Pink Saturday ~ Jan 5, 2013- "Winter Flowers in Fl"

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It's time for Pink Saturday!  

See other Pink Saturday posts here!

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Here is mine for this time!

 

Camellias are one of few flowers we have blooming in winter here in north Florida! There are many colors and  varieties and sizes of blooms!  These are  two of my favorites!

Junie 

~My Poinsettias-after the freeze~

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NOTE: 

I was doing this post for Ruby Tuesday but when I went to link up to that blog- (Mary the Teach at Work of the Poet)- she announced there that she's ending the weekly Meme of Ruby Tuesday!
:(

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I had my RT post ready so I will go ahead with it anyway!

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As I have mentioned before, we are a little too far north in Fl for Poinsettias to make it through the cold we are sure to get...

Although the plants usually do make it, the freezing temps are sure to come when the plant is at it's most beautiful stage with the showy flowers in bloom, and the flowers are instantly zapped by the freezing temps!

The aim we have and the best we can hope for is to have our flowers in bloom at Christmas.

I accomplished that with a few bushes around our place and especially this one that I had planted last year in our front courtyard.

(shown in a previous post)

Last night's freezing temps ended it's glorious display  for this year...

Well, not completely. Notice in the picture the one flower not affected. It's on the same bush with the others that are hanging limp and wasted.  It's in the front, too, and not in a protected place at all.

That is weird and I don't understand...

But I'm not complaining.  I'll enjoy looking at it a little while longer!

Junie

Today's Flowers ~ 2-6-11-

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Today's Flowers

(Photo meme)

at

'Our Place'

~A Winter Flower~
~click here to see~



Junie

Health update and general catch-up (from the old folks of the farm)

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I want to say "Thanks" for the concern many of our blog friends have shown for both C. and me recently! I'm happy to say we're both feeling better and back to our more usual and known aches and pains (the ones we've grown accustomed to) -lol- SO...that's a good thing!

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I got this in an E-mail recently ...and I pretty much agree with Maxine on this!

Oh,well~ that's life!

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The weather we're having now is very nice.  Haven't needed the heat at all today and...hopefully, have seen the last of our really cold days and nights... about time, too!
(but maybe not- since it's just the end of January!)

  The cold has been harder for me this time. Lol-I know my northern friends must think I'm a wimp...and I guess I really am!  Can't help it... I don't like to be cold..  :)  but I don't like the HOT either!

  I'd love to live in a place where it is '72' all the time!  ;)  Guess that's asking too much- but I can dream, can't I? 


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OK- back to reality...today I started a clean up- clean-out- fix-up project on the house...Lots of painting in the plans for the next few days, starting with all the doors and  door frames.

   I did a lot of cleaning out in my bathroom today!  How does so much useless junk accumulate in those drawers? One of life's greatest mysteries...at least I have no clue about it!

Anyway- I feel good that I've made a start on doing something beneficial in our life here!...Oh! I intend to tackle closets too...Goodwill, get ready! 


Junie Rose

Weekend Reflections...Winter Flowers

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It's time to share our Weekend Reflections...

  

~Visit James for more 'Weekend Reflections' posts~

  

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Again, I will show you what's on my marble shelf in our entrance hall.

Red Camellias

When  winter comes and lingers on- making most things dead and brown in north Florida- that's when the Camellias start their show!  They  bring me joy to these gloomy days!

I picked these yesterday from the 3 red bushes we have out front. To get a feel of the size of these bushes/trees... if I were in this picture I'd not come more than half way up on this biggest one!

(well...but I am only 5 ft tall!-lol)

Anyway, they grow BIG and have a LOT of flowers....but  are only in bloom for a short time!

We also have a pale pink one  but it is always a little bit later  with it's blooms! (I mean, just a few days) Have a pure white one and a peachy color one in the back yard...new plants which only have had a few blooms  each the past year or so! The white one is blooming now, too, but I haven't cut any of those yet.

Junie

Poem: Winter's Coming On~ (a repeat)

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Winter’s Coming On

Winter’s coming on.
The year is winding down.
Autumn’s color,  gone-
her leaves piled on the ground.

The chill is in the air-
and soon there will be snow.
But we’ll keep warm and cozy,
as north winds start to blow.

We’ll sit next to the fire,
with blankets  tucked in neat.
We’ll cuddle - you and I, my love -
as  embers warm our feet.

We’ll have our tea or coffee,
our steamy cups to hold
up close before our faces;
to help combat the cold.

Fire logs will be handy,
Piled up in stacks so high.
We won’t meet winter, unprepared,
and never would we try!

June Kellum

Nov 9, 2007

Snowfall ~ Dan Fogelberg

 Snow fall

Thanks for this video go to

Youtube

and

terryd1023

~Thank you, Dan, for all that you gave us!~

Junie

Sky Watch Friday~ Late Winter-Early Spring skies in north Fl

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Go here to find other *Sky Watch Friday* pictures!



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These are shots of our north Florida skies over a 2 week period.

( click on pics to enlarge )



~Feb 25th, 2010~

~ March 14th, 2010 ~

Below is the same tree as the pictures above.

Notice how it has leafed out in just over 2 weeks!

Yes!
Spring is 'getting on with it' for us here in north Florida!

Junie

Camera Critters~Feb 20, 2010

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Go *here* to find other CC posts!


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The Robins are back for their brief late winter visit at our place here in north Florida!


( click on pics to enlarge )

Junie

Having a bad day...so far...

....and I'll tell you why!

First off... I awoke feeling awful, with this cold that has been hanging on for days and days; renewed in it's intensity about 100%!

I drag myself out of bed (2 hours earlier than usual) and go to put on my robe over my PJs. As I was pulling it together, what did I spy, on the inside, crawling up from the hem??? Yep -you got it- a spider-a BIG, mean and ugly spider! I got out of that robe in a flash-dropped it but quickly picked it up again to look for the spider. It had gone (under my bed??) and I'm left wondering if I imagined seeing it. I DO hope so because I will eventually have to sleep again in that bed!

After finding another warm robe , and checking for spiders, I make my way out to the kitchen; hoping to find the coffee made. No such luck on this hapless day...as my husband is sleeping in front of the TV in his den.

Oh well- first I need to put the cats out. Only Lucy is normally indoors overnight-and the others sleep on the back porch...but with this extremely cold weather we've had I often let the 3 of them come in at night. They were all ready and eager to go out and face the cold morning.

I had settled down with my first cup of coffee a little bit later. I happened to glance at the sliding door that goes out to the porch and there sits my little Lucy! OK-at first I thought because of the cold she had got her fill of the outdoors quickly. As I was going to let her in I was able to get a better look...and there she was- wanting to offer me another gift of a dead bird! :( Made me very sad-and MAD at Lucy! You'd think the Meow Mix I always have ready for her would be enough!!

There was nothing I could do as the little bird was not moving and there was no chance of rescuing it...but I darn sure wasn't about to let that cat in right at that moment! I didn't watch any longer!

Some might say I should confine my cats to the house-at all times. It's not possible for us to do that for a lot of reasons. It's the natural order of things so, as upsetting as it can be at times, I realize I can't save the world -or even the birds and lizards that my cats catch...(not to mention the Hawks that get many more than my cats do!) It's in the Plan- nature is designed that way.

Nevertheless I am STILL not in a very good mood with Miss Lucy...but I will get over it!

My cats:

Lucy and Tiger
and
General Tommy Franks

Our temps were again in the high 20s overnight and everything was frosty when I first got up! It's depressing with all our plants brown and dead looking. Not sure how much will revive at all...if and when this winter weather gets over! Many of our citrus trees are hurt bad- if not totally DEAD!

Our place after the freezes:

Orange trees are badly damaged, with fruit dropping and some still hanging on but ruined

The green grass is Rye grass , a winter grass that my husband sowed-so we'd have some green. The brown you see in back would be the way our yard would look without the Rye grass.

Dead fern all around the fish pond...

Roses will come back but are pitiful right now!

(Click on pics to enlarge)











Thank God for the Camellias! They are a winter flower here and our bushes are very tall ( maybe 10 ft) and loaded with blooms! Our colors are red and light pink (the big bushes) and we have 2 small bushes with white blooms!
Only cheerful thing about this long, cold winter!!















If I can beat this cold I figure I might have a chance of making it to Spring!



SO....How is your day going-so far?? :)




Junie Rose

Mellow Yellow Monday~ Jan 11, 2010

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*Find other MYM posts here!*

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These girls must be thinking

'Spring'

in their pretty Mellow Yellow print dresses!






...And, even though, this girl is
wearing a light sweater -
notice she has chosen a pretty yellow-spring-like color!

:)


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Count me in on the Spring-Thing!

I'm ready to say bye bye to the cold days and nights !


Junie

Snow in Ocala!

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When we got up to get ready for our day trip to Winter Haven to visit the folks...THIS is what we saw! Yes - SNOW in Ocala!

We saw flurries, off and on, the 2 hours it took us to get to my cousins house.There was small amounts of snow on some roofs and along the roadside and on cars! One car passed us with a build-up of snow and with a small snowman some enthused person had built- riding on the trunk! :) You got to understand this snow thing is a novelty for us here in Florida! :)

When we got to my cousins house my sister Joy and her husband were already there. ( C. and I had stopped for breakfast at a Hardee's!) The others arrived in about an hour!

We got a few pics of us all together before going out to eat at Red Lobster!

My cousin (center) and my 2 nieces (sisters)

L-R-Diane-Inez-Evie

The guys

L-R-Clyde (B-I-L)-Charles-Mike (B-I-L)-John(Nephew thru marriage to my niece,Diane)

The girls!

Joy (sis), Gloria (sis), June

June-Joy-Inez (cousin)

OK-

...So we're home and facing another cold, cold night! My cats are all inside tonight because I don't have the heart to put them on the porch...I sure hope they don't mess up too badly while I'm sleeping! Got a litter pan set up for them so hope they will use it! My cats are not 100% indoor cats (except for Lucy.) but they like being in, in this cold weather. The 2 big guys have found a cozy, soft spot on my living room couch .

BTW-Lucy seems to be getting back to normal and is eating and drinking water...still rests a lot but she's found a good spot for that beside the fridge... I put a pad there for her. She likes the extra warmth of that motor running. She discovered that spot a few days ago! (Smart little cat!)

Chris and Joy were just here to get water...seems their water pipes have frozen ...hopefully Not burst! Oh, man!!

I will be happy to see the end of this cold weather!


Junie

Cold day here in our Sunshine state!

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Oh, so cold!

We had another freezing cold night and it has remained cold all day- plus it was drizzling rain for a big part of the day! Snow was even predicted- but that didn't happen! Gloomy weather, for sure!

I've been in the house all day ...was happy not to have anything to do that would require my getting bundled up and going out!

My little Lucy had her appointment with the vet today. I felt sad to send her off with C. on such a day...but I guess a warm and sunny day would have not made much difference to the poor little girl!

I told her it's for the best that she not have babies...and she agreed that, really, her favorite thing to do is to stalk the lizards and birds in the back yard...and squirrels, even! She still gets great joy out of attacking the big boys too. They have grown accustomed to her harassing and jumping on them and just swat her down, good-naturedly , if she gets too far out of line!!

Actually, I guess what she never had will not be missed that much!

She's resting now in her favorite spot in my living room- not fully back to her normal, feisty, self!
When she's up to it I will offer her some dinner.

MY CATS:

You can see the big guys are pretty much OK with Lucy these days...The 3 of them even snuggle up together to sleep on these cold nights!
























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Chili on the menu tonight for the people in the family...just right for this kind of day/night. I've been nibbling all day and am not hungry at all but I probably will be in a couple hours! Chili is better if left to simmer for awhile anyway-IMO!

I hope tomorrow is not quite so cold because we have plans for a trip south to visit relatives for the day. We're going to Winter Haven to the home of my cousin...meeting up there with my sister, Gloria and her husband ( from near Sebring) and her daughter and S-I-L who are out from Ca- and also her daughter from Homestead, Fl. My sis, Joy and her husband who live here in Ocala are going also! Hope it will be a fun day for us all!...We'll leave early in the morning and will return early in the evening.

Have a good night!
Keep warm!


Junie

My OJ operation

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It has happened again! Just when I was getting into enjoying the Honey Bells ( and the other oranges) and actually having time to do-up jugs of juice...(Yep... you got it! ) we get some nights of freezing temps and lose the fruit to the elements!

These oranges (especially the Honey Bells) were a little later ripening this time for some reason, and were just very recently ready to use! I did some juice just after Christmas and a couple more times and - that's it! :( Now- with 3 straight nights of temps in the mid 20s - I think the fruit must be ruined! :(

~~~To be honest, I will admit we did enjoy a LOT of the tangerines - from Thanksgiving on, right through Christmas! They were delicious and sooo easy to peel and eat...a real treat!~~~

I did some juice today with some of the fruit we picked just before this spell of freezes hit us!
These pics I'm posting are from an earlier juice operation, however...just after Christmas!


















I WILL NOT agonize over my lost Honey Bells...even though they make the best juice in all the world !


It is what it is!


Junie Rose