Thank you, Gigi, and thank you for the gift. When we began looking for a home in FL (our only child was in Sarasota and that was a 12 hr. drive for us), we had "wants" and "don't want" for our (several) realtors. The first thing listed in the "don't want" category was "HOA". One of the first items listed in the "want" category was 1 acre. We have far more land than we needed. I simply wanted room for an equipment shed, for a shadehouse, and room for plantings. We we bought this house nearly 4 yr. ago, there was nothing built outside (the house was built 20 yr. ago). I built the equipment shed first, then the lanai, and finally the shadehouse. Other than the landscaping done adjacent to the house, the palms (50+), Australian Pines, a couple of oaks, and Black Olive trees, there were no plantings. Some of these plants were put in when the house was built in 1997, but the Australian Pines were put in when the orange grove was established in the 1920's. I've now put in White Bird of Paradise's, Orange Bird of Paradise's, pineapples, Tropical Giant's, colorful hibiscuses, Pride of Barbados trees, lime trees, Orchid Trees, and a Florida Coral Tree, loquat, ,mango, and a lemon tree. And of course, all the plumeria.
I've got so much property that it almost looks sparse on that backyard photo.
Ken and 
with Ursula. You did a great job!
, deer, the occasional gator and now a bear - but I have not seen it yet. I zoomed in on some Mallards in the mist across the pond this morning. 
My Red looks so pretty when everything is covered in white. 
