen, though life is not as it seems. My birth home is Miami, never saw snow 'til I was fifteen and would rather be in the mountains in N. GA. I wish I was at Maypop but responsibilities that we commonly know as "work" call me back here. I'll be here for a few weeks if you'd like to see photos. Here's a pic of sea grapes by the lake. They are yummy.
HolyCow Marilyn.
I had no idea it was so vast.
Sure, I'd love to see pictures. Sea grapes, huh? Never heard of them. I want to take a trip to FL in Jan. or Feb. I love getting away from the cold for a bit.
Karen
Gee Karen, you've had a rough couple of weeks! Take it slow to work---you'll have a relapse. Yes, Jo Ann, the Villages are vast---that's why it's hard to believe we were able to rent the house next door to our friends! Maypop---did not know sea grapes had edible fruit!
Yes, it's been rough. My first day back at work wasn't bad, though. I don't really have a tough job, though.
Karen
Hi DonnieB ^_^ Just found this thread. It sounds like many things took not only survived the summer but took off! Please keep us posted about the seedlings! It makes me want to fire up the growop!
Hello Friends! Laurel - so glad to know you will be contributing to the "FLA expose" here while you are working over there on the other coast! I agree that the sea grapes are yummy....seagrape jelly is a local favorite. We have some sea grapes in our living fence, planted by the neighbors.
Karen - it sounds like we could have an "old home week" down here in Jan. or Feb. with you and Marilyn heading down. Maybe we could all coordinate a mini-RU here with a visit to Ding Darling! I sure hope you don't have a relapse returning to work, Karen! Take it slow! Bad germs up there, huh? So many of you have been really sick! Feel better!
Dahlia Dear - I'm happy to report that my prettiful red dahlias are now planted in 3 locations. Keep your fingers crossed for me that they'll thrive here.
We've been sort of preoccupied with a very unexpected addition to our family. They found us and even Molly gave me her paws up. These 2 adorable little fur balls have adopted us and they came home with us yesterday. Meet Bailey and Carli, 2 little 8-week-old Bichon sisters. We are EXHAUSTED trying to keep up with them! Right now they are wrestling on the floor......soon they will crash in their crate. Happy puppies are such good medicine!
This family portrait reveals how emotional with my swollen eyes......
Laurel - will your stay extend into January so you could hop on board the RU train?
PUPPIES!!! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ How very exciting DonnieB!
Yes, they are, Dahlia! Whodathunkit? Not us.....but Surprise!!! :)
Congrats, Louise!
Thanks, Victor! How are your kitties?
They're fine. Thanks!
puppies are great medicine for sure!!!
Let me know how having 2 puppies at the same time goes.
uhh!! ohhh!
Oh Louise, I am soooo happy for you and Hank!
I sorry it was so emotional for you but they were mixed tears , yes? I know those, the memories, finality, and a swelling in the chest with a wave of new love for those helpless babes in front of you. They will be great healing medicine. ^_^
jen i thought the same thing :)
Louise they look like they will be a lot of fun!
I would love to coordinate a mini-RU down there for Jan. or Feb., Louise! Sounds like fun! My Dad would enjoy that. I think Ding Darling is one of the places my mother would have loved to visit. She did a lot of painting, and she especially loved painting shore birds and others.
Have fun with the puppies! They're adorable!
Karen
Just found, and am loving this thread! Love that hibiscus....and the PUPPIES! Think I can keep warm hanging out here this winter. ^_^
Louise, wowsers on your bowsers! Great to see Molly's not lolling about. I'm here on "bidness" and to take care of the house. Will not be RUing anywhere or time soon (sigh).
I don't have cute puppy pics but want to share a few not so good photos of a tropical friend. She's tiny at around two feet from head to tail. These were shot through a glass door and then the screened pool area so are not very clear.
Cute lizard!
Karen
The green iguana was not here when I was growing up. They were imported as pets and then released. They have created havoc in South Florida because they are voracious herbivores and are especially fond of fruits. They get huge...like five or six feet! They are so cold intolerant that when the temps dip in winter they seize up and fall out of trees. lol It's not unusual to go for a neighborhood walk and be standing under a tree that's moving about. Look up and you might see something from Jurassic Park right over your head!
Starfruit.
Florida has a lot of non-native invasive pests, both from the plant and animal kingdom.
Karen
That is very funky weird Maypoplaurel about the green iguana not being native and now be iguanaiferous. I did not know that. Are they doing major damage to the fruit trees?
So true Cousin Nut there is the tourist invasion. I'm sure that has HUGE impact.
This message was edited Nov 7, 2009 6:09 PM
LOL! I'm one of them on occasion!
Karen
Me too ^_^
Well, I wasn't going to mention the invasion of plaid Bermudas, plaid shirts, plaid socks and so on. It's like Woodstock for madras come winter here! They spend a few hours toasting on the beach (without sunscreen of course) and then clog the ERs with emergency burns.
There are a lot of non-native species animals and plants. Year 'round growing conditions make things worse. We didn't have crocodiles here years ago but now they are on the native list. People bought and released all kinds of non-native birds (such as parrots). They have damaged our native bird populations. Visitors don't realize the Florida's ecosystem was not at all like that of the Caribbean or S. America forty years ago.
There's the new micro-industry of nest robbing exotic birds for profit. If a non-native, exotic bird nests on your property you might be vandalized. "Robbers" go to great lengths to steal nestlings for the avian hobbyist market.
I've heard of giant pythons in the everglades, too. Scary!
Karen
Jen and Bill - I have had at least 2 dogs most of my life. We had Molly alone after her 2 "brothers" died, and it was so much harder. I have always found that 2 are so much easier than one....especially if you work outside of the home. They keep each other company, etc.. These guys are really fun. They are doing just great, and Hank and I are making progress in puppy-proofing the house. Today we went to Lowes and got some things to make all the electrical cords inaccessible to them, as they are in their teething stage. They are playing hard together right now and then they crash. We were so tired last night we put them in their crate at 9:30 and we had to wake them up at 6:30. They cuddle together at night and play constantly with each other during their "out an about" time. I do think it would be so much harder if we didn't have 2.
Karen - once you and Marilyn know your travel dates, we'll put something together here. Laurel - I'm sorry you won't be able to join us. Everyone else is very welcome to come as well! What fun that would be!
Celeste - that is such a beautiful way to explain my emotions...you really hit it on the head! They have sooooo stolen our hearts already. I will always miss Molly, and my other wonderful dogs as well, but these little customers are indeed good medicine, just as Allison said.
Hi Jo Ann, Phoebes and Dahlia! Great to hear from you guys! What's going on in your worlds these days?
He's a cutie, Laurel! My historic memories are the same as yours. No crocs in my childhood either, and we had no iguanas and no parrots, etc. Now we have them all, although I am not aware of any iguanas here, but they are a real problem in Boca Grande and Cape Coral. I hate to hear that about the nest robbers.