A Man and His Baby on the Beach

An Outlet?

Water Lily in Bloom

There is just something so pure about a white water lily.

Even when critters have been nibbling up the leaves.

Redheads at the Beach

Finches were nesting at Grayton Beach when we were there recently. They have such a lovely, lovely song, as well as being such attractive birds.  I thought these were house finches, but now I am not so sure but what they may have been purple finches.

Anyone with input is appreciated.

Mailbox Monday: Got Milk?

What Else Could They Do?

Those Hayes boys gotta grow hay!

Sago Majesty

I will admit that I am not truly a fan of sagos.

But anyone can appreciate the radial symmetry of these large plants.

Welcome to Florida in the Summer

The deer flies at the garden are numerous and hungry.

Mailbox Monday: The Surveyor's Mailbox

First Paddling

No, we didn't beat the baby!
We got to go along for our grandson's first kayaking trip.
First, his mommy gave him instruction.

and before we knew it, he took over. He sang, "This side, this side. This side, this side," as he switched paddling from side to side.

We had expected that, at just barely two, he would be done in maybe 15 minutes. He surprised everyone, by being content the entire trip that lasted over one hour. It is a very good start and we look forward to many more!

Mailbox Monday: The Big, Bad Wolf at Grandma's House

Turkeys at the Sod Farm

I love turkeys. I'm always on the lookout for them and am often rewarded by catching a glimpse of them. Early one morning recently, I was driving country roads when I noticed some turkeys in the fog out in the field at the sod farm. They were not close and did not mind as I took a few blurry shots of them.

This one was apart from the others.

Fungus Among-us

The parent of one of my kindergartners is a micro-biologist. She recently prepared and taught a lesson for us on the importance of hand-washing. Each child was permitted to touch a sterile substance in a petri dish. They labeled the dish with their name and the dish was sealed shut. Surfaces around the classroom were swabbed and treated the same way. We observed the dishes over a few days and it was interesting to see the variety of growths that developed.

These were known fungi that she brought for demonstration purposes. But she also identified bacteria that tend to not appear as fuzzy as the fungi.

Because of the children's names, I chose not to photograph their dishes. They varied some, as would be expected. These dishes below show some of the growths from the various surfaces.

(Computer mouse, not varmint.)

By far, the most active growth came from the shoe bottoms. 

So the lesson is, wash your hands and keep them out of your mouth.