Three Ships

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day in the morning.

Gettin' Ready

We've got the tree and the candles. Well, maybe the tree is a little puny and non-traditional, but we are in Florida, after all. Somehow, a big Fraser Fir just doesn't seem right. It would be like Jack Frost nipping at your nose. So we have tossed some ornaments on a Norfolk Island Pine for our friends in New Zealand.

Our Christmas cactus is blooming its little heart out.

Santa loves to sip champagne while he's wrapping gifts. Trust me, I know.

Exhausted from all the preparations - gotta put our feet up at sunset while we admire the loopy twinkle lights on the back deck. The ones on the lanai are taped to the screen. Festivity sometimes requires creativity. We're ready.

@ the Mall

Doesn't that jingle bell song begin with dashing through the snow? Well, if one can't have snow, there are still jingle bells and palm trees.

Christmas shopping can be more fun when you're not all bundled up, sloshing through the snow and slush in your hip boots. However, I did not shop until I dropped. In fact, I didn't even make it down to the Saks end of the mall. I keep hearing about their huge discounts, but...............

Middle of the mall - no big crowds although now we are moving closer to Saks.

Oops! Distracted by the grouper salad with fresh berries. It's the beginning of strawberry season here. Who knew that Santa and strawberries were a twosome?

Beach Baubles

A row of crab cages washed up on the beach.

Gifts from the sea. Unfortunately, this one had to be returned since the contents were still alive.

You know, in some countries Santa Claus leaves gifts in your shoes. Looks as though he has made an early visit here.

Unfortunately, this guy did not make it out of the cage and back to the gulf alive. Most days we're accustomed to seeing that big stone crab claw on a plate accompanied by a nice glass of sauvignon blanc.

Here Comes Santa

Nothing incongruous here.

Fah who for-aze!

Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome Christmas,

Come this way!

Joy to the World

Tis the season.........

Watching the waves jump up on the sand is much more pleasant than shoveling snow. Admit it - wouldn't you rather be here? Would you rather build an igloo or a sandcastle?

11pm: 70 degrees in SWF. -8 in Minneapolis.

Red Sails in the Sunset

It is so hard to get in the mood for the holidays what with the beautiful weather and all. Shouldn't it be gray and gloomy and snowing - or, at least, sleeting? I don't think that any number of renditions of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" is going to bring that about. However, even here the sun sets at 5:30 which makes the days way too short.

Meanwhile, the DH keeps hoping that Santa will bring him a sailboat. (Maybe one that fits in his stocking!) The one with the red sail sure is a beauty. If you can look beyond the stone crab claws on my plate, those white sails are a group of teenagers participating in a sailing class on the river - and our abode is right on the other side. From our windows twenty-one floors up, they look like a group of moths flitting over the water.

'Twas an especially good day.........an eagle flew by our window (the first time we saw him, he was carrying a fish in his talons), and out on the island we saw our first wood stork (no, he was not carrying a baby). Life is full of special moments - even if you don't own a sailboat.