Cold to warm, coats to flipflops

We've made it back to Naples and trying to shake off the disorientation. It appears to be an ongoing thing we have to deal with, especially Mark. He didn't even last here 24hrs. Back to Miami, to Chicago, to Kansas City, and back late to Miami.  I will see him soon, I promise. Keeps thing hopping that's for sure.

A progression of photos from cold to tropical. A bit happened right after I posted last from Star Mt, at least in the wildlife dept. Inside with closed windows I could hear the bugling calls of the sandhill cranes arriving as an early sign of spring.  They don't stay but a short timeout as this is on their migratory path. Huge birds; 4 feet tall and a 7ft wingspan. And we had the first sightings of bluebirds, one of our couples who takes over the deck and builds a nest underneath, It's a massive white landscape out there still. I can never understand why they come back so early and what they're subsisting on.

And spring has sprung in Naples, although the signs are pretty subtle in this tropical land. Pollen is everywhere, and if you sit still long enough, it's going to be up your nose. The live oak and cypress trees have dropped a lot of leaves ready to burst out with new. Our lanai stays open much of the time now. Gorgeous weather, wonderful bird songs, turtles swimming, pelicans diving, pretty nice. We have fish nests at the edge of every bit of water around with a mother fish hovering above her eggs in each one.

And before we left, we had one ugly duck hanging around for a bread handout, and when we got back there were two. The second is either a female or a juvenile not sure, but they hang out together. we only feed them once a day in the morning but they stay, take naps in the bushes, in hope for more I guess.

Back into my routine I go. Art class, yoga,farmers market, and tai chi. Yup, its tough but somebody's got to do it.  The farmers market is a tiny one in our community center parking lot on Wednesdays, my yoga day. Today I bought vegies and this amazing local honey with seagrape nectar. Already had some on my yogurt and yum - very distinctive flavor. The owners only have 6 hives but they produce a lot. When not selling their honey, they're out talking to schools and other places educating the public about the need to stop using pesticides. It's killing the bee population and we've got to have these little guys for world food production.

And so the year marches on. We're here for two months and then back to Star Mt. There' ll be some juggling going on as Mark has shoulder surgery scheduled the beginning of May in Gunnison (marvelous head doctor for the U.S. Olympics team will do it) and then there's recovery. Oh boy recovery and I've bravely stepped forward to be nurse. So back and forth to Naples somehow at some point, and Mark will resume his normal travel schedule to Miami and everywhere at some point. Things are never dull...