A hard day- but good!

Health update:

Charles got a good report last week from the doctor concerning the skin cancer. They say they got it all but he will need to have a check up again in 3 months.

I also went for the bone density exam I need every year. I was told I need to walk! But-Duh- I knew that!

OK- Charles and I have started a walking program. We have done it 3 days. I'm sure it will be good for both of us, although hard to get into at first! We'll just walk in our neighborhood.

Before- I was driving to a beautiful park to walk and really liked doing that...however, with gas prices so high it doesn't make sense to drive a (approx.) 20 mile round trip- just to walk!!
So we'll do it here!

Here we are, putting our 'best feet forward,' starting on our walk today.









I took along my camera, so trailed behind Charles most of the time! I won't do that every day but it was such a beautiful day I felt I might 'need' the camera! :)


Here's some of the pretty things I saw along the way:

A butterfly
(I can't resist a butterfly) :)

Some horses
( This farm is just across from our place - catty- cornered)

Beautiful Live Oaks
(These are my favorite trees!!)

The shaded lane
( this road is leading north from where the pic was taken...and ends at our street and house.)

Palmetto palm fronds
(A very common, low growing plant for this area-and much of Florida. I like the way they look!)











































































After our walk we spent several hours working in the garden.

Charles got mulch for one smallish area-and we fixed that up with some of the new rose bushes we've bought recently!

Oh! And it's a good home for that 'Gator' I got for Charles! Look! I think he's heading for the fish pond!














I took on the job of cutting back all the roses that were worth saving...and pulling up the ones that were a lost cause! Sadly, I lost a lot from neglect the past few months!
(And-No wonder that little garden patrol 'Gnome Lady ' has been upset with me!!)

Well, I didn't see her around today...but I sort of avoided the gazing balls, lest she be lurking there with her camera again...recording my ineptness in the garden!

Oh!! I hope the 'Gator stepping stones' meet with her approval!
(Does that sound sarcastic?......Well, but it IS my rose garden, after all, and the Gnome Lady has become very judgmental of my gardening!)

Anyone ( (Even that Gnomie Chick) would have to say that I put in good day's work in the garden today. I managed to do all the clipping -Plus- I got all the roses fed! Soon it will be looking good out there!

lol- But I did it for ME!!

~~~

Here is an Imperfect picture of a PERFECT rose!

~This is Queen Elizabeth ~

And a few more...

Junie Rose

47 Years (Family interest)

The card I gave Charles is on the left and the yellow one with the heart is mine from him!

On a past anniversary we ended up getting each other the exact same card! THIS time it almost happened again!

I opened his card first and thought, "Uut- ohh~ It's happened again!" I had looked at the same card for him that he chose for me...and for a moment I wasn't sure if that was my final choice! :) Well, turns out I found the other one that pleased me more for him!

These coincidences happen often with us! :) Goes with being married so long...we tend to think alike, more and more...and it even extends into picking out the cards with the words we want to say to each other!


We decided to have a little snack of cheese and wine while we opened our gifts to each other, and go out for dinner later in the evening.

Charles kept saying that he hoped I would like what he got me...but didn't feel he had got me enough! He had given me some new rose bushes before we left home and he had just the one small gift bag for me to open now! I didn't have a lot for him either...

SO...here we are with our gifts... Yes! I like the book! James Patterson is a favorite of mine! Hey- a kind of sexy sounding title there! But I can handle it! ;)

He was surprised with the fun gifts I gave him... LOL- The gator stepping stones for the garden are cool! The 'throw' is for his TV watching at night... And that HAT!! Very spiffy, don't you think! He looks like...well, Panama Jack... or maybe that old man from Key West! :) You know who I mean...the writer... Ernest Hemingway!
( now- this memory/connection has given me the desire to read some Hemingway novels again!)

As I was about to fold the bags away and tidy up things he said, "I think there's something else in that bag." :) He's sneaky! Look what else he had for me - another diamond ring! In the one pic I am saying, "I need more fingers!" ;)

























































Some Pics from the dock and walking around town:

(Click to enlarge)


































OK- That's it! :)

(...but I missed the sunset! )



Junie

( Ginga)

End of the green

Seems our Project Green has reached it's end...so says Anna!
Go check out all the final green stuff!

Here are my final offerings of the green in my world!

I gave Charles this wire gator grill brush for Christmas.
I knew he'd not want to use it as it was intended
but to keep it as a collectible.

He's decided to take the brush part off and mount it on the wall to
(- You guessed it -)
hang that 'Florida Gators' hat on! :)

~~~

ALSO I can't leave green behind without showing (once again)
our favorite green!

This is our VICTORY!

Junie

Blog wins - awards...and more of our Cedar Key pics!

OK~ First off I want to say thanks to a couple of blog friends.


#1
To Pea ~

This lucky win came in the mail last week! I was one of 3 visitors at Pea's blog who won a bag of these handy little clips! Thanks Pea! I will find many uses for these, I'm sure!








#2
To Hootin'Anni~

Anni has given me this cute and complimentary award! Thanks, Anni!
I'm happy to know I still
'Rock!'
( At least I give it a good try, ehh! :) )

I like this a lot! :)













~~~

...Soo~ to continue with our little trip...

I just want to say I found Cedar Key to be just a very charming and unique place to visit!

I love the over-all, laid back atmosphere of this little island town. I love the natural beauty of the landscape, with plants allowed to grow as God intended. The overly manicured yard is seldom seen here...or, seems understated in my eyes, anyway! Oh, everything is tidy and neat- but very natural and free growing!

This place seems much more tropical than we are in the center of the state. Oleanders grow abundantly there, and I saw many Hibiscus plants growing.

There are many of the old 'Cedar' trees growing throughout the town.
Ceder Key got it's name from these trees...mistakenly named because these trees are actually Junipers - not Cedars!



The foliage looks much the same but the trunk and limb growth are vastly different. These Junipers can have gnarly, unpredictable, trunk and limb growth . Each tree seems to have it's own shape which varies a lot from one to another. In contrast, the Cedar has a more predictable-upright growth- with limbs systematically placed!

The small island town that is now known as Cedar Key was not the original town of Cedar Key...The original was on a small island further out (in sight of the present Cedar Key) This original town of Cedar Key was almost totally destroyed by a hurricane in 1896. The town of Cedar Key was rebuilt on this more protected island after this devastating storm!

Cedar Key is now a tourist town with so much to offer...if you like the feel of bygone times and with a variety of fine sea food restaurants, antique and specialty shopping!

Oh! A very artsy place to visit, with fine art shops of some local artists. Most of the buildings are works of art, too, in the tropical pastel shades!

I just love it!! :) Can you tell?


Some random pics around town!

( Click to enlarge )











































































Oh, my! That's it for now!

Just one more short one on this tomorrow! :)

Well...you DO wanna know what my gifts were - right???



:)




Junie