Oops

The post just below is of the original picture. Here is my conversion to oil.

Guana Dam

Just to our south there is a wildlife preserve called Guana Dam, where I go occasionally to take pictures. This is from last week. A couple were fishing in the dammed area and I turned it into an oil with some software.

Back garden

Here is a view from the intracoastal waterway looking back towards the house.

Fig Leaves

Autumn is coming to North Florida. One of the earliest harbingers is the fig trees losing their leaves. What a wonderful tree the fig is, for this area. It leafs out just as the sun starts to be really hot and creates a shade just slightly less heavy than a Magnolia. Then it produces a bounty of delicious figs in mid-summer. Once the days start to cool a little, it loses it's leaves very quickly. They seem to disintegrate while you watch, leaving very little to clean up. This leaves the yard much lighter and airier just when you want it to be. What more could you want?

Last of the collards

Last Fall I planted a slew of brassicae, collards, cabbage and broccoli. Summer put an end to all but one very tough collard, pictured here. As the days are getting cooler, it will soon be in some soup or as a side dish. Then this Fall's garden starts!

Sago Fronds

Yes, I do black and white too. During the first part of my post-op recovery I was required to walk every day, a little more each day. As I wasn't allowed to drive, and had no desire to anyway, I walked up and down my driveway, a short length but it worked. My wife joined me and we added a lap or two every day. I noticed that in the morning, when I was usually elsewhere, the light in the front yard is very nice, so I started going out after my walks and taking pictures. These backlit sago palm fronds are the first things I photographed after my operation.

I'm Back

I apologize to my 5 readers for the long delay. I am meant to be back in Provence as I write, but my health intervened. I have had unusual stress tests on my heart for two years that have confounded my doctors, as I work out quite hard and try to eat a Mediterranean diet, with little red meat and olive oil and grape seed oil instead of butter and margarine. I also lost 80 lbs. at Weight Watchers and have kept it off for 3 years. My previous eating habits were nowhere near as good. Well, they caught up with me, as I had a heart catheter done which led to triple bypass surgery.

I'm happy to report that it's a wonderful operation that frees up the heart to work properly. Therefore, the recovery is much quicker than regular surgery because you're better than when you went in. I am 5 weeks out and have resumed all normal activities and am slowly working my way back to my earlier exercise levels, with the help of a wonderful cardio rehab team.

So, this blog will revert to it's name and become North Florida pictures until such time as we return to France (hopefully in the Spring or next Fall).

I am starting with a picture of on of my Daturas in bloom. This is a wonderful plant here in sub-tropical Florida. It grows up to 8 feet tall and, periodically, is covered with the flowers that give it it's common name "Angel's Trumpet" It is scentless during the day, but late at night it has a lovely light scent that attracts nocturnal insects.

It's good to be back.