Florida – Page 2 – New England's Narrow Road

What Springtime Meant and Means to Me

Springtime in Florida is barely noticed. Possibly it means the return of heat more than anything. Spring breakers and bikers (Bike Week) have gone, and so have the Easter visitors, but I’m sure there are some tourists somewhere, or should I say….everywhere.

Springtime in New Hampshire was impossible NOT to notice. Everything became suddenly GREEN!

Before the snow was gone, or the temps rose much, people would be running and walking wearing t-shirts and shorts. It was surprising to me how much people liked to pretend it was Spring, even when the temperatures were still in the 40’s!

Tulips and other bulbs would brighten the drab landscape and oh, the forsythia! I wonder how tall my forsythia has grown. I’m searching for photos, but can only find tulips. This one was especially pretty.

yellow frilly tulip — Yellow frilly tulip

At my house in New Hampshire the garden hoses would be brought up and re-attached to the house ready to water the flower beds and vegetable gardens. Freezing weather was gone… these were exciting times.

May meant planting season was coming and seedlings could be purchased at Tenney Farms and elsewhere. I would haul out my little greenhouse (which I sold for next to nothing when I moved) and set it up on the porch where my little plants could stay warm until the end of May.

The cats would love going outdoors again – Skittle likes it warm

The cats would begin to spend some real time outdoors. There was grass to chew and things to chase, but mostly there were warm sunny spots.

Haul the lawn chairs outside – so Fontana will have a spot to sleep!

My plastic “Adirondack” chairs would be brought up from the basement and placed in the front yard. I so enjoyed sitting beneath the big oak and beech trees that lined the front yard. It’s one of my favorite memories of the home I lived in for five years.

And oh yes, the hummingbirds! I kept a feeder hanging for them and replaced the “food” every other day or so. That was fun.

May means feeding hummingbirds! I’d almost forgotten….

The house I bought had a bunch of cement blocks lying around so I dragged them out to my front yard (that is where the sun was) and made an ugly raised bed. This thing was kinda small, but I did manage to grow eggplant and other things there.

While searching for photos of Spring for this post, I realized that I didn’t take all that many pictures of Spring in New England. Maybe I was too busy, or maybe it was mostly work, with little beauty to share. My photos are mostly of the months to come when the gardens were thriving and the flowers were blooming.

Maybe it was because of the Black Flies, which used to give me big welts when they bit. May weather was so lovely, and those bugs could ruin it! I was glad to see them go in June.

Think about planting in my makeshift raised bed

The people who bought my house removed this eyesore (can’t say I blame them) – but it worked for me.

Spring at my New Hampshire home meant no more shoveling snow, lugging wood, or dealing with the snowblower (ugh – a man’s job which I hated). It was almost time to shovel dirt – my favorite thing (sort of).

Ahhhh… the memories.

Now I live in Florida. Here is my backyard at the end of April (photo below). The weather is very warm, and hot in the sun. I have summer squash, green peppers and tomatoes already growing, and some are ready to eat. Imagine that… in the North the gardens won’t be supplying fresh vegetables for months yet.

Still, I like gardening in the North much better. My Florida garden gives me something to do, but it doesn’t compare to having a yard full of wonderful flowers and vegetables. My photo shows my entire garden area.

Dig in the dirt in New Hampshire and you have worms and good stuff for growing. Here I have to “build” my own dirt.

Ah well… no sense in complaining. I will simply take trips down memory lane to be reminded of what I had. With all the photos I’ve taken over the years I still have many to share.

There is a saying I like to remember which goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Screen Shot 2018-04-30 at 2.44.35 PM — Reality… Spring in Florida means heat and that’s about it.

St. Augustine Photos

house in florida — St. Augustine, Florida

For the past twelve years or so I have not taken a vacation. I haven’t planned a get away and just relaxed at a nice place for at least that long. This year is no different. My kids came to visit me, which has been so nice, but not at all relaxing. Siblings quarrel and eat lots and are constantly on the go.

My second to oldest son came up from Florida where he had just spent a weekend in St. Augustine with his girlfriend. It’s one of my favorite places to visit and not too bad (tourist wise) if you choose an “off” time to visit – whenever that might be. He took some photos of the old houses there as well as the much photographed Castillo de San Marcos Spanish fort which was built using coquina rock.

Just thought I’d share.

I’m Obsessed With The Beaches

The oil spill (ha – spill???) is on my mind all the time.

Even though I am in New England and far from the gulf coast, I know the beauty of the place and I can’t get my mind off the devastation happening there. It will be far-reaching and disastrous for everyone, yet I don’t feel like most of the country has a good grasp on how bad it is.

It’s hard to imagine the size of it, the depths of the oil – it’s not just floating on top of the water – and if your life revolves around the ocean, as it does for so many in the south, this means the end.

I hate to be full of doom and gloom, but I think I am being realistic. And I am sad.

New Smyrna beach florida — New Smyrna Beach, FL

This is a typical beach scene along the Florida east coast. Early in the morning the venders show up in their various trucks and vans and set up to sell food, rent bikes, umbrellas and boogie boards. Then the beach begins to fill up with cars and everyone does the beach thing.

The kids build sand castles while moms and dads sun bathe (as if you couldn’t get enough sun in that state), while the young people play frisbee and football or do some skimboarding.

Watching people walk by was always a favorite pastime for me. From the leathery older people, who look like they live outdoors, to the young girls in their “almost” bikinis and “not quite there” thongs, and the ones who should NEVER go out in public with a swimsuit of any kind on their bodies – it’s never boring.

Some people fish, but surfing isn’t allowed in areas where lots of people swim, so the surfers have to go up the beach to their area, but we would see them carrying their boards to of from wherever – or maybe just to show off. I think it’s a combination.

My son lives in central Florida and like most Floridians he enjoys hanging out at the beach. What will Florida do when all it’s beaches are black with oil? It seems inevitable.

Already dead wildlife is washing up on shores and I can’t imagine how bad that will get. The sunshine state will be changed forever if all it’s beaches are gone. It is far too hot to spend time at the beach and not be able to cool off in the ocean and probably the smell alone will keep people away.
I follow this blog that is written by a lady who lives on Sanibel Island on the Gulf coast. It is the third best place for shelling in the WORLD, and she doesn’t mention the oil, but I am wondering how long before it reaches her area.

My son keeps saying that he is enjoying the beach while he can.

The Junque Exchange of Deland, Florida

Getting off track a bit, but before recently moving back to New England, I lived in central Florida for over 25 years.

I had a friend in Florida who loved to go to the local antique shops, malls and fairs and she got me hooked on old things. One of our favorite places to browse was the Junque Exchange in downtown Deland. It was (at the time) run by an older couple- I believe their name was Wright, who were very friendly.

It was an amazing store because it was fairly small but held so much stuff! The tables held silverware, dishes, books, doilies and vases and the walls were lined with pictures and old photos. I can’t begin to list everything found there, but I did buy quite a few knick knacks and this one large piece of furniture.

I saw the hutch at the back of the store and fell in love with the shape of the glass doors and the overall design. I needed a place to keep my old dishes and this hutch was perfect.

Like all the other furniture it was covered and filled with glassware and other things and when I decided I wanted to buy it, believe me it was a job just getting it cleaned out and ready to go.

I can’t remember exactly what I paid for it, but it seems that it cost around $400.

That was in the 1980’s and I went back to the Junque Exchange probably 20 years later but it had changed and I didn’t get the same feeling, nor was I as impressed by the items and prices. That was the thing about the old place, the prices were very reasonable.

I don’t know who runs the place now, but apparently it’s still there since I found the links online. Deland is a nice place to visit and is home to Stetson University which has a beautiful campus at the north edge of town.

I visited the Red Pine Mountain blog recently and she had posted pictures of a hutch her husband had made which made me think of mine and to post the photo I had to write a story.