The climate here along the Central Gulf Coast of Florida is in the humid subtropical category. As such, any number of exotic species thrive here with little or no assistance.

I am familiar with several species of night blooming cereus from the desert southwest, so it was pleasant to see these blooming in my neighbor’s yard this past June.

I have since been able to add a few cuttings of these to my yard since someone placed their unwanted trimmings out by the curb. They are thriving right now and I look forward to their nighttime show next year!

What began with citrus and tropical fruits, quickly grew into a flowering oasis. People clamored to tour their lush greenery and thus, a roadside attraction was born.

In a nod to an extirpated, Florida species, Chilean flamingoes were welcomed to the garden in 1956. A koi pond, turtle exhibit, and parrot aviary were later added.

To preserve this bit of history, the city of St. Petersburg bought the property from the family in 1999 for roughly $2.26 million. In 2016, 20 additional flamingoes were purchased from the San Antonio Zoo to supplement the declining, original flock.

Currently, the plant collection surpasses 50,000 specimens from over 500 different species. Though my visit began with hot and muggy weather, a passing rain shower cooled the gardens off nicely (and had the added benefit of thinning the crowd).

What a wonderful way to spend part of the day!

After a rainy few days I was eager to get back to the water. Though the forecast was dreary, I headed to my favorite beach. Not going to let a mere drizzle deter me.

I’m so glad I did for I encountered these surprising pops of color along the way: a fading rainbow, bright bubbles, a dancing kite. And this is why I love living here, there’s never a dull moment!

Last night’s sunset looked like it was going to be a bust but then the clouds parted and this happened. I’ll never tire of my beach time (even if it means I constantly have sand in my house, no matter how much I clean). Worth it. Oh, so worth it!

The current red tide situation continues to be a problem all up and down this section of the Gulf Coast. However, as perhaps is fitting, it comes and goes in waves.

Friends and I were fortunate to find a beautiful, clear beach on Anna Maria Island last weekend. We made the most of it, knowing that it could be our last sandy toes day for a while…

My trip culminated with a peaceful visit with Karen and Rich in the Virginia countryside. It was long overdue, we were all living in Arizona last time we saw each other. That was over four years ago for me!

My dear friends are helping their daughter Kim turn this gorgeous valley into a “woodland lodging” retreat. She certainly picked a wonderful location, the property is teeming with wildlife yet it is less than an hour from the busy airport in Richmond.

As usual when we get together, there was a lot of laughter and delicious food. It will not be as long between visits next time!