Sunday, March 29, 2009

SOME PHOTOGRAPHS

I spent an hour or more this morning writing on this blog then lost it all. So this evening, trying again. At least the photos are still here. I haven't been doing much painting, so this post will just be photos. I will put my small paintings on my other blogs here..... soon.

Since my last posting, we had a visit from a dear Alaskan friend, Maureen Moore for a couple of days. The next day, we drove south to St. Petersburg and visited my nephew and his family, then down to Palmetto to see my cousin Madelon and her family and celebrate my Aunt Lou's 91st birthday. Madelon and I spent an afternoon kayaking near the Sunshine State Skyway. On the way back to Cedar Key last Tuesday, we visited another cousin, Sandra, and her husband Frank in Tarpon Springs. Frank took Van for a boat ride and to the marina where he works and Van was happy. We enjoyed a delicious meal in one of the Greek restaurants there.

Van put the final finish on the rowboat just before we went south and we finally launched her in the canal on the high tide on Wednesday. Van is happy again. We rowed around the bayou that day. He will raise the oar locks so he can row more comfortably.


Here he is rowing forward. I sit in the back. Wind came up at the end of the week, finally the first real rain (badly needed) and a thunder storm Saturday night. The wind is finally down today. We took a short trip out of the bayou yesterday. Van got a fishing rod and a liscense and some lures and went fishing today but didn't get anything. He's not quite sure what kind of fish he is fishing for.

We are still enjoying all the birds. This osprey didn't like us coming so close to his nest as we rowed by. There are lots around, some in trees. I was reading about one of the outer islands, Seahorse Key where 600 cottonmouth snakes live. They thrive, scientist say, mostly from scavaging the fish scraps that the birds drop.... birds thrive there too, and are not bothered by the snakes because they get so much from what the birds drop. Read about it here.


My Alaska friends might enjoy seeing these guys..... in the parking lot at Lowes in Lake Wales.


On Friday, I made a delightful trip with Peggy Hendricks to Gainesville and Melrose. Melrose is on Melrose Bay and Melrose Lake and has some beautiful homes. Seems most had fences and some interesting gates...another sandhill. We stopped and painted until it rained.


Another gate in Melrose


I have been amazed by this wisteria plant. It was a stick plant when we got here a month ago.

I will be going back to Palmetto with another cousin, Jill from California, tomorrow. We will be getting together with Madelon again and yet another cousin. Will try to get back here soon after.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

WE'RE IN CEDAR KEY

This will be a short post just to let you know that I haven't given up on this blog. I just haven't been inclined to come to the library and post. I did do a post on my other blog a short while back and hopefully will have time today.... click here to view.

Van and I came to Florida on February 21 and after a short visit with my brother in Lake Wales we took up residence for a couple of months in Cedar Key. Below is a picture of where we are living.... the upstairs apartment. There's a couch. Come visit. The sporty yellow car is our rental.




We are on a canal with a view over a bayou of the sun setting each evening. The canal goes dry on a low tide, but we have a constant array of birds coming and going.

Cedar Key is a small town, somewhat remote and quiet. We like it. Here are some ibises along side of the road. We take a long walk every day..... this was on the way to the cemetery where there is a board walk to a little beach on another bayou.

This is Van's project. We found the fiberglass hull on Craig's list and Van is finishing it. We borrowed tools from my brother and have been having a hard time finding lumber and other stuff. Will have to make another trip down the road to Crystal River soon to get some more things to finish it.

I have been busy painting almost every day. I'll have something to put here soon, or not. I might just put them on the other blog. I'm wondering the sanity of having 2 blogs