Road Trip to South Tampa, Floor Repair, Plumbing and Yoga

So I took a road trip to fetch this once lost and now found treasured
stretch video. I also stopped at what was once my favorite health food
store with a great deli to get my first meal. Still good and always something
new to try.

All in time to get back home to meet floor contractor's day two on replacing
nearly two dozen of solid white oak plank flooring in four of the rooms.
It's been nearly twenty years since the last time these floors had that kind
of attention on this almost ninety year old home. Nearly thirty of those years
were mine. 

Day one.

Yesterday's work was about three quarters of the planks that needed replacing.
Transition from kitchen to gallery, music room and hallway were minor compared
to the back bedroom, which was half finished before calling it a day.

Change of plans, my floor tech will be here tomorrow first thing in the
morning.

Day two's floor repair, the worst of the five areas that were repaired.


I have a handyman/plummer on hold this week to work around my
floor repair and will coordinate some needed work on replacing my tub
faucet seats and 'O' ring for the faucet diverter. The kitchen sink needed
a new strainer and will have to have him back to address slow leak on
the kitchen faucet. He hauls his practice around in a seventies model
bread truck. With a seventies style logo too.

Off to yoga this evening to work out today's heavy trimming in the back
yard's white powder puff bush. About every couple of years I give
it a good thinning and something you might say to your barber, a lop off
the top, for good form and security reasons.

Sphinx Moth Reving Up For Take Off

A Scarred Worn Warrior - Eumorpha labruscae - Gaudy Sphinx Moth

It wasn't until I processed these pictures is when I saw it's battered body. Perhaps

from fending off a Snowy White Egret who found its wings too daunting to swallow.

Or glancing off that telephone line and other man made encumbrances that get

in it's way.

Don't let the last picture above fool you into thinking it may be wounded or fragile.

It is only getting it's self positioned to warm up those wings just before it takes flight

to it's next destination, unknown. 

If it doesn't look ferocious, fearless and ready to take on it's next instinctual task 

in it's bug life, then I don't know what does.

A Cherished Clay Wall Vessel

Not that this awesome vessel needed filling although it's utilitarianism calls out
sometimes. What better way than some Peacock eye feathers from this clay
creator's massive Peacock  and  feather collection.

Biked Our City's New Three Parks Trail

On Christmas day before joining my sister via a cell phone for
her family Christmas meal. Where text and pictures abound
the busy air waves. I wanted to take advantage and balance
that out with taking a spin on this new trail.

Made this trek from my back door and back within an hour.
The start of the trail from my house is about two miles, making
the actual trail shorter than I would have thought.

I biked the trail counter clockwise which gave me a welcomed downhill
push at the beginning of the trail. As much as I wanted to pick up a stray
ribbon from it's inaugural opening, which would add to my collection of
three ribbons, or take a picture of a cloud formation.
With expediency the motivating factor along with the fact that the park
closed at sundown and that being a half hour away. What more motivation
does one need to press one into a race against time and in more ways than
one.

Winter Solstice Ring Garden Gets Squirrels Blessings

An excuse for this procrastinator and some legit reasons, you take your pick.

This garden make over is pockmarked with craters from squirrels and
no doubt some from cats, that also call this landscape their own.

 As soon as these garden critters spy some freshly plowed soil, and I use that
 term loosely knowing that his Florida sand is in dire need of plenty of organic
 material. I know what your thinking that a cat's business is just added fodder.
 I will let things settle down some thus giving the Amaryllis bulblets better odds
 at taking hold and thriving.

Spring Cleaning the Garden of Winter, Indoor Garden

Removed just a few under performing potted specimens from the landscape.
We are into our natural dry spell of late fall and winter through spring. Punctuated
with some rains here and there. Only watering very very sparingly unlike past
seasons. Besides there isn't any thing natural in watering with treated water.
If you ever noticed how your yard looks after a nice rain, there is no comparison.

As a remembrance to the under performing potted specimens that served well
enough for their time spent here in my garden I created this kitchen windowsill
terrarium. This will carry a lot of beauty that those other plants once had and
given.

With several elements needed to create something from nothing. I had the inspiration,
along with some favorite items that I had collected over time.

My fascination with glass that this cut glass top container with a free form looking base
 shows off quite to my liking.Will hold these other natural elements with stones,
translucent orb along with a young fern.

 This fern was a volunteer that was growing along with a cactus, of all things. What
could be two more diverse subjects of the Plant Kingdom and yet be found side by
side. Probably says more to why the cactus did not do all that well due to our moist
climate. This cactus wore a coating of rust that covered it head to toe. All the while
this fern sitting at the base of this potted cactus showing how it is thriving.  Starting
from a spore that blew in off the wind. Or a spore that rubbed off the side of a lizard
that had clamored up the side of this pot for a perch while scoping out it's next meal.


This live fern adds to my growing indoor plant collection of three. A record for this
month and many years from someone who had vowed not to grow any plants indoors
and even harder to maintain them in this even harsher home environment.

A four thirty perspective and looking at a slight drizzle of rain.

Welcome to some artificial lighting little one.