A Snowbird in Paradise

When it is this dry, there is a fire-weather report on the nightly news along with the weather as we know it in the North.

View from our front door.

As we left the house this afternoon for a shopping trip this is what we saw.

We decided to try and locate the fire and, with the phone GPS, we drove into the Roseland area of Sebastian.

We were soon in a combination jungle/residential neighborhood.

This firetruck was stationed at the end of this dead-end road to protect the homes in case of cinders.

A lot of people were standing around watching as the fire raged on for hours.

A small airplane circled the fire for hours, probably spotting for the ground fire crews.

It just wasn't getting any better.  You can just see the secondary fire that started about a mile upwind of the first...strange.

This gorgeous large ranch was awfully close to the fire.  No way to know if the owners were concerned or not.

This extensive cattle ranch was hidden back in Roseland.  It looks as if the ranch might be open for tourists.

 UPDATE:  I started a new blog...Scape that Table!

I can't spend ALL of my time at the computer (well, I CAN but I don't WANT to).  I recently was looking at a fellow scrapper's blog and was introduced to "Table-scapes".  When we got the new dining set last year I bought some colorful dishes and set the table.  With a nice centerpiece it attracted some attention instead of attracting "stuff".  I used some more of the same dishes to set 2 places at the breakfast bar, too.  We had seen some gorgeous tables at Pier One and I so wanted to make ours look attractive, too.

Then I ran across some Table-scapes in a friend's blog, while looking at her scrapbooking.  WOW!!!  I needed to step up my decorating.  St. Patrick's Day is near so that was m y theme.  These are my very first so don't compare them to the great tables in Table-scape Blogs.

The dining table with leaf removed (will seat 8 with the leaf).

The breakfast bar which CAN seat 4, but we keep set for 2

My Dollar Store colorful dishes and Pier One Margareta glasses

A bamboo salad bowl with a bamboo plant and fresh flowers.

Each place has its own fresh mum.

"Spiny" the Spiny Orb Weaver

Just outside the bedroom window lives this Spiny Orb Weaver.  It is such an unusual looking spider to me that I have become quite fond of her and watch her every morning.  Since early January her web has been ripped apart by winds twice, now, and each time she has a new one woven within 24 hours, but in a different spot so I have to go looking for her.

She is about the size of my littlest finger nail.

These pop out of the lawn about 6 inches.

 Using the term, "Lawn" might be stretching it a bit, but it IS green and kept cut.  However, when the lawn has grown to cutting length there are all kinds of flowers.  Oh, I am familiar with dandelions and chicory, but these are tiny little PRETTY flowers buried among the greenery.

Here is the stem of the above flower.

Some tiny little orchid flower hiding in the grass.

These come from a shamrock-like plant.

This was blooming on the Bottlebrush Tree trunk just above the lawn.

We love it when friends want to share one of their "special eateries" with us.  Some friends called and asked us to meet them today at one of their favorite marina restaurants for lunch.  It was special to see them again and special to have lunch at "Sailor's Return".

A really nice Marina Restaurant in Stuart, Florida

Just a few of the lovely boats in the marina.

Indoor and outdoor eating.  It was crowded

Another nice thing about getting out like this is seeing new things and places.  Our friends directed us to Old Stuart and we wandered around there a bit.

The old train station.

The Fountain in the middle of Old Town.

I love art work on outside walls.

This view with the stern-paddle boat and the artistic awning was fascinating.

A plain block building dressed up with a lot of imagination.

The colors on these directional signs were SOOO Florida.

This old Flagler Line train is being restored in Fort Pierce.

We had company the last couple of days and the fellas decided to take us to Lightsey Fish Co & Seafood Restaurant - Okeechobee, FL for Valentine's Day lunch.  It is a long drive but SOOOO worth it.  Their seafood salads are fantastic just to read!!!  None of us were disappointed with the real thing, either.  My salad had wonderfully fresh crab, shrimp, blu-cheese, and all sorts of other wonderful, super-fresh seafood and tasty morsels.  We were excited just reading the menu.  He had the Seafood Cobb Salad and was just as happy as I was.  The other couple had the special of the day, and gator tails. 

Happy Valentines Day.

Both were teaching partners of mine at different times through my years of teaching.

 I am especially excited because I know we will be going back soon for my yearly graduation class mini-reunion in a few weeks.

Our friends said they enjoyed the trip across the center of the state seeing things the usual tourist doesn't see...huge orchards and cattle ranches...HUGE!

Indulging my Scrapbooking hobby:

Here we sit every Winter, watching the North turn cold and while while we stay warm.  The days are filled with flowers.

The tiny Spiny Orb-Weaver spider outside the bedroom window

It has taken me 10 years of bird watching in Florida to finally see this stunning pink bird.  The sighting was fortunately while we were driving through Long Point RV Park just North of Sebastian Inlet.  We were just sightseeing for an afternoon drive but I always have my camera along.

Everyone must eat out more here in Florida than home in Michigan because good eating places are just all over.  We are constantly debating the merits of this one against that one with each other and with the neighbors. 

R. spotted this place on his travels up and down Highway 1 along the Indian River.  Tonight we decided to give it a try.

The Old Fish House in Grant

He entertained the casual crowd with his Seger/Buffet type voice.

 It was right on the water side of High Way 1 and looked quite new.  Of course, most homes and businesses along here were all but destroyed by the hurricanes so it could be a rebuild, but it was neat, clean, and attractive.  We chose to go outside on the deck over the water.  Tonight was live music and that made it festive in a very casual way.

Can you see him sitting at our table watching the marina?

The food was inexpensive for as nice as our meals were.  Neither his fish nor my beef were overcooked.  The coleslaw with pineapple was remarkable.

He was just sitting there on the power line letting me photograph him at dinner.

When he decided I was close enough he picked up his meal and flew away

Roseate Spoonbill

 Just when I think I have seen it all after ten years as a Snowbird, Florida always presents me with another surprise.  Today, we were having a normal Saturday; TV and computer with a little house maintenance thrown in.  He said we should DO something.  I suggested the beach, which we hadn't visited yet this year.  The surf was up and the surfers were "doing their thing".  After I had taken about 100 photos of that, we drove on North toward, and past Sebastian Inlet to Long Point Park.  We turned in and drove along the winding approach to the park.  Suddenly through the trees we saw a lagoon.  I saw a flash of pink and grabbed my camera.  My first thought was a flamingo, but I knew they don't come this far North.  As I walked to the bank of the lagoon I recognized the Roseate Spoonbill...the first I had ever seen.  It was kind enough to pose while I snapped away.

The reflection shows his color exceptionally well.

Isn't he just BEAUTIFUL?

Here is a two page scrapbook page I did about the surfers I mentioned before.