Cherish

I no longer make New Year's resolutions. My success rate is pretty low - good intentions are usually forgotten halfway through January.

Reading some of my favorite bloggers lately, I noticed a trend; instead of making resolutions, people adopt words they will focus on throughout the year. Words like: forgiveness, compassion, risk, health, understanding, adventure, love, acceptance, spirituality...

So I pick the word "Cherish" for 2008. To be aware and appreciative of the people in my life, the places I hold dear and simple moments like this one - curling up in a comfy chair with a good book and Truffles gently snoring on top of my head...

What's your word?

Neapolitan Christmas

I just realized that I have not posted any Christmas themed photos this year. But it is so hard to get into the proper spirit when the beach calls your name...

Lest you call me Scrooge, here are some holiday takes from around town: a rooftop Santa from the Palm Cottage, a disco boat from the Christmas Boat Parade on the Imperial River, a Christmas Tree from the Venetian Village, a couple of lawn decorations from my community and yes, a self-portrait ;-)

Whew! Glad to get it out in one big swoop. Now, back to the beach...

The aftermath

The Village on Venetian Bay, Naples

After the recent days of continuous feasting and overall Christmas merriment, I feel like "The Pie Lady" ;-)

Luckily, right behind her is a clothing boutique selling Tummy Tuck Jeans. They promise to: lift your butt, flatten your tummy and make you look a size smaller!

If I buy a few pairs, will I drop several sizes?

Rejoice!

"The time draws near the birth of Christ:

The moon is hid; the night is still;

The Christmas bells from hill to hill

Answer each other in the mist.

Four voices of four hamlets round,

From far and near, on mead and moor,

Swell out and fail, as if a door

Were shut between me and the sound:

Each voice four changes on the wind,

That now dilate, and now decrease,

Peace and goodwill, goodwill and peace,

Peace and goodwill, to all mankind."

~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson Voices in the Mist

Warm and wonderful Christmas wishes to all my Blogger friends!

The Letter

Fifth Ave South, downtown Naples

Dear Santa,

This year I wish for World Peace, a Cure for all Disease, the End of Global Hunger, and - since I've been a very good girl - a little red sports car (preferably a hybrid)!

Merry Christmas!
Isabella

What's on your wish list?

Footloose

Holiday visitors arrive in Naples and the first order of business is to test the waters...

Yep, it's warm enough to swim.

“A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card.”
~Farmer’s Almanac

After the rain

Typically, the rain did not last long. The sun came out, the birds returned and life is back to normal...

" I realized that if I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
~Charles Lindberg

Let it snow rain!

photo taken through the screen of the lanai

Finally! Thank you Olga!

Woke up Sunday morning to the sound of the rain - a rare occurrence here in the wintertime but very welcome! Like most of the South this year, Florida is suffering from extreme drought. I will expand on it in a later post.

I love rain...In the rain, no one can tell that you are crying...

Conformity

Brown deck, brown leaves, brown lizard. Boring and dull...but safe.

We are all trying to fit in, not to stir the waters. Have the days of hippies, counterculturists and nonconformists gone the way of disco?

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind, don't matter, and those who matter, don't mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

High anxiety

Just an ordinary afternoon in my community...or is it?

If you lived in one of those houses, would you be worried?

No? Well, obviously you have not seen the following:

Smell the flowers

Truffles and hibiscus

"Don't hurry and don't worry,
Life's too precious to be rushed,
Take time to hear the blackbird sing
When the evening's hushed.

Don't stumble and don't grumble,
We're only here a while,
So smell the flowers on your way,
Enjoying every mile.

Don't groan a lot, or moan a lot,
Or dwell on stress and strife,
But see the wonders of the world
And all the gifts of life.

Don't hurry and don't worry,
Enjoy the sun and showers,
We're here for such a little while -
Take the time to smell the flowers."

~Iris HESSELDEN Smell the Flowers

Just a friendly reminder, during this stressful holiday season ;-)

I only have eyes for you...

Well, guess who kept me company during this morning's walk - Al, the alligator!

Some of you've asked if I fear Al. Not really. If left alone, an alligator would much rather stay away from humans than attack them. In the State of Florida it is illegal to feed a wild alligator, as doing so tends to make the animal associate humans with food and it loses its natural fear of man.

However, attacks on humans do occur, and there have been several fatal alligator attacks in Florida. Many of these involve small children or swimmers, however most of them can be attributed to human error. One of the most important rules is, should you see an alligator in the wild...Leave It Alone.

Intoxicating

Coconut Point Mall, Estero

It's the weekend, people - I need my Grape!

The Grape is a wine bar, where you can taste over 120 unique wines by the bottle or a glass, all the while munching on some gourmet treats.

It is also a wine merchant, so if you find your perfect wine, you can bring a case home ;-)

Pod invasion

La Florida - "the land of flowers" in Spanish - is also the land of mighty strange looking pods, like this one

and this one.

Don't ask me what they are - I have no idea! But if it seems like I've been replaced by an alien being, you'll know how it happened...

Smooth sailing

“Jolly boating weather,

And a hay harvest breeze,

Blade on the feather,

Shade off the trees.”
William Johnson Cory

And how was your weekend?

Theme day - bridges

Don't get me wrong - Southwest Florida has plenty of impressive bridges, linking the mainland with our famous islands like Sanibel, Captiva or Marco.

But truthfully, we cannot compete with the Golden Gate, Sydney Harbor, Le pont de Normandie or Tsing ma.

So I will keep it humble - this is a footbridge over a small lake in my community. Most of my nature photos - flowers, plants, birds, alligators, turtles - were taken from this spot.

It's my private Giverny ;-)

More than a 120 City Daily Photo blogs are currently participating in this theme day. Please visit them here:
Boston (MA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Inverness (IL), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Stockholm, Sweden - Setúbal, Portugal - Brussels, Belgium - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Hyde, UK - Manila, Philippines - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - London, England - Austin (TX), USA - Toulouse, France - Weston (FL), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Selma (AL), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - North Bay (ON), Canada - Arradon, France - Paderborn, Germany - Durban, South Africa - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Portland (OR), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Wichita (Ks), USA - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Grenoble, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Arlington (VA), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Cheltenham, UK - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Saratoga Spgs. (NY), USA - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Nashville (TN), USA - Toruń, Poland - New Orleans (LA), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Melbourne, Australia - Moscow, Russia - Trujillo, Peru - Château-Gontier, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Joplin (MO), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Brookville (OH), USAChateaubriant, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Baziège, France - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Detroit (MI), USA - Riga, Latvia - Nelson, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Cape Town, South Africa - Sydney, Australia - Dunedin (FL), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Radonvilliers, France - Turin, Italy - Montpellier, France - Kansas City (MO), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Wailea (HI), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Terrell (TX), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Budapest, Hungary - Montréal (QC), Canada - Sharon (CT), USA - Le Guilvinec, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - London, UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Orlando (FL), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Paris, France - Mainz, Germany - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Darmstadt, Germany - Naples (FL), USA - Torino, Italy - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - The Hague, Netherlands - Minneapolis (MN), USA

A gift

We've all been there. You walk around, looking for a photo worthy of a post and all you can find is a turtle sticking his head out of the (Canoe Park) lake. It doesn't look very interesting, you can't see much more than what's on the surface, but resignedly, you click anyway.

And then you come home, upload it to your computer and SURPRISE! The camera saw so much more: entire graceful creature, body armour and tail, suspended in water like a young Esther Williams!

Technically, it is known as a Florida soft-shell turtle, but I call it an Unexpected Gift ;-)

Tuesday quiz part 37

Every once in a while - mostly on Tuesdays - I miss our quizzes.

Well, actually, what I miss is your highly creative and often bizarre comments ;-). So let's do it one more time!

Today's question is: What is it? Have you ever seen anything like this? Did it come with a lizard?

Birds of a feather...

Your mama was right: money does not grow on trees!

But apparently, birds do ;-)

To listen to their cacophony of calls, see my short video.

Remains of the day

Thanksgiving Day...evening (photo taken from my backyard)

"Softly the evening came.
The sun from the western horizon
Like a magician extended his golden want o'er the landscape;

Trinkling vapors arose;
and sky and water and forest
Seemed all on fire at the touch, and melted and mingled together."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Le Jour de Merci Donnant

Glossy Ibis at Hurricane Lake

Sorry friends, this is the closest I could get to a turkey today ;-)

Earlier this year, our country lost a great humorist and writer, Art Buchwald. Remember his classic piece Le Grande Thanksgiving in which he explained the holiday to the French? For those who don't, I'm re-printing it below.

Chacun à son goût, or why we eat turkey.
by Art Buchwald (originally published in 1952 and reprinted each November since).

One of our most important holidays is Thanksgiving Day, known in France as le Jour de Merci Donnant.

Le Jour de Merci Donnant was first started by a group of Pilgrims (Pèlerins) who fled from l'Angleterre before the McCarran Act to found a colony in the New World (le Nouveau Monde) where they could shoot Indians (les Peaux-Rouges) and eat turkey (dinde) to their heart's content.

They landed at a place called Plymouth (a famous voiture Américaine) in a wooden sailing ship called the Mayflower (or Fleur de Mai) in 1620. But while the Pèlerins were killing the dindes, the Peaux-Rouges were killing the Pèlerins, and there were several hard winters ahead for both of them. The only way the Peaux-Rouges helped the Pèlerins was when they taught them to grow corn (maïs). The reason they did this was because they liked corn with their Pèlerins.
In 1623, after another harsh year, the Pèlerins' crops were so good that they decided to have a celebration and give thanks because more maïs was raised by the Pèlerins than Pèlerins were killed by Peaux-Rouges.

Every year on the Jour de Merci Donnant, parents tell their children an amusing story about the first celebration.
It concerns a brave capitaine named Miles Standish (known in France as Kilomètres Deboutish) and a young, shy lieutenant named Jean Alden. Both of them were in love with a flower of Plymouth called Priscilla Mullens (no translation). The vieux capitaine said to the jeune lieutenant:
"Go to the damsel Priscilla (allez très vite chez Priscilla), the loveliest maiden of Plymouth (la plus jolie demoiselle de Plymouth). Say that a blunt old captain, a man not of words but of action (un vieux Fanfan la Tulipe), offers his hand and his heart, the hand and heart of a soldier. Not in these words, you know, but this, in short, is my meaning.
"I am a maker of war (je suis un fabricant de la guerre) and not a maker of phrases. You, bred as a scholar (vous, qui êtes pain comme un etudiant), can say it in elegant language, such as you read in your books of the pleadings and wooings of lovers, such as you think best adapted to win the heart of the maiden."

Although Jean was fit to be tied (convenable à être emballé), friendship prevailed over love and he went to his duty. But instead of using elegant language, he blurted out his mission. Priscilla was muted with amazement and sorrow (rendue muette par l'étonnement et la tristesse).
At length she exclaimed, interrupting the ominous silence: "If the great captain of Plymouth is so very eager to wed me, why does he not come himself and take the trouble to woo me?" (Où est-il, le vieux Kilomètres? Pourquoi ne vient-il pas auprès de moi pour tenter sa chance?)
Jean said that Kilomètres Deboutish was very busy and didn't have time for those things. He staggered on, telling what a wonderful husband Kilomètres would make. Finally Priscilla arched her eyebrows and said in a tremulous voice, "Why don't you speak for yourself, Jean?" (Chacun à son goût.)

And so, on the fourth Thursday in November, American families sit down at a large table brimming with tasty dishes, and for the only time during the year eat better than the French do. No one can deny that le Jour de Merci Donnant is a grande fête and no matter how well fed American families are, they never forget to give thanks to Kilomètres Deboutish, who made this great day possible.

Thanks Kilomètres, thanks Art and thanks to all of you who visit me here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Love gone bad

This vine, known as the love vine, has several much more descriptive nicknames: woe, witch's hair, devil's gut or strangleweed.

Yes, it is very unloved around here, and for a good reason - it's a parasitic vine that grows into an insidious (fishing-like) net that eventually strangles the host (mostly live oaks). It produces small berries (dodders) which attach themselves to a new host, and thusly continue their...herbicide ;-)

So why the love vine name? According to Elizabeth Silverthorne's "Legends & Love of Texas Wildflowers", young lovers in England may have given the plant its name.

"It was said that if a man swung a bit of the vine three times around his head and then threw it backwards, he could find out if his sweetheart loved him. After three days, when he returned to the spot, if he found that the dodder has attached itself to another plant, it meant that the lady returned his love, but if the vine had died, she did not love him."

Anybody need me to swing the vine around?

Nature call

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir

Beautiful weekend to you all!

"Strange animal facts" #14
The original name for the butterfly was flutterby!

Patchwork quilt

This is just a small sample of the driveways I cross on my habitual walks through the community.

"The powers that be" would prefer that all driveways were built using individual bricks/stones. But as you can see, most homeowners opt for the easier, less expensive method of pouring concrete and "stamping" out a design...

See anything you like?

Virgin (canine) sacrifice?

Truffles at the canoe park

Sometimes words are superfluous. The picture says it all.

What not to do

Today's post serves as a lesson: you should not take photos through a dirty window and an even dirtier screen!

And you should definitely not cut a raptor's wings off...

For the correct way of taking hawk photos, please visit here ;-)

Through the looking glass

This is the front door of an estate house in my neighborhood.

Through it, you can see all the way into backyard, which slopes down to Spring Creek.

(That's one benefit of living in a gated community - security is not an issue.)

Flower power

Bougainvillea in my neighbor's garden

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature." ~ Anne Frank

Beach Party

Oh, happy days!

The weather is picture perfect - sunny and dry days, cool and comfortable nights.

If you need me, you'll know where to find me...

Meet me at the mall...

Coconut Point Mall, Estero

It's time to get out of our "Blue" funk and release those endorphins!

“When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking.” ~Elayne Boosler

P.S. Hope you don't need any water ;-)

Theme day - The Color Blue

Restaurant at Crayton Cove, Naples waterfront

If you are a frequent visitor to NaplesDailyPhoto you know that the predominant color here is blue. That's what Southwest Florida is all about - blue skies and blue water.

So it wasn't easy choosing a photo for today's theme day, but I think I succeeded...

I'm showing you here everything I love: Mediterranean Blue, Provence and French Cuisine!

Besides, it was either this or the photo below ;-)

Port-a-potty (portable toilet) at a local construction site

Please check out the rest of the "Blue" participants in this month's theme day:

Boston (MA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Portland (OR), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Arradon, France - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Stockholm, Sweden - Singapore, Singapore - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Toulouse, France - The Hague, Netherlands - Moscow, Russia - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Stayton (OR), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Detroit (MI), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Hyde, UK - Radonvilliers, France - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Saarbrücken, Germany - New Orleans (LA), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Forks (WA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Barton (VT), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Inverness (IL), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - Toruń, Poland - North Bay (ON), Canada - Le Guilvinec, France - Chateaubriant, France - London, England - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Sydney, Australia - Austin (TX), USA - Mumbai, India - Boston (MA), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Paderborn, Germany - Montréal (QC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Orlando (FL), USA - Grenoble, France - Cheltenham, UK - Forks (WA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - London, UK - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Belgrade, Serbia - Paris, France - Shanghai, China - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Montpellier, France - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Auckland, New Zealand - Evry, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Oslo, Norway - Minneapolis (MN), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Trujillo, Peru - Trujillo, Peru - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Durban, South Africa - Brussels, Belgium - Anderson (SC), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Wellington, New Zealand - Prague, Czech Republic - Saigon,

All Hallows Eve

A murder of crows at Pelican's Nest Country Club

"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!"

~ Edgar Allan Poe The Raven

"Strange animal facts" #13:

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.

On Heron Pond

“When despair for the world grows in me, and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be -- I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought or grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
~ Wendell Berry

On the road again...

Cascade, Michigan

I am traveling this weekend. Leaving here...

Naples, Florida

...and arriving here.

Hmmm...seems I can't escape the color red ;-)

Have a colorful weekend, everyone!

"Strange animal facts " #12:
In Alaska, it is legal to shoot bears. However, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

The quiet before the storm

Third Street South, downtown Naples

The official season for South West Florida does not begin until November 1st. That's when hordes of "snowbirds" (residents from the cold, northern parts of the US and Canada) descend on Naples and its environs. They stay up to 6 months in their second homes and condos, boosting the local economy and contributing to the wellness of the region.

Then, there are "the visitors". They swoop in at the heart of the season - February and March -
populate our beaches with their pale, weary bodies and empty their full, bulging wallets into our stores and restaurants, all the while stretching the local resources to the max.

And that leaves you, "the tourist" - carving out a week or two out of your busy schedule to escape the cold and snow and melt in the sun. To you I say: come, you won't be disappointed, but if at all possible, avoid the full season (February and March).

You'll thank me ;-)

A star is born...

Bauhinia variegata forma alba

Be like the flower, turn your faces to the sun.

~ Kahlil Gibran

"Strange animal facts" #11:

Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

Sunday's catch

Some of you asked where I was standing when I took the previous photo.

Here's your answer: Naples Pier. Just me and the fishing boy, each hoping for a good catch ;-)

"Strange animal facts" #10:
Fish that live more than 800 meters below the ocean surface, don't have eyes.

Beach bathing

The average water temperature at Naples beach in October is 81F (27C).

Great for wading and...hair washing, apparently ;-)

"Strange animal facts" #9:
The blue whale has a heart the size of a small car and its blood vessel is so broad, that a person could swim through it.

Tagged!

" I want my privacy, please!"

I have been tagged by both Victoria and Glenn to reveal 8 random facts about myself.

These are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.

3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).

4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

Here are some things about me you probably did not know:

1. I was born on a beach (long story!) on Friday the 13th. This should clue you in to how well my life is going ;-)

2. I had a poem published at the age of 9. It was entitled "Shattered Dreams" (at 9???)

3. I am a decent cook but a dismal baker. I guess baking requires precision and exact measurements - that's sooo not me...

4. I once danced with Robin Williams, the actor, at a night club in Jamaica.

5. I was detained at Frankfurt Airport on suspicion of espionage. Questioned, searched and released shortly after.

6. I can never get through Chopin's "Heroic" polonaise without crying (but then again I empathize with his longing for his motherland).

7. I have this uncanny ability to tell time...without consulting a watch. No matter when, day or night, if you ask me what time it is, I will be exact to the minute. (Can anyone else do that or am I a freak?).

8. Nobody makes me belly-laugh like John Cleese in "Fawlty Towers".

Now, it's my turn to tag you, my blogger friends:

Jilly - Menton Daily Photo

Sonia - Leaves of Grass

Nikon - Hemingway's Paris

JAM - John's Daily Digital Images

GMG - Blogtrotter

Lessie - Anderson Daily Photo

Zsolt - Budapest Daily Photo

Richard - Zurich Daily Photo