Where I've Been, part 3

While vacationing in Florida, I couldn't help but be struck by the difference in vegetation. The plants that people in Florida routinely grow in their yards are what we in Kentucky might refer to as 'extremely overgrown houseplants.' The huge tropical plants, palm trees, and Spanish moss-strewn live oaks strike me as otherworldly. I also took a trip to Selby Botanical Gardens while I was in Sarasota, and thought you might like to see photos of some of my favorite flora.

 The front yard of the lovely home where I stayed in Sarasota...

 ...views of the garden...

 ... with its fantastic intertwined trees...

... and peaceful gurgling fountain.

 

Another couple of highlights...

 ... from my hostess's yard...

 I would so love to be able to grow plants like these at home!

 Live oaks and other plants...

 ...across the street...

 A nearby tree...

 ... whose red-orange blossoms always seemed to glow in the sun...

The canal at the end of the street.

 Selby Botanical Gardens was just gorgeous...

 ... so much to see...

 ... though I neglected to write down their names...

 I did find out that this is a 'little blue heron'...

 This sago palm was unbelievably huge...

 The koi would actually come up to edge of the pool...

 and allow people to pet them...

 It was like being in a very well-kept...

... tropical rain forest...

 

...complete with over-sized pitcher plants...

... and  beautiful blooms everywhere.

 The oddest were these corpse flowers. The larger bud here is about 4 feet tall, and they're said to smell like rotting meat when open...

 ... which, at the time, they were not.


 Have a great week, everyone! I hope you enjoyed my plant tour!

Where I've Been

If you haven't seen me around blogland lately, it's because I was on vacation in Sarasota, Florida! In keeping with the solemn tradition of vacationers throughout time, I now feel obliged to bore you with my vacation photos.  Lucky for you, since this is a blog, you are free to ignore them if you wish! If you do choose to peruse them, I hope you enjoy!

The water at Siesta Key really did appear to be this strange but lovely shade of green...

... which made the sky seem almost purplish by comparison. When you got in it, though, it was so clear you could easily see to the bottom.

There were lots of unfamiliar seabirds...

... but most wouldn't let me get close enough to photograph them.

You could see their little footprints all over the beautiful white sand beach...

My self-portrait on the beach...




Stay tuned for more vacation photos in the next post - I actually went to some places that are not the beach, such as Selby Botanical Gardens and the Dali Museum!

I hope everyone is having a great summer!