Birds of a Feather

The end of September, and it's a slow day at the beach. Not many bikinis, but a bevy of terns who seem to travel in flocks.

Shouldn't birds fly south at this time of year? Either these guys are rebels or they've misplaced the GPS. Trust me, I would never go anyplace with the DH unless he was toting a GPS. Of course, one learns those things through experience ..... but that's a blog for another day. Then again, perhaps there is reason behind the term bird brain.

Autumn is in the air although the temperature is still in the 90s, and the humidity refuses to come down to a comfortable level. The blues of the water and the sky are much sharper, and there is a lovely lull on the beaches until the snowbirds arrive; and those birds do fly south.

No tsunami here, but the Samoans and the New Zealanders on holiday there were not so fortunate this week. We pray for them.

Sailing on the River

We live surrounded by marinas, and almost every day sailing schools conduct lessons on the Caloosahatchee River. From up high, the vessels with the wind in their sails resemble butterflies floating across the river. These two seem to be practicing turning on a dime. I'm giving them an A+.

Twigs & Bark

Yes, I know you can buy granola bars at the supermarket ..... and I do. Be that as it may, I saw the Barefoot Contessa make these on TV (it's the rainy season, people so there's a lot of down time), and they looked so good I thought I could concoct them too - even though I did have to heat up the easy-bake oven. My instincts were correct ........... easy-peasey and naturally delicious. I used dates and apricots and dried cranberries, but I imagine you could be as creative as you like. One caveat: these were popular with the DH and disappeared quickly. Now where did I put that mixing bowl?

Wild Bananas

Usually when I ooh and aah over birds in paradise, I'm talking about pelicans or roseate spoonbills, but today it's a specimen of a different plumage. Who could fail to appreciate these exotic beauties? They are not perfumed or particularly lush, but they do stand up and insist upon being noticed. These peacocks of the plant realm actually thrive in the heat and humidity of tropical climes (unlike some of us more fragile fleurs). There is just no ignoring the spectacular crane plant - especially when it's blooming in a shopping mall.

Is life good or what?

Awaiting Autumn

Just when we thought it couldn't get any hotter......

....... it did!

Salmon Trap

This contraption has a very long handle and a latch, and could (if it wanted to) be a shrimp trap ... or a veggie trap .... or an any kind of fish trap, but we have to go with what looks good at the market, people. So salmon it is. I have tried to be all prepared, Lord knows, with recipes I've culled for the week and a list, when I venture into the arctic in search of provisions, but the suppliers and I are never on the same page. Good God - we're not even in the same cookbook.

Back on topic - salmon can usually hold up to a good grilling without going all to pieces, but some fillets are more delicate. When the Kiwi son-in-law was here in the spring, he and the DH threw a mess of fish on the barbie, but first they had to cobble together two pieces of screen and a few coat hangers to contain the catch. So much easier this, but probably not nearly so much fun.

Wish I could send you one, mate.

All Days Are Good at the Beach

September 11. A dark day in American history, and a dark day at the beach in 2009. Towering storm clouds and an angry surf, but I found this beautiful olive shell washed up on the sand. All bright and shiny ....... an omen for the future ........ like a lucky penny.

Gone But Not Forgotten

.......... and the last weekend of summer sinks below the horizon.

Labor Day

Have you ever taken on a project, and then said to yourself WTF was I thinking? Oh, no ..... it never happens at the beginning ...... it seems like a good idea ...... manageable ...... rewarding .... But it's not.

My mother's old photos are organized with names and dates on the backs. Mine are not. Life must have been much less hectic then. Mistake number one. Mistake number two was tossing the photos in assorted boxes and stashing them wherever. Number three was not discarding the duplicate prints. Because of my devil-may-care youthful years, I now must sort through these relics of yesteryear and try to figure out exactly which year it was and whether or not I've already scanned that image into my computer. And the whole time I'm thinking - shouldn't I be at the beach?