Waiting For Fireworks!

sun setting as captured in the windows...

anticipation...

and more anticipation...

and the sky turned red...

and the sky turned pink...

and the sky turned yellow... 
Sitting in my brother's backyard last evening we were eagerly awaiting fireworks. The wind had picked up, our thinned Florida blood made for a very chilly evening. Well, we waited and waited and no fireworks!!! We learned later that they were postponed until 10PM. 
My 88 year old mother was with us, the wait and anticipation was more than she could bare. 
We brought mom home safe and sound. Well safe anyway, she is such a character, but that's a blog for another time! 
When we arrived at my daughter's home we could finally hear the fireworks off in the distance, about 10:30PM. 
No pictures of the grand display, however the sky kept us entertained, it seemed to change intensity every few minutes. It was fun to watch people engaging, children running amuck, screaming and happy! 
It is New England after all folks and one never knows how Mother Nature will behave. Last evening, she saw fit to test our patience, however graced us with a beautiful sunset and marmalade skys! 
Happy 4th America!

Picasso Petunia!

How very lovely is this flower? A small work of art designed by Mother Nature, herself. In the grand scheme of things maybe just an insignificant little blossom, peculiar though, it captured my attention! Blooming comfortably on my daughter's deck this little darling begged me to capture her essence. The grandchildren and I hung hummingbird feeders, which these lovelies also attract. Picasso Petunia's, require very little care and nature has painted them with hot pink centers, framed by lime green frilled edges.
Ah, to just sit, relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, after ride from hell. Fifteen hundred miles from Fort Myers, Florida to Massachusetts, holiday traffic a nightmare. We traveled route 81, hoping to avoid traffic and so did everyone else. I must confess that I turn into a five year old when cooped in a car, far to long and that I did. I need a bathroom and ice cream every half hour and my feet land up on the dashboard. "Not a pretty sight", I must say. I am sure this vision has rattled the cages of a few truckers. The hubster has the patience of a saint and I, that of a spoiled brat. 
I console myself with the fact that the Almighty, really did put me in the correct century, though. Can you only imagine this journey in a covered wagon, looking straight up from the base of a mountain, having to find a different route!!! Oops!!! 
Where is that, Flint McCullough, when you need him?  
Like my little petunia friend, I am firmly planted and glad to be home and so our summer begins......! 

I told you it wasn't a pretty sight! Only a half hour to our final destination from here, a sight for sore eyes! Can't get any closer, in dire need of a pedicure! 
Yes indeed a spoiled brat am I!!!!!!!! 
Enjoy your Holiday!

Recycled Fan Blades!

Ruby Mermaid 
Don't throw away those old fan blades just yet! I have had them in our shed for some time now just waiting to resurrect them in some sort of creative way! 
Hubby has been asking me to make him a mermaid since he retired five years ago, thus he got to name her! 
Somehow Ruby Mermaid, seemed to fit her personality! 
I used leftover house paints along with tongue depressors for her arms along with wooden coffee stirrers for her hair and a few popsicle sticks for aded width and texture!  Shells for her bra and old jewels for added embellishment. Wooden lattice for her tail. Starfish provided and handmade by the sea! 
A few coats of sealer and she is now waterproofed as any mermaid should be! 
Amazing what you can do with a few throw away objects and a little glue! 
She resides quite proudly on the side of our shed door!

Angel Kisses!

Friendships

I have no clue, as to who these two women are! I do know that it was a joy watching them collecting shells, while strolling the beach, deep in conversation, seemingly not a care in the world, oblivious to my instrument of capture.
Are they just friends or sisters or sisters and friends? Why were they dressed alike or did they even know they were dressed alike? Twins, maybe? I loved the hats and their not so perfect silhouettes as they passed us by. "A nostalgic photo of days gone by," I thought. 

 Like the gentle rhythm of waves, friends wash in and out of our lives. They bathe us with kindness and understanding, some last a lifetime and some maybe not. True friends are the grains of sand that form a foundation, cementing our being. 

They are sent to us in our time of need giving us new perspective, when all seems bleak. A new chapter begins and  angels kisses have been sent our way! 

Viewing Boca Grande Pass, from Gasparilla, Florida, helped me reflect on friendships old and new. For granted, I shall never, ever, take my friends! 

Posted to: http://www.aruraljournal.com/

Funky Fish Pots!

Largest, 24" High

Medium, 18"

Small, 16"
Vowing to bring color and fun into my life and considering my home to be an ongoing craft project, I hand painted some very plain clay pots. They are whimsical for sure and make me smile. Having a primer already mixed in, I used leftover trim exterior house paint. Three coats later the terra-cotta color had finally disappeared. I used chalk to sketch in my designs, which is easily washed off to make any corrections or change a design. Then I just let my imagination run amuck. Poker-dots, stripes, squiggles and swirls, they are fun fish after all! Several coats of a clear sealer completed the job. 
I have them tucked away between shrubs or strategically placed so I can enjoy them from a particular window. Went to the nursery and asked what survives on sheer neglect and three Plumbago won the prize. Planted some pink vinca as well, I am told they are drought tolerant. Let's wait and see if they survive my southern green thumb!
One could say they are funky fish pots and who knows where they will swim to next!!! 
Just love that word funky!!! 
Have a great day!  


Posted to: Your Sunday Best

Tropical Color!

A Day At The Spa!

Waiting For Hire

Take Me Away

Art For Sale 
These are the last photos that I will publishing on the subject of the Keys in Florida! I must say that I was inspired, just love color and anything tropical. My addiction for seascapes just intoxicates my senses and I will move on to other subjects soon, I promise! 
The above photos were taken at Robbie's Marina in Islamorada, Florida. We fed the tarpon and meandered about enjoying the artwork and hand made items by local artisans. 
Our next destination a five hour ride home and finding a good restaurant somewhere in between. We managed both and were ready to get back into the swing of our everyday retirement lifestyle. 
Enjoy a bit of this tropical paradise, breath in the fresh air, then close your eyes and just imagine! 

When I'm Sixty-Four!

When I'm sixty-four...
When I get older losing my hair,

Many years from now....... 
I was 18 years old when this song was written in 1966, that was 46 years ago. It was released on June 1, 1967 two days before my 19th, birthday. Gosh almighty, what did turning or even reaching 64 mean to me then? My parents were still in their forties and my grandparents had either passed or were somewhere in their sixties. Sixty something seemed a far off destination, a remote thought, I really never gave it much more credence. Ah, the arrogance of youth! I was on the threshold of life, with many adventures yet to be lived and discovered. The Beatles were my idols and Paul McCartney my favorite, life was good! I was a true flower child, a hippie byproduct of the sixties, my strict parents would not allow me to go to Woodstock, however! Crushed and disappointed, I somehow survived and moved forward.
I'm here to say that turning 64 today has now become a reality, yet somehow surreal. The funny thing is that, that young person inside still exists, with perhaps more wisdom, a few more wrinkles (OK, a lot more), but still that desire to discover and learn, with many more adventures yet to be discovered out there on the horizon. Gosh I haven't even seen the green flash yet!
In many ways, living my third trimester of life, has been the gift of life itself. I am healthy, my husband, children and grandchildren are all fine, I am still needed and my soul still being fed by the gifts that opportunity allow. Still loving Paul McCartney, and my Birkenstocks too! Great sandals for anyone with plantar fasciitis, by the way.
I must say that turning 64 is pretty darn coooooool! 
I embrace it gracefully, a lucky person am I!!!
Peace out! Rock on! Wipe out! Am I mixing generations here???
Posted to: Nancy Claelys - A Rural Journal

Jesters Of The Sea!

“I’ll make ye walk the plank and swim with the skarks if ye say that again!”~unknown~

Give me some space, will ya Buddy!

Excusez-moi madame!

Hey Wait For Me!
Pelican's are probably my most favorite bird to observe. Their antics are always amusing, a bit goofy by nature, their waddle comical in a very confident sort of way! Skilled scavengers of the sea, every photo seems to beg a caption! 

Key West, Photos To Die For!

Key West Cemetery 

Key West Cemetery
It would be amiss if I didn't mention our visit to the, Key West Cemetery. We meandered through on our last day in Key West and were not disappointed. The cemetery was established in 1847 in the center of Old Town Key West, at it's highest point. Reminiscent of the cemeteries we visited in New Orleans, however, not quite as elaborate. Most of the graves are above ground and many are so old that they are crumbling. 
It was extremely warm and not much shade to be found. We know there are some interesting gravestones here, however, the heat prevented us from staying to long! Some inscriptions that we missed are:
B.P. Roberts - (1929 -1979), thought to have been a hypochondriac,  "I told you I was sick."
Gloria M. Russel - (1926 - 2000), "I'm just resting my eyes."
A widow's tongue-in-cheek inscription, "At least I know where he's sleeping tonight."
The tomb of E. Lariz - (1923 - 1986), reads, "Devoted Fan of singer Julio Iglesias."
One inscription I did capture is:
A Bahamian veteran of the War of 1812, Thomas Romer's final resting place on Fourth Avenue reads, "A good citizen for 65 of his 108 years." ~google search~
Good bye Key West until we meet again! I just know that we will return! 

Panoramic Views!

Easterly

Westerly

Westerly

Northwest

Westerly 
Panoramic views from atop the La Concha Hotel, Key West, Florida. These photos were taken about 5:30PM, the day was a bit windy but at last no rain.
No, no, no, this is not the clothes optional bar that I am sure you have all heard about. These photos would not be possible if that were the only panoramic view in town. 
Just so pretty, a postcard view with every turn! Enjoy!

A Key West Sunset!

Sunset Key

"The sunset bids my day farewell giving rise to the life of another."`Rosemary Aubut~

Entertainment @ Mallory Square

Mallory Square

Mallory Square
Viewing a sunset from Mallory Square is like no other! Maybe it's just the energy that this magical place possesses. People gather early evening in anticipation of the sun's grandiose departure. A loud applause can be heard through out the crowd as the sun descends beneath the earth's horizon.
The senses are heightened here, there is entertainment nighty, street performers display their talents, artists display their wares and food vendors lend to the aromatic smells that make one's taste buds do the dance for the pleasure of refined carbohydrates. Music playing and one feeling the energy and joy of people just being happy! Dinner was enjoyed facing Sunset Key, we bid the sun farewell! 
Posted to: Nancy at A Rural Journal 
Weekly Top Shot

Southern Most Point!

Southern Most Historic Inn

Southern Most Historic Inn

Mile Marker, Route 1

To think that I took these photos at the southern most point in the United States! Honestly when I am in Key West, I feel as though I'm in another country. Key West has the flavor of the Caribbean with all the comforts of home, for sure. The day was cloudy and a bit windy but perfect for photographing none the less! 
A few facts: 

The southern terminus of U.S. Route 1. The highway officially ends/begins at the intersection of Whitehead Street and Fleming Street in Key West. It is 2,390 miles from its northern terminus in Fort Kent, Maine.~wikimapia~ 

Southern Most House Historic Inn, is a historic inn and museum in the city of Key West, Florida in Monroe County, United States. Five U.S. Presidents have stayed there.  It is located in the upper Duval district. It was built in 1896 for a cost of $250,000 USD as a private residence for Judge Vining Harris. It was converted years later into a Cuban nightclub called Café Cayo Hueso in 1939. It was converted back into a residence in 1954 and remained so until 1996, when it underwent a $3 million USD renovation and converted into a 18-room hotel.~wikipedia~