8 Days…..

          away….

    Away from TheGreatWall…..

           That’s what it was……

Erich,the Younger,was in charge.

               ….kinda/sorta…..

      He did a capable job making sure TheWall was safe and the security crew

(AKA Harley and Itty)

were taking care of things

.

         ……but it’s not like yourself,is it?

What did I come home to?

            Besides weeds galore….

Dad’s orchids were blooming!

3 of ‘em!

I was afraid I’d killed them….

He was right!

“Just ignore them.They’ll be fine.”

I’m good great  at ignoring things……

That’s why I have major weeding to do…..

Taking a break…..

from house renovations.

Before the major kitchen reno/room addition starts, it’s time to slow down and take a deep breath.

 

               Get away.

 

                    ….To Sanibel Island…..

 

                                          Reconnect with old friends.

 

                                                                                    …FYI-try Cip’s for happy hour.It’s the best!

 

Relax…..

 

Walk the beach….

Enjoy the scenery…..

Shell……

 

Find yard art…..

I’m seeing it filled with tillandsias…….

Enjoy the sunsets…..

Still on the to-do list…

 

…visit the SCCF plant nursery…..

 

…….I have a list……

Somebody went to Sanibel Island,and all TheGreatWall got was….

Plants!

 

…more on that,later…

 

Yep…it was time for a long,weekend getaway.

...I’m retired.I can do whatever I want,

 

….whenever I want….

 

Time for a birthday party for a good friend and fellow blogger.

 

Time to reconnect with old friends.

…They’re not really old,

 but…...

 

…well,whatever…

 

….. you get my drift…

 

Just hang out…

 

…at a beach bar or two,

 

…or three…

 

Sanibel Island….

The island of Gulf breezes,waves,spectacular sunsets,beach sunflowers,beach bling,Royal Poinciana trees,Mimosa trees,shore birds….

 

So,what did TheGreatWall get as a souvenir you ask?

 

I’ll tell ya….

 

Plants!

 

I absolutely had to return to SCCF native plant nursery to pick up a few things….

 

….Yeah,right.Since when does a gardener go to a native plant nursery and pick up a few things……

 

I had a list,but room in the Tacoma,and the credit card said,”Girl,you had best slow down.”

 

What made it back to TheGreatWall….

l-r: native Red Salvia,salvia coccinea;native Wild Olive,Osmanthus americanus;a blunt leaved peperomia,peperomia obtusifolia, classified as an endangered Florida native plant.

 

Harley has checked things out and deemed them all okay to stay.

She’s handling her new job as Chief of Security quite well,don’t cha think?

 

Oh!!!!

 

and books came home,too!

I heart local bookstores.

 

So much more enjoyable than big box ones.

 

People there know how to read.And they have actually read the books they recommend.

 

I have already read halfway thru the top book.Great ecological novel,IMHO.A comparison of human society to an anthill,in novel form.Makes you think….

 

The bottom book needs no explanation.I have wanted that one for-EVAH!

 

So…..

 

how’d you spend your summer vacation?

Road Trip!!!

I’m starting to feel like such a slacker….

But when a good friend suddenly announced they were moving from Sanibel Island to San Diego…

…What?!…

Why would anyone wanna do that?….I guess a girl has to do what a girl has to do…

So,slacker that I am,I said goodbye-just for the weekend- to TheGreatWall,packed up the new Tacoma,and headed south,to stay with a good friend…

and say goodbye to one of the classiest ladies I know….

After meeting up at the Sanibel Grill,for drinks,we retired to the Sanibel Café

…thanks Bonnie and Richard…

to say goodbye to this classy lady…

…Gonna miss you,Nancy…

But….

Figuring I needed to deal with my depression,what better way than to go a native plant nursery?

…retail therapy is always a help in dealing with depression,no?

Sooo,off good friend and I go….

To here….

where I bought these…

The Wild Coffee to go under the Norfolk Island Pines-semi-shady and tending to damp(but well drained)-and the Meyer Lemon will go into a large container,in the Roadside Garden.

…and two Tropical Sage plants…

….not planted,yet.But they are in place,under the largest Angel’s Trumpet.

and then…

good friend and I went here…

and ooooo…..

the treasures we saw….

female wild boar…

tillsandia…..id anyone?…Bueller?…

I need an ID here…It looks like a cotton ball….Button Snake Root?

and which Tillsandia is this?

…Lee County only has a few registered (9,I believe).

2 of which are Spanish Moss and Ball Moss.

Eliminating those two,what is this?

Hey!…….Maybe,I’m not such a slacker,after all….