Rainy Season Plus Craziness in Florida

 

 

The other day I had an appointment first thing in the morning. Upon my return, tiny sprinkles were starting to blow in the wind against me. A heavy rainfall is expected later, but the moist air felt good on my face.  I captured a few photos of the cloudy sky to share today. Although we have blue skies the majority of the time in Florida, it's not always true in the rainy season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Summer in Florida is HOT AND HUMID!

 

 

 Now - Crazy Florida News!! 

 Y'all, there is no round of golf worth getting struck by lightning. Remember what happened in Caddyshack? This photo was taken on July 23rd in Venice, Florida. Eventually a course ranger had to bring them back to the clubhouse. Always be safe! Photo Credit: Kathy P McSteen

 

 Now I am reporting on the evil people do to make more money. Two men thought nesting birds drove customers away. The answer was to try to drive the birds away with toxic mothballs. It boggles the mind that they thought adding toxic chemicals to a sandy beach was acceptable. I hope they get jail time as well as hefty fines:

 

 

 The "Mothball Mystery" has led to two arrests.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Robert Czyszczon, owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel, and Christopher Monroe, owner of Chris' Beachside Bar, were arrested Wednesday following an investigation into hundreds of toxic mothballs that were scattered across St. Pete Beach earlier this year. Investigators allege the mothballs were placed on the beach to deter protected black skimmer birds from nesting there.

FWC says surveillance footage, Walmart purchase records, and other evidence—including text messages obtained during the investigation—helped connect the two men to the case.

They are facing charges that include felony commercial littering and attempting to take or harass a state-threatened species.

If these allegations are true, what a bunch of losers. Protected wildlife deserves better than this, and trying to solve a problem by spreading toxic chemicals on a public beach is unbelievably unbelievable.

First reported by Angie Angers

 

 

Black Skimmers:   Each summer, Black Skimmer colonies return to nest along Florida’s beaches, including St. Pete Beach. Though they come back every year, their nesting locations often shift dramatically from season to season. From May through September, these unique seabirds lay 3–5 eggs in shallow scrapes in the sand. The eggs hatch after 21–25 days, and both parents share the duties of incubating and feeding their chicks.

Photo via St Pete Beach.org

For information about How You Can Help, check out stpetebeach.org

 

 

 

                                  

   

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Our Neighbor's White Crepe Myrtle

    

Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. They thrive in full sun (6+ hours daily), well-drained soil, and warm climates (USDA Zones 7–9, with some hardy in 6). They prefer slightly acidic soil and are drought-tolerant once established. They bloom on new wood, making late winter/early spring the best time for pruning. The flowers can be white or pink.

 

 On the side of the parking lot behind my condo building is a wooden fence separating our neighbor's yard. He has a beautiful white crepe myrtle tree in bloom. I had to share some photos taken from our parking lot. Flowers, blue skies, puffy clouds, and beautiful trees are gifts from God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Happy July!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nature & History at Phillipe Park

 

 

Philippe Park
2525 Philippe Parkway
Safety Harbor, FL 34695

 

 I was going through old photos and discovered these forgotten photos from Philippe Park, Safety Harbor, Florida.  I hope you enjoy this trip from the archives. It is a lovely park in Pinellas County; it's also the oldest park in Pinellas County, Florida.  The land in the park was once part of a large plantation built by Count Odet Philippe, one of the more colorful figures in Pinellas County’s past. Odet was the first non-native, permanent settler on the Pinellas peninsula.  He owned a 160-acre plantation and introduced citrus growing to the area in 1842. (Pinellas County is a peninsula on a peninsula. Fun Fact)

 

 

 

The original inhabitants were a people known as the Tocobaga Indians of Tampa Bay. The Tocobaga lived in small villages at the northern end of Tampa Bay from 900 to the 1500s.  In approximately 1528, Pánfilo de Narváez, a Spanish explorer, arrived in the Tampa Bay area. He and his men discovered the Tocobaga. Like many other indigenous people, the arrival of Europeans  brought disease and violence to the tribe’s peaceful existence. The Tocobaga were hunters not warriors. As a result, the Tocobaga Indians became extinct within the next 100 years.

 

  

In the park, there is a Temple Mound that was built by the Tocobaga. It is the largest remaining mound in the Tampa Bay region and is listed in the National Register of Historic Landmarks. The mound was made of alternating layers of shell and sand. Remains of posts indicate there was at least one structure on top, possibly used for ceremonial purposes or the chief’s dwelling. Archaeologists believe the ramp led to a “town plaza” at the base of the mound.  For more information, click here.

 

 

The park has 8 shelters, a playground, fishing, a boat ramp, a softball field, and a mile of Tampa Bay shoreline.

 

 

 

 I like sitting and watching the bay. It’s a lovely place to spend some quiet time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Majestic shade trees welcome visitors.

 

 

 

 It’s also a great place to watch a Florida sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Many Lakes of Lakeland, Florida

 

 

When you drive around Lakeland, you pass lots of lakes. The City of Lakeland says that there are a total of 38 named lakes within City limits, as well as numerous smaller lakes. Sizes among the 38 named lakes range from 2.5 acres (Lake Blanton) to 2,272 acres (Lake Parker) of which 17 are natural and 21 are man-made. Lake Parker is the large lake behind my condo development. Today I’m sharing a few photos of another lake I passed in my drives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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June Afternoon Sky

 

One day the clouds were so beautiful that I had to stop what I was doing and take photos. Sometimes the sky seems to reach all the way up to heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunset on The Balcony

 

 At the end of a busy day, there's nothing better than a restful view of a soft sundown. Here are views from my balcony on that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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