from the porches

welcome to florida

Yes, we are finally home from our four day reprieve from work and school.  It was a very relaxing trip(except for the drive time) and full of surprises.  I took many photographs and you have seen some of the worse, but remember, we were driving down the highways at  70+ mph. 

Nothing excited me more than seeing this sign about 15 miles from my house.

               

While we were gone I took many photographs to practice using my camera.  We walked around my sister's property and down to the garden.  What jewels I found!

             

                    This is the path to Sherry's garden.

               

This is a photo of an old croquet set leaning against their shed.  I see now that I should have resized it for this post.  You may see this again.

Truett is sacked out in the TV room and it's 9:00 PM and that's where I'm headed as well.  Everyone needs a break ever so often, and we certainly enjoyed ours.

scavenger hunt

The trip has become one intriguing scavenger hunt for me.   For one thing, finding 60 degree weather that feels like Florida 60 degree weather is the biggest scavenger hunt of all times. Sixty degree weather where we currently are comes with cold winds which bites into my Florida skin like alligator teeth.  Obviously, we're not in Miami or Georgia.  We are much further north.  Could we perhaps be in Michigan?  How about Chicago? Can you figure it out?

Maybe these photos will give a clue.
                  
                  
                  

Well, we're somewhere rural, but are we headed for a city?   Regardless, today we're headed to a grand buffet for Sunday lunch. 
                
And there are some really cute children here as well.
                
                
So have a wonderful Sunday and stay tuned for my scavenger hunt finds.

               

day one

               

               

Here we are on the road heading somewhere fun.  We are driving mostly at a fast clip (70) mph.  For such a long drive I obviously was bored so I decided to snap some photos of things that may be somewhat  different.  The back of this truck intrigued me.  It's St. Michael.

Then I spied this load of bricks.  It's handy having a camera in your hand as long as someone else is driving.

               

Then it began raining a fine mist.  "Come on," I urged.  "Turn the windshield wipers on.  I can't take photographs through this windshield."  Truett complied and I spent about four hours looking for other things I don't normally see in Florida.  I'll post some of those later.

               

So long for now.  We're showering and heading out soon for some real fun.  What are you doing today?   

from the porches

We leave for a short trip at 7:30 in the morning and I still have about a dozen things to do before that happens:  Another load of laundry, Clay's meds refilled, bag garbage, dishes in dishwasher, decide what to wear, pack suitcase, pack camera and lenses, leave note for the house sitter and heavens, I cannot think what else because it is 9:15 pm.

I did buy Punky and Roger a cat scratching box with two levels and a hole in the middle.  Fully carpeted and roped so they can scratch their claws until they fall off.  To be certain of this I sprayed it down with spray catnip.  So far Roger and Punky have wrestled on it and vied for the top bunk or the middle slot.  Roger dominates the top ledge.  But that's cool because it leaves Punky leaping up the middle to grab his older brother.  Now maybe they won't be bored and scrounge around in my scrapbooking room for my 'stuff'.

Fort White is expecting 85-88 degree weather for the weekend so the doors will be left open to the air.  Great running room for cats.  They, along with the house sitter, the studio employees and Clay will protect our house just fine; only someone else will be rocking in the rocking chairs watching the white-tailed deer I've spotted this week and the gold finches and the squirrels.

               

                     Good-bye front porch.

               

                  Good-bye side porch where I photographed the moon.

               

                              and good-bye water bed.  I'll miss you the most.

spring fever

Finally, only one more day until my spring break.  The good news is about three grade levels are going on fieldtrips tomorrow so I will be able to catch up on some filing and organizing in my classroom.  Or not!

It has been many years since Truett and I have traveled during spring break, other than a day trip and usually that is connected with his job, but in two days we're heading off for four days.  I do cringe when I think of traffic, but we're willing to put up with that.

While our gold finches are busy eating up seeds as fast as they can eat them

               

                  the squirrels are tediously eating seed remains and

               

                  and Punky watches the whole darn thing.  And about two miles away

               

                     horses are grazing on the new tender spring grass.

I'm loving spring in North Florida!

baggies

One late afternoon I was sitting on the front porch gazing up at the crystal blue sky and I noticed something glistening in the live oak tree across from my driveway. I reached for the binoculars and studied this triangular shape.  Then I grabbed my camera and decided to share the wonder of a Florida bagworm nest.  Are they nests?  I'm not certain, but it was a pretty sight with the sun reflecting off of the fine web.

 

All of our oak trees have these nests, and I don't mind until the little buggers begin hatching out.  We have a nest of bagworms in the tree over the studio entrance as well.  It freaks me out.  The thought of a worm landing in my hair or on my shoulder is repulsive.  This is one of spring's gifts of life.  Even though this is a totally disgusting subject, I thought it made a pretty picture.

weekend memories

               

I believe on Thursday's post I was boasting about cleaning, cleaning, cleaning for the Easter holiday.  I did no such thing.  I was so busy, plus I knew the woman who cleans for me was coming Saturday afternoon.  So I didn't sweat a thing.  After all, that's why I pay her.  Well, Saturday afternoon arrived and the woman did not arrive.  Then Saturday dusk crept in and the woman did not arrive.  "Oh my word,"  I said when I realized Sunday morning was a sleep away and my house was not getting cleaned by anyone other than me. 

So I set iRobot Roomba to work.  Whiz.  Whiz.  Bump.  Whiz.  Circle.  Bump.  Whiz.  Punky and Roger had quite a time chasing Roomba and stalking it.

               

                

Punky decided to run outside on the front porch and watch Roomba from a safer vantage point.  By the way, Oliver loved watching this robot until it bumped a chair and headed back for Oliver's feet.  Then Oliver became frightened.  Eventually, I had to store Roomba away in a far back room.   There are scarier things awaiting Oliver than vacuum cleaners.

  Well, Easter went fine and we had a delicious meal, good fellowship, and fun with the grandchildren, as always. When I got home from work today I saw remnants of Easter and it warmed my heart.

               

                               Beautiful tulips my mom brought.

               

                             A closer look at Miss Bunny.

                

                               And still a closer shot of Miss Bunny.  Isn't she sweet?

               

                               Leftover Honey Baked Ham.  Yum!  Yum!

               

                       and of course, opened plastic Easter eggs.

But one photograph I took was of Oliver just after a short nap.

               

  Sweet thing.  He wasn't even awake yet and I'm pointing my camera in his face.  Yes, my grandson has a dirty face, but hey, when you eat crayons and dirt, what do you expect?  Great memories for Easter 2008.

      

harley & cowboy

Late yesterday I photographed my friend and her sisters and their mom.  After the session I headed to the pasture to photograph Harley and Cowboy, Lucille's horses.  I've come a long way with horses.  Back in 1963 I rode a horse on a high rocky trail in the Smokey Mountains.  I thought it would be a fun thing to do, but I found out that that one experience caused me to fear horses for 30 years.

The old dappled colored horse I rode showed me.  He walked six inches from the cliffs on the whole trail.  I guess if I had known how to ride a horse it would not have been so scary to me.  All I remember is leaning far to the right and praying he would not stumble on a stone and send us careening down the mountainside into the stream below.  I remember closing my eyes and letting the horse do the leading.

Well, for years I never wanted to be around a horse.  First, they are way bigger than me.  Then when Maddie was three I took her to see Harley and Cowboy.  Maddie was not afraid of the horses when she fed them carrots, so I thought it was time for me to make peace with "the horse".  I petted their sides and stroked their faces.

Yesterday I was anxious to photograph them.

               

                                              This is Harley.

               

                   This is Cowboy.  He's the friendliest and oldest.

Now how could you not pet that blaze?

               

                  Harley and Cowboy are beautiful creatures.

 

aussies

Bubba, Cody and Annie wish you a Happy Easter.

               

              Morning, y'all.  Bubba here.Where's that bunny?

               

                  Cody here.  I'm salivating.  Show me the bunny.

               

                 Annie here.  I'll round up that little bunny.  Woof!  Woof!

full moon

We have just been living under a full moon which explains why the children were "off the wall" on Wednesday and Thursday. Here is a photo of the moon taken from my side porch facing the pool.

               

I did return a second grade class this week because of their misbehaviors.  Actually, the class was fifteen minutes late getting to me because they could not be quiet and walk correctly to my classroom.  Then after the class came in they began tattling on each other.  I removed two young boys until further notice (about five minutes) and proceeded to teach.  But there was a disturbance.  It seems some child called me a snitch.  "What?"  I asked one of the students.  "He called you a snitch,"  one child said.  "No I didn't,"  the other child answered and then they bantered back and forth.  "Did to...did not."

Give me a break.  "Shhhh!"  I said and began my lesson.  "There are four special areas.  Which is your favorite?" 

"Mrs. So and So is a special area." 

"No, there are four.  Art, Music, PE and Tech Lab,"  I answered.

Then another child called from across the room,  "What about Library? That's a special area."

Well, by this time we had wasted another fifteen minutes so I had them stand, line up and marched them back to their classroom where they put their heads down.  Their poor teacher said it had been like that all day on Tuesday.  Yesterday I received apology letters from that class.  Then I felt guilty all over again.

I'm hoping the children really feel remorseful because they won't ever see recess again this year according to their teacher.  This is one of the more legible letters.`