Beagles and Butterflies

Hi Everyone! 

It's hot as blazes down here and we're spending our weekends mostly not moving. Lots of reading and video games interspersed with occasional dips into the pool.

Anyway, again I have just a random selection of photos for your viewing pleasure. Some from my walks and some from Glenn around the house. 

Speaking of my walks, one day Glenn was walking with me on my route, and as we neared a house, we had this conversation:

Me: I think there is a tree growing right through the middle of that house.

Glenn: Ha! No. That's crazy. I'm sure the house just has one of those enclosed courtyards in the middle so it looks like that.

(We walk past the house to get a better view.)

Uh. Nope. Tree is actually growing through the house. Now I like to envision squirrels running around in their dining room.

So let's see. What else? Well, remember I've been sharing some stork pics? It seems I have discovered a stork hangout.

Instead of "Duck Duck Goose," this is "Stork Stork Ibis."

This guy came out to say hi while his creepy friends hung out in the background like a couple assassins. (see below)

Ok - I hope you got your stork fill because I promised to leave them alone for a while. 

But we also have ducks...

An egret in a tree (which I don't see often)...

and a Great Blue Heron.

Oh and here is another bird I fancied in someone's yard.

In other news, there is a pedestrian bridge between Bayshore and Phillipe Park that has been closed for renovations for a very long time. It just reopened a few days ago, and it is a nice little bridge that spans a pretty inlet.

Here's one of the Cuban tree frogs that live on our porch - usually behind our clock, but this one went on an adventure.

In other news, Glenn stalked a butterfly flying around our key lime tree and captured a number of cool pictures of him (or her). Here are a few...

He's actually standing on a lime.

Mid-flight!

Here's one of the last orchids that is still in bloom.

A couple of other nice finds on my walks included a perfect little rose...

this pretty flowering bush...

And this really cool mushroom growing on a log.

Well, I think that's about all that I got, but Glenn did take some "Glamour Shots" of Deuce - I kinda liked them in this collage...

So handsome!

Hope you are all doing well and staying safe. Love you!

Herons! Tornados! Avocados!

Hi Everyone and welcome to June 47, 2071,

Well, it kinda feels that way. While the outside world is going up in flames, murder hornets and plague, things here are relatively quiet. Although we have had a few moments of excitement that I'll share.

The biggest adrenaline rush for me was about a week or so ago when I saw something giant flash past our kitchen window. I went out to the lanai, and darn it if there wasn't a blue heron stuck in the pool enclosure.

(Before you get all judgey like my friends and ask how in the world a blue heron got in to the enclosure, we leave the enclosure's door open to the side yard so the dogs can get out and pee. I am not opening TWO DOORS to let them out 10,000 times a day. So...deal with it.)

Anyway, although this was not a Great Blue Heron, he was still probably about 3 feet tall and he was VERY ANGRY. He kept flying up into the screen and bouncing off and falling to the ground and he was generally in a bad mood. Even getting on the lounge chair did not calm him down.

Nor did he seem to enjoy being poolside or standing on the skimmer.

Nor did he appreciate my efforts to get him to go out either of now two open doors. Frankly, birds are dumb.

You may remember that in the past, I once caught a bird in our enclosure by tossing a towel over it and picking it up and carrying it outside. This was not an option. This bird would have killed me with no (r)egrets about it. (Get it?!  Egrets! A bird pun!)

Anyway, finally, it discovered the door I had propped open for him, and walked towards it, while I said, "Good bird! Atta way, bird!"

Goodbye, bird!

Please note that Glenn was home during this ordeal and was of no help whatsoever. He was on a conference call.

We also had some very minor excitement last night as we had a tornado warning. As it started to get very dark and windy and rainy outside, we decided to take the dogs into the laundry room to shelter for the few minutes before the warning expired...just out of an abundance of caution.

Eva found this very stressful. 

Anyway, the storm passed us by and all was well. 

Speaking of Eva, the shelter where we got her found an old picture of her as a tiny puppy and posted it for me on their Facebook page and OMG - SHE WAS THE CUTEST PUPPY EVER!

Aahhhh! I'm dying of cuteness! Look at her little heart-shaped nose!

Ok. Sorry. I have to pull myself together. 

Anyway, there has been a bunch of wild weather across Florida due to Tropical Storm Cristobal. This morning, I woke up to all the windows being steamed up.

This is what 80% humidity looks like. It is so gross outside - it's like being hit in the face with a hot, wet washcloth.

Ok, so that just leaves me with a bunch of my daily walk pictures. So here they are in no particular order.

This is an avocado tree I may eventually steal from.

And these are Sea Grapes. Which are actually edible and people make jams out of them. 

Two ducks and another blue heron. 

I have no idea what kind of flower this is but it is huge and gorgeous.

Um...are you tired of herons yet? Because this one posed for me.

They are more majestic looking when they aren't being stupid.

Well, hey, I guess I'll just show you all my bird pics at once.

One osprey

Two osprey - kinda hard to see here

Here they are from a different angle.

Ruffled osprey

Giant Woodpecker - again, kinda hard to see and these guys are hard to photograph. They won't stay still and they go up super high.

Cooper's hawk

And finally, Mister Stork who does not fit in that little red bird feeder.

Ok. So that's it for the birds. 

Finally, let's explore our back yard as it turns into a jungle.

That's all folks! Hope you have a good week and stay safe and happy!