I do feel lucky to have grown up around the water, altho I always wished it was in the mountains with snow and I was a snow ski freak

The water I grew up around, was a lake in central fl., learned to ski behind a john boat and took a flashlight out at night in the boat to hunt( look for) alligators. 'My' beach was the yearly trips to daytona...great great days, we have talked about that before.

As far as the river pictures and this house, we moved into it when I was 14, and it was nothing short of a prison. It was a small house my dad bought from the Methodist church. Its a good 65 years old. Since Indialantic is a barrier island only four blocks wide from river to ocean, if you live anywhere there, you are privey to some of mother natures best. I feel you can find that just about anywhere you look tho.
No view...no place, beats feeling happy and at some peace tho

We had a rabid and/or raccoon with distemper. I came out front yesterday. It destroyed lots of decoration, was eating paper and styrafoam, by the time I was told what the issue was, I had lost track of it, been looking all day yesterday and this morning to make sure its not around still.

That's scary Pam! Be extra careful outdoors.

David, my hubs & I do realize how fortunate we were to grow up in paradise. Jupiter then was awesome. Small town where everyone knew everyone & kids were safe no matter where they were. So much water flows through the area that it is astounding. Anywhere you went there was water; from the ocean to the inlet to the river & on up into the brackish water & finally deep into pure fresh water. We had a blast as kids. We grew up everyday in nature, soaking it in & up & learning, feeling, seeing, smelling. The only quote unquote entertainment was the bowling alley but we were never ever bored. At the age of seven I was riding dolphins *in the wild*. What kid can say that? We had a family of dolphins who lived in the river & all us kids played with them. I guess you could say they were our extended family or we were theirs, one of the other. Warm memories. Picking citrus off the trees when we were playing & hungry. Guavas, avocados, mangos, then wash the sticky off our hands in the river. I am truly blessed to have those memories.

Pam, raccoons are nocturnal so it would most likely be hiding during the day. Look for that guy in the evenings and for goodness sakes be careful walking outside in the dark!

If it really is rabid or sick you should call your local Animal Control. They will come and trap it for you. It's a danger to other people and their pets, as well as to you, so you really should take action, not just hope it has gone. They are creatures of habit and if it's put your yard on its nightly tour, it will be around again whether you see it or not.

Speaking of rural Florida and growing up, we visited Apopka for some orchid shopping on Wednesday, and what a sweet little town that is! The orchids are really inexpensive, too.




Gifts for my various friends, B. Little Stars, how perfect a holiday gift is that? In bloom 6in. pot $6 each . . . pleases my Scottish sensibilities.

Wow what a buy Elaine!!!!! And I agree, perfect gifts!!!!!!!

Beeyouteeous Elaine and I love Apopka too!
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Pam and You were blessed Ann. While I did not grow up right on a waterway, we were only a bike ride to the beach in Ormond or Daytona as a kid. I was a beach child really. Every day was the beach in Summer or one of the Springs on occasion. We did have a waterway through the woods with ditches meandering through them though! Thats where I learned to respect ALL!!!!!igators! (From a very young age), learned that Water Moccasins will chase you and was the start of my love of collecting native fish to raise in tanks. I still have a native fish tank in my greenhouse with Sailfin Mollies and and a few other interesting specimens. It helps keep the humidity up too.

It is wonderful growing up in Florida, for those of us kids that got to do the nature of it when young! Those were and ARE our days!

Yay Florida!!!

Pam, You, and me........... I'm just jealous I did not live right on the water and ride Dolphins!

Oh my goodness! You have a native fish tank David? How very, very, very cool!!!!!!!

What *is* it with Water Moccasins anyway????? You got that right David, they *will* chase you. Mean, mean, & meaner! My dh ran out of ammo on one once & it was STILL chasing him even though it had holes all through it. He turned the rifle around & began beating it with the stock & broke the stock! That's when he decided he had best run as fast as he could.

Well I would say you grew up on the water David. By my reckoning, if you can smell it, you were close enough.

Yay Florida!

Now there is one thing, Im petrified over, a snake of any kind in the water. If I was skiing, and anybody took me anywhere near weeds, I would freak out, and if I felt any kind of weeds around me in the water, I would go nuts. Unless the water is clear...like Bahamas or a Fl spring clear, Just sit me in a boat. Now a little body or raft surfing is ok...but thats about it. We only used to have the cheap rafts, when in daytona, we got to rent those heavy duty ones, I always dreamed of having one of those at home.

Yea yea...I dont think we need feel to to sorry for david...hes a water boy and cant hide it ....we all had us some good fun. Im glad those memories come to the fore, cuz lets face it, life isnt always a day at the beach. And there are muck fires too

wonder if Jean is out of town, well, where ever anyone is, wishing you a peaceful week, and looking forward to be back in this chair, at this keyboard, this time next week,

Yehhhhh, there do be the muck fires.
I'm with you Pam, snakes in the water & I'm OUT of the water!!! I do like the crystal clear water.

See you next week Pam! Until then..... grin & bear it.

Heres my latest Aluminum Can Flower!

Oh my goodness it's beautiful!!!!!

It sure is. David, I dare you to post it over on the Orchids forum, as an Aluminum 'Art Work'. If you write it just like that it will be in the same format as a lot of orchids are.

You can tell the orchid nuts over there that I dared you. Post it on the December blooms thread . . . They will love it.

What are you using to color the aluminum?

Thank you Ann and Elaine.

Ok then Elaine. We'll have to come up with a fantasy botanical name then;.............................hmmmmmmmmmmm. Ann and anyone else chip in to help me with a name if you think of one to.

I was playing with something like, 'Orchidaceae Crotalus voodooii'. Orchid, Rattlesnake, with a hint of VooDoo? Just Misbehavin', awe shucks!

I thought you'd use "Aluminum" in that name somewhere, just because it sounds so much like Dendrobium and Oncidium . . . eg. I have one that is Oncidium Copper Scarab 'Brass Brethren'. I kid you not.

How about Aluminum Voodoo dance 'Canned Music' ?

Now thats a thought! Seriously. If it were copper or brass It would be great. I do have in my plethora of art materials many panels of both:... have made lots of jewelry from both in my past New Orleans days and should use those materials.

No! No!..............I've been saving those dang' Aluminum cans and that is the material of the day............................( Yikes. Elaine is just forcing me to move ahead again I thought to myself. )
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Deep breath........................3 times........................all of us! I can be rediculously intense over the silliest issues! (and then some )
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Oncidium aluminus canmusica then?!

I have tubs of Mardi Gras beads collected from parades past from my 21 years of living in New Orleans, and This years Christmas in the gardens is all about Mardi Gras beads.

Happy Hanukkah and the Merriest of Christmas' to all.

Oncidium aluminus canmusica

That is perfect David!

That's going to be soooo funny!

Lets go with it! Check out Orchids.........

Elaine - wish I had known you were going to Apopka. I was in Orlando & would have driven over to look at Orchids.

David - that "canned" orchid is amazing!!!!

Oh darn, Jean. I thought we'd let everyone know when we were going. The trip was planned at least 3 weeks before we went.

Next time I'll be sure to talk it up more! We think we might go again in the spring, as they have a lot more plants in bloom, and different kinds available then.

Glad your back Jean, and Thank You!

Madames color improved over night, and She was vibrant today in the Sun!