Interesting colors and patterns on my walks before work in my new neighborhood. It’s been cooler at night and in the mornings so some of the leaves are changing while other plants are blooming. All taken with my phone.
Long walk to the open field near my house. I can see the sun coming up over the trees.
These were all taken at the Florida Botanical Gardens in late October. Some things were just starting to bloom and some things were starting to look tired. Â The purple coneflower were all at the end of their season but red berries were sprouting up everywhere and bananas were growing in the fruit garden. Of course there’s always something growing in central Florida.
In mid-December I headed out to Honeymoon Island for a long walk on the nature trail. I was hoping to see the eagles or the owls. Both should be nesting by now. The only thing I saw up close were a million mosquitoes. It should have been cool and windy but it was over 80 degrees and the humidity was high by 9am. I had 2 coats of repellant on and still came home with 15 mosquito bites. I did manage to see the very tip of the eagle’s head while she sat on the nest which is a good sign that she’s sitting on eggs.
Flowers and plants along the trail at Largo Nature Preserve.
The birds here aren’t the only ones who hang out on boardwalk. This squirrel was eating right over my head. I was watching him walk out on the branch and grab the little berries. He did not care that I was a few feet from him.
I saw this cute retired couple walking along the trail, still holding hands.
I stopped by a neighborhood pond to see what was floating around in it. I parked my car and got out and saw two sandhill cranes in someone’s yard. Just relaxing under a tree. They stayed there while I was walking around the lake. When I got back to my car, they were walking around in the street.
Nothing too exciting in the pond. A great blue heron was hiding in the reeds.
My favorite muhly grass was pink and the red berries were out.
A red bellied cooter and a soft shell turtle were basking in the sun.
Not much floating in the pond right now. Hopefully, some winter ducks will show up.
