Thursday, August 30, 2007

Pretty in pink?

Just a courtyard of the neighboring house. Would make a great "pink theme day" on the DCP, wouldn't it?

Hypothetically speaking: it's the 1920's, you just had a baby boy, what color booties would you get him?

WRONG! According to Wikipedia: "Despite being widely considered the color of females, before the 1930s, pink was considered to be a color for boys in America. Because pink is a watered down version of red, it was considered a color of power and strength, as red is still today. Blue was for girls!"

So there...You learned something new today...I keep telling you, I'm not just a pretty face ;-)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Quiz Tuesday part 34

Here's Al's older cousin, Gator, sunning himself next to the 12th hole of the Hurricane Golf Course.

Today's question - in your best estimation, how big is Gator?

Will accept any (reasonable) guess: in feet, meters or degrees of horror... The one who comes the closest to the actual size, will get to pet Gator ;-)

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Rejoice!

Great and Little Blue Herons fishing in the wetlands

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."

~Eleonora Duse


Happy weekend, everyone!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Sun 'n' shade

Third Ave South, downtown Naples

Another scorcher today and we continue to seek a shady spot downtown. This is an area outside a popular eatery, but notice there are not many takers for the al fresco dining ;-)

How are you holding up?

Don't despair - autumn officially arrives in one month!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Quiz Tuesday part 33

Fifth Ave South, downtown Naples

It's been hotter than... iPhone around here lately ;-) Is it any wonder that we all seek shelter under this tree, with its dense foliage...

It has been described as the most colourful tree in the world (when in full bloom). Do you know its proper name?

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Take me away...

Ft. Myers Beach Marina

Christopher Cross and his 1979 hit song "Sailing" will forever remind me of California and cruising to Catalina Island.

Does it take you back to any special place?

Come, sail with me...



Thursday, August 16, 2007

Spincasting

Naples Municipal Pier

That's some serious fishing paraphernalia. I don't really have the patience for fishing, but sure enjoy the freshly caught, lightly pan-fried grouper ;-)

If you enlarge the photo you will find a pelican on the roof (does that sound strange to you?). There are also other things on the roof - can you guess what they are? Take a closer look.

Yes, those are broken fishing lines, which are endangering the lives of pelicans (and other sea birds).

I touched on the subject in an earlier post .

Monday, August 13, 2007

Roaring Mad

Third Street South, downtown Naples

It's a jungle out there!

I found this New York Times article* recently (warning: read at your own risk - it might raise your blood pressure!) about the many millionaires in Silicon Valley, who feel poor and therefore continue to work 80-100 hours a week, sacrificing their family life! Never mind that their net worth is 10 million dollars or so - compared to other dot.com entrepreneurs, they feel inadequate.

For once, I'm speechless. And sad.

* if you do not have an account at NYT, please feel free to use mine (id=prettyizzy, password=naples)

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Lurker Al


This is the same peaceful lagoon as in the previous post.

In her comment, Rambling Round was wondering where the alligator was hiding...
If you enlarge the photos, you will find out ;-)

Have a great weekend and don't let those pesky gators sneak up on you!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Thought...less

canoe park

"All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Sorry, Freddie, you goofed on this one - I took a walk and still...I have nothing great to say today ;-)

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Quiz Tuesday part 32

These are called "attached villas" in my community.

No, it's not an observation test (how many differences can you spot...), but I will test your powers of deduction.

Today's question: why is the landscaping so vastly diverse in front of the 2 villas?

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Good night, sweet prince ;-)

taken from the lanai through the screen

Is the old adage “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning” true, or is it just an old wives’ tale?

According to the Library of Congress, within limits, there's truth to it.

When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.

A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

As you can see, our drought continues...

Friday, August 3, 2007

Profitons en!

Cleaning the freshly caught fish at Naples Pier...


and sharing the scraps with the attentive pelicans.

A win-win situation ;-) Hope your weekend is just as satisfying!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

August 1st Theme Day - Typical Breakfast

Inside a caged lanai, where one would breakfast, if one was so inclined.


Sorry, I did not prepare anything special and did not register for this month's theme post until the last moment, so you probably won't visit me. But I will be taking a tour around the world, to check out your breakfast habits ;-)


And, in case you are wondering, most days I enjoy a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (this is Florida!)




and a slice of a vegetable frittata.



Preferably, served in bed ;-)



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