Looking Out from Breakfast Nook

 ....or How to Get Your Heart Started.....

Just after lunch I was wiping off the table in the breakfast nook where we eat.  I happened to glance up and what to my wondering eyes should appear but our old pal, Alley Oop, the Alligator.  He was smiling at me!

I grabbed the camera, all the while hearing in my head Beth's comment from another post,  "Now please step *away* from the water--we really don't want any part of you to become an alligator snack."  I didn't want to become a snack but I did want a good photo!

In the process of opening the door from the Florida room to the outside, the door made a noise.  Before I could raise the camera, he flipped himself into the water with a loud ker-splash!

 He went north on our little lake, pouting all  the while because I had disturbed his sunbath.  Throughout the afternoon, I kept checking.  He did come back our way and was pretty close again but stayed in the water.

Before you ask, I'd say he's about five feet long.

Divers in Our Lake

We've discovered two new members of our Savanna Club revue and both are divers.  However, I don't think I'll strapping on my tanks to join them since we've seen an alligator in the water.

This turtle was on the bank across the way.  You can see he's about as big as those cinder-blocks.  

Doesn't it look like his eyes are closed?

I had to look twice at my own photo to see if this was a two-headed turtle!

Every time I saw a little dark head sticking up and swimming, I thought it was a turtle.....not necessarily !  

There is a water bird called an anhinga that goes underwater to catch food.  I first saw them as we drove across the south part of Florida on Alligator Alley.

They do not have oil glands for waterproofing their feathers like most water birds, so when they swim their feathers get wet. This helps them dive and chase fish underwater.

However when they are above water, they must spread their wings to dry in the sun.  They can fly with wet feathers but not as well.  They hold them so still for what seems like hours.

The long tail has given the anhinga the nickname, "water turkey". It is also known as the snake-bird because of its snake-like neck.   (Snakes??  I don't even want to think about the possibility of water snakes out there!)

Busy Week

Once again our week turned out to be rather busy.  Sunday morning we went to church here in Savanna Club. Everyone was very friendly but the 9:00 a.m. time slot was really difficult for us.  It looks like a good way to meet people but, besides the early hour, we missed having a choir.  

With all the rain, the lakes are up to the banks and the whole area looks really nice so Ed invited George and Kay to to visit to see the lakes in the afternoon.  Sunday evening we went to a potluck at one of the club houses. 

Wednesday evening we went to George and Kay's for corned beef and cabbage.  Kay had seen me making Dump Cake on Sunday so I offered to make one for our St. Patty's Day dinner.  It was a good meal with good company.

Today we took a Driving Course here in our development.  This is through AARP and gives us a little break on our car insurance.  But, it was another early hour - 8:00 a.m.  I could hardly keep my eyes open!!!  The group voted to skip the afternoon  break so we got out at 2:30 p.m. instead of 3:00 p.m. 

The rain storms brought a few leaks where the Florida room meets the house.  The roofer showed us how the people that added the Florida room and carport took a shortcut in joining the roof to the house roof.  We're getting that fixed tomorrow.  

Whether it's a house on wheels, a house in Virginia, or a house in Florida -- they always need attention.  It's better to get things fixed instead of waiting until the problem gets worse.  It's only money, right? 

Lois the Musher - Part #2

I predict you will feel cold by the time you finish Lois's latest post  --  Whew!!   Only Our Little Lois would choose to live through something like this! 

Click here:  Our Magnificent Mushing Madventure (Chapter 2)

Leave It to Lois

My friend-since-first-grade, Lois Brown Horne, has always been known to be curious and interested in MANY things.  She taught home-ec at Buffalo Gap High School for 20 years.  She then went back to James Madison University and became a licensed psychologist, another field in which she has been quite successful.

One of her interests is the Iditarod Dog Sled races in Alaska.  She is a junkie and can tell you all about the mushers and their dogs -  and her predictions.  

• TOP TEN PICK - FROM MY GUT
• TOP TEN PICK - FROM THE HEAD
• TOP TEN PICK - FROM THE HEART

"...When I blogged my 2008 trip, I thought it was a once in a lifetime experience. However, rather than 'scratch an itch', that trip only 'fueled the fire' that has, maybe, become an addiction. People (friends now) in the mushing community warned me, but instead of heeding the warning, my sense of adventure was fed by those warnings....."   

The post for yesterday is most amazing and I dare say you don't have too many friends who have done this. Click here:  Magnificent Mushing Madventure (Chapter 1)

P.S. Alligator Alley

P.S.  Alligator Alley is the road from western Ft. Lauderdale straight across the Everglades to Naples. 

Ahem, that's the end of your geography lesson for today!

Not Alligator Alley But...

I was thinking that there's nothing interesting to share on the blog.  Going to the bank, the bread store, Lowe's, and having lunch at Applebee's (with a gift card from Billie Brown - Thanks, Billie) doesn't make for inspiring posts.  

THEN we came home and Eagle-Eyed Ed spotted something across our lake/pond/water.  We'd heard that there are gators around but I didn't think we'd ever see one.

Can you see him?  Here's a closer view.  

Notice how he's smiling for the camera!

Our nature show continues and we're loving every episode!

Here's another nice shot that Ed got of some bird.

Mary, the Merry Mulcher

Our lawn isn't bad but the beds needed mulching. It looked like too big a job for me so we got an estimate -- it would cost $150.00 to weed and mulch. I decided to just start weeding the front section one day.  Gradually, I began weeding a bit each day. 

Then, I decided to get a few bags of mulch and just mulch the front.  If you know me at all, you know that was only the beginning. That looked so nice that I just kept working a tad at a time. 

The neighbors probably found it strange to see some ole gal SITTING DOWN on the ground and working so slowly.  I have to thank Ed for bringing the bags of mulch around.   Every race needs a hare AND a tortoise, right?  Just call me "Tortoise"!

 

 This is the area under the breakfast nook BEFORE.

  This is the area under the breakfast nook AFTER.

This bed in the back was totally overgrown with grass.

After weeding out bags of grass and weeds, a new bed emerges.

The area beside the carport was aggravating because every time it rained, the water didn't drain properly so I had to go sweep the water and washed in dirt off the cement.  Thanks to Ed's ideas and help, I reconfigured the drain pipe and added in some edging to redirect the water. This is about halfway through.

I wonder if I was a builder in one of my previous lives!

It's such a pleasure to be able see you've accomplished something when you finish  -- as opposed to housework, which just needs to be done again soon.

New Bird - WOW!

One afternoon we looked out at the water and saw a different looking bird. It was standing in shallow water and we couldn't tell if it was tall or short.

It appeared to have a short neck.
All of a sudden, this LONG neck shot up!We emailed and sent photos to our friend, Dave Clements, who's an avid bird watcher, and were surprised by his answer.

This is a Great Blue Heron!

Herons snare their aquatic prey by walking slowly, or standing still for long periods of time and waiting for fish to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. The deathblow is delivered with a quick thrust of the sharp bill, and the prey is swallowed whole. (That's what he was doing when we first saw him.)

Great blue herons have been known to choke to death by attempting to swallow fish too large for their long, S-shaped necks. Though they are best known as fishers, they also eat mice, insects and other small creatures.

Adults sport a shaggy ruff at the base of their necks.

Great blue herons are 3 to 4 feet tall and their wingspan is 5 to 6.5 feet, which makes them a joy to see in flight. They can cruise at some 20 to 30 miles per hour.

The black plume extending from above and behind the eye to beyond the back of the head is quite dramatic.

Ed's Sister Visits

Lorraine (Ed's sister) and Ray Barkett came from Ft. Lauderdale to see our "new" home. Ray's brother, Tom, (one of our favorite people) came, too. George (Ed's brother) and Kay joined us. They got a tour of our little abode and oooo'd at how skinny Pepper looks. Well, you'd look skinny too if you had no topcoat!

We went to a nice restaurant in Stuart that's right on the water and it was a gorgeous day (except that it's still cold). It took a few tries to get hot French fries and everything wasn't perfect but everyone did agree that their fish was good.
I took my camera but forgot to get it out of my purse -- the best laid plans. I don't have a photo of Tom but here are the rest of us from Christmas 2008.

Oh, well, everyone looks fine and Ray is as feisty as ever! We appreciated them coming up to see us and we enjoyed everyone's company.

The Key, The Key

The people who bought our Chevy Malibu already have an RV so were pleased to find a car with the towing apparatus installed and included.

Ed got ready to remove the tow bar from the RV but didn't have the key for the padlock. He thought and thought, then remembered it was in Virginia.

He called Jim,, our cousin who watches our house, to see if he could get up the driveway yet to send us the key. Jim said, "Driveway, what driveway?!!!!

There has been so much snow and the temperatures have stayed so low that there has been very little melting. Jim said that maybe a bulldozer could get up our hill.

Not to worry.....the guy buying the car brought a special saw and they were able to saw the bar off the RV.

Car Sale

Ed and I admitted to each other that the embarking and disembarking of the Chevy Malibu seemed to be getting more difficult. (Of course, we all know this has nothing to do with old age, right?)

Getting in wasn't so bad but getting out from that low seat seemed to take more effort lately. We became aware of this because the many errands involved in setting up a home required getting in and out numerous times in a day.

Joan Benson, a good friend from our condo in Ft. Lauderdale, and I have kept in touch by email. She lives in Stuart, which is just south of us. Her son has a used car place called Luxury Cars and Trucks, which is right by our Wal-Mart.

When it looked like the car would be included in the motorhome deal (the deal that fell apart a couple of weeks ago), we started car shopping. Joan instructed her son to help us find a good car for a good price. And that he did!

When neither the car nor the RV sold, we almost let this SUV go. However, when Ed started shopping on the internet, he realized what a good deal this car was and that there aren't that many around. We both really liked it so decided to take a chance and get it......luckily, the car did sell this week.

Our "new" car is a 2002 Toyota Highlander. (This was built back in the days when Toyotas were made in Japan.) It's a grayish blue and in very nice shape.

The best part is that we came out ahead of the game money-wise. We have an older car but a more comfortable one for us. It will also work well as we travel to and from Virginia with Pepper and other "stuff".

Our Table Arrived!

We've been waiting for several weeks now for our table and 2 chairs for the breakfast nook. Finally, they were delivered on Saturday afternoon.This is one table I'll have to keep clean -- glass shows every tiny piece or smear of food! It does make the room lighter and brighter and the square-round shape gives more surface space than the round.

In reality, the table will seldom be that cleared off. You know who likes having his computer there. In fact, he sometimes uses his 'puter as his placemat.I really liked the design and workmanship on the chairs and base of the table.....they have a bit of pizazz!We all have our pet peeves. Ed's having a fit because we'll need to loosen the screws to get the plastic off the chair seats. He said his dad used to get a nice car and immediately cover the seats with plastic so the future buyer would have nice seats. HE wants to enjoy the nice fabric instead of "saving" it for the future. So, it's off with the plastic very soon.

Ed's Question

During Huntley Brown's concert, Ed leaned over and asked me if it was possible to wear out a piano!

Polished Piano Player's Performance

We went to the First United Methodist Church of Port St. Lucie this morning. Besides friendly people and a well-spoken female minister, we were blessed with piano music by Huntley Brown.

Before the service began, he played in a trio with the organ and another piano, played by the church's regular pianist. Her name is Dr. Montague and she introduced Huntley Brown.

Long ago she taught in Jamaica and there were many who wanted piano lessons. So, she gave piano classes to 50 students. Then they signed up for 15 minute practice sessions on the only piano. As she began to work with individual students, she met Huntley. She soon figured out that he played by ear and didn't read music.

Huntley learned to read music and later came to the U.S.and earned a Master's Degree in piano performance and pedagogy. His music ministry has taken him all over the world.

In the United States, he has performed in places like the Crystal Cathedral, Willow Creek Community Church, and one of Bill Gaither’s popular Homecoming concerts.

He was also the regular crusade pianist for the recently retired Dr. Ralph Bell, an associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Association. He is now the pianist for Ruth Graham and Friends Ministries.Huntley played a few more times during the service and we went to his concert this afternoon. He is a minister with his words and his music. One friend has said, “Huntley plays as if God is whispering in his ears.”

This video is one of the pieces he played today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAnHQepl5SM&feature=related

You can get a sample of one of his unique techniques in the following clip at about 4:30 (I dragged the slider button to 4:30, waited a moment, and the music started): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpK75kpA90s

Huntley Brown knocked my socks off and I wasn't even wearing socks!!

Here are a couple more good clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DvsvQ6N06Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXJRUNxgMME

Pleasant Bedroom

NOTE: This is a post that mostly gals will find interesting.

When a room gets finished, it's a small victory. Our bedroom turned out to be a simple, pleasant space. The pale green of the bedspread goes with the kitchen cabinets and the leaves match those on our dishes. Doesn't everyone want to coordinate their dishes with their bedspread?The 4 sliding doors for the closets are mirrors, which adds to the light.

Once I saw this set, nothing else was appealing. The wood is lighter than the dresser but there is darkness in the woven part and the dark handles help the various pieces "blend". I usually think you should see the bed when you enter a bedroom. In this room, the bed would have filled the space between the windows and the night stands would have to be at an angle. So, Ed convinced me to try this and it does work rather well.
The previous owner also left this nice bookcase, which we use for our decorative pillows at night.

Ed never reads in bed so didn't want a light on his side. I really liked this little lamp for the dresser and it matches the night tables and headboard.

Crane Dance

When the Sandhill Cranes come around, which is several times a day, (until we had company, then they were nowhere to be seen!) we can step out the door and get about a foot from them.

They're about 4-5 feet tall.

Twice Ed's gotten a dance show that I've missed. They just look at me....it must be his handsome bald head that turns them on. There was more to their dance but here are the shots he managed to capture.

What a dancer!

Here's a Picasa color adjustment on the same photo.

This next one, to me, is a FANTASTIC photo! Take a moment to click on it for a larger version.
Maybe the evening light makes it all the more dramatic. Here's the same photo after Picasa adjusted the light.

This was one of those nights I couldn't sleep so got up to read. The cranes were still warbling and carrying on at 1:00 a.m.

Help Name Our New Pet

We haven't named our daily visitor here on Marlberry Court in Port St. Lucie, Florida. We welcome your suggestions.

This is a sandhill crane. "Most sandhill cranes live in freshwater wetlands. They are opportunistic eaters that enjoy plants, grains, mice, snakes, insects, or worms. They often dig in the soil for tubers...."

We were telling our neighbor how much we enjoyed them. She said that when we come out and find our driveway full of dirt, we might not be quite so charmed.

Great Blue Heron, often called a "crane," is smaller, lacks the fluffy rear end and the red forehead, and flies with its neck curled against the body instead of straight out.



He ignors the ducks as they swim and fly all around.

They are 3-5 feet tall.

Evening meditation.A shy guy?

Their wingspan is up to 80 inches.

Notice the neck is straight out when flying.

So long for now!Don't forget to suggest a name for our shy guy!