It could be worse. I could be living in New England or worse yet----Canada. But getting a chance to visit my daughter, her husband, and my four grandchildren down in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida at the end of January gives me a break from that SAD syndrome. I was going to just make this a little field guide for Florida palm trees but that would mean many of my photos wouldn't fit with the blog theme so this will be a little of everything from my trip.
So nice to leave from Pomona.
My sister works there for the
F. A. A. so I get a ride to the airport as she goes to work.
Newest golf course mower swings sideways in nearly an effortless motion. Early in the morning from the backyard, you catch the greens caretakers doing their thing which I find to be more fascinating than the golfers.
We walked on a trail through a nature preserve which was supposed to be great bird habitat but we did not see one bird other than the red-bellied woodpecker which I can easily find in my own backyard in Jersey. But not far from the protected natural area, at a children's park, life is easy for hundreds of white ibises. There also were a number of domesticated, although somewhat mixed, Muscovy ducks. Their extreme warty face makes them eligible for the title the "Ugliest Duck".
A bird park with one bird!
Florida Football for kids-----no tackling here but it looks
like it would be a challenge to get him down.
It was a perfect day. Just warm enough to seek the shade.
That's what you want when you are escaping Jersey's
frigid temps.
You do not have to
request a pose. Must be instinctive!
Cleaning the windows because Annie and Tyler make nose prints
Different bird from the
Palm Beach Zoo but with another warty appendage.
Sweet! It was grandparent's day and I got to visit.
I didn't get to see any orange groves. But this exotic fruit
growing on the church grounds made me happy.
I remember a time when you just did not
see the Bismark palm in Florida but now
it is a popular dramatic accent to the landscape.
Take your pick I am having trouble naming this palm.
Royal palm? Queen palm? The fox tail palm also has bushy fronds?
Cycads are not palms!
There are mansions in South Jersey that are open to the public but none as opulent as the Flagler Museum. They mention Atlantic City's golden era with rolling chairs which may have been an inspiration but the rolling chair that you see here is a bit of an upgrade.
A bit sparse here. It was the servants bedroom.
The well landscaped yard had blossoms of every color
including this yellow one with a guest nestled comfortably.
.
..a flower from the allamanda bush:
Calliandra, probably in the mimosa family:
A Jersey girl transplanted in Florida:
A princess indeed!
Can you tell who is dancing the fastest?
How lucky I was!
Got to have lunch with the cast of "Singin in the Rain" and got a "Singin in the Rain" umbrella as a special memento. The lunch featured a bit of tap dancing that brought back memories of my own tap dance lessons.
