You can take the GRITS out of Florida, but you can't take Florida out of the GRITS!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

A lunchtime stroll

Instead of going to grab something to eat today at lunchtime, I decided to take a walk and take some pictures.

I didn't go into the hammocks today, but stayed on the rocky access roads that criss-cross the property.



A Spanish Needle hosting some kind of bug for a snack.


Not 100% sure of this little flower...some kind of cowpea, maybe?


I spotted this HUGE Golden Orb on the edge of the hammock. Unusual coloring...very pale.



My boss had bought some plants she thought were natives to plant around the office to attract butterflies. This one, it turns out, is not native...a Buddleja davidii from China. Pretty though, isn't it? She's going to plant it in her yard.



And this Lantana is not native, but isn't the coloring pretty?! So bright and vibrant. It's going in a pot at the entrance to our office.


Driving in to work this morning, I saw this Smart Car. I am oddly drawn to them and I'm not sure why. I mean, you'd probably die if you got in a minor fender-bender, but they are cute and suppossedly very fuel efficient. To look at it, you'd never think it was made by Mercedes Benz!
I know. This picture does not "fit" with the others, but what the hell...


After I returned from my walk, these little raccoons came out to play in the water. Not a good picture as I took it through a sliding glass door. There were about 5 of them and they had so much fun playing and "fighting" with each other...like a bunch of kindergarten kids messing around. I hope they come back tomorrow!









8 comments:

ChrisB said...

I love all the photos. My daughter and her partner have just bought a smart car-I think she is quite pleased with it.

Sandcastle Momma said...

What a great stroll! Our flowers are all dying back now so it's nice to see yours.
Lantana isn't native there? It grows as weeds up here and people spend a lot of time and effort trying to get rid of it. I love it and especially like all of the different colors it has.

I love the smart cars!! We saw one at Home Depot the other day and talked to the owner for a minute. He says it's the coolest car he's ever had. He was in his late 60s and at least 6' tall. It was interesting watching him unfold out of it LOL I didn't realize it was a Mercedes until the Island King pointed that out.

SwampAngel65 said...

Some Lantana are native, but not all...this kind is not. I have a HUGE multi-colored one at our place up in Lake Placid. I love them, but yeah...alot of people treat them like weeds.

I actually see alot of those Smart cars around town. Nice to hear good things about them!

SophieMae said...

Hey, come and get it. 8-]

I love Smarts! If only I could afford one. The yellow flowers... check out crotalaria. They're rattlepods. I know there are several varieties, but can't find my wildflower book just now.

Your boss is going to love the buddleia! We had one for several years before something kilt it. The butterflies swarmed on it. They love lantana, as well, which is why I have such a love/hate thing going with it. They're noxious, they stink, you can't kill them...

Island Rider said...

It looks like you work in a really cool place. I would always want to go for a walk at work. Beats racing home to fold laundry!

Sayre said...

I used to have tons of lantana in my front yard - for the butterflies. Then I discovered that the yellowjackets liked it too. My mom is horribly allergic to YJs and I had a baby at the time, so I had to get rid of it. We have a very small bed of lantana now.

I like the SmartCars. I did see one with a very heavy gentleman in it making a rather sharp turn. I held my breath, sure it would tip over. It didn't, but sure looked like it would!

Love your pictures. It's great that you have such a cool place to walk at lunch!

SwampAngel65 said...

I thought of Crotalaria...but I don't think so. They are smaller. I know it's hard to know that from the picture, but those flowers are pretty small. Keep thinking!

I ordered Roger Hammer's wildflower book the other day from Amazon. That book should definitely have it in it.

Anonymous said...

Great photos!