out east today

A light breeze blowing

 

 

 

 

 

My buddies, 'Los Tres Amigos'

Palm transplant; I couldn't move one of those, let alone one on my own. 

From the tidal floods of this past year, I had to replace four hefty pygmy date palms that had withered and died from saltwater intrusion. 

Amazingly, my buddies are a whirlwind team. Holes were dug and within five hours all the new specimens were neatly, nicely transplanted, leaving proud smiles all around.

Erick, the "young buck".  Lion, the "wise-one".  And my old buddy, "bossman", Sr. Jayro Marin

The Greatest Show (In Town)

 A small sampling under their new Big Top

 

 

Ringmaster, Joseph Bauer, Jr  (15th generation, Swiss family circus)

 

 

 

 

The 'Wheel of Destiny', Marcos & Noe from Spain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bello Sisters (Loren, Celine & Joline), Italian / German acrobatic trio

 

 

 

 

 

Myakka headwaters

Again, out volunteering with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, planting once more, native 'pop ash' along the banks of the upper Myakka River. 

Myakka's headwaters in eastern Manatee County.

 

 

Standing in open prairie, the Foundation's volunteer coordinator & 'land steward', Esmeralda Figueras (L) discusses with a volunteer the day's placement of pop ash saplings.

 

Volunteers planting the saplings along the river's bank.

a volunteer's field packpack

 

 

A little further downriver, with inter-mingling mature pop ash lining the opposite shore, a likely swimming hole waiting for some late afternoon kids.

hot on the trail

around 75 degrees ..... warm for early February.

 

 

 

being outdoors should've helped

Spoke to my son Matt recently, as he was driving up to his family's newly renovated cottage, in the "Lost Sierra's" of California's northern Sierra Nevada mountain range. Over the phone he was giving me an update on the local weather conditions, reminding me of my last visit there, a little over a year ago.

The occurrence was rare for me, witnessed by a deep blanket of snow and having to really 'hoof-it'.  Then, at the age of 72, having only witnessed snow possibly three times in a lifetime - being outside would have normally lifted one's spirit.

But soon found myself struggling to even use a phone. And my attempt at a simple hand-held "selfie", after having made a lifetime of self-portraits.

 

 

off the path

With my old boots, I made my own path, stopping and occasionally looking around - wandering through the upper reaches of the Myakka river.