A couple months ago, I stopped at the Pinellas County Heritage Village in nearby Largo. The 21-acre site is home to a living history museum that protects 33 unique, culturally distinct buildings from the county’s early years.

I was delighted it was finally open (it had closed during COVID) and enjoyed a brief stroll around the grounds. In the visitor center I was drawn to these replica fruit crate labels. There were quite a few citrus packing companies operating in the county in the 1910s-40s. They marketed their products by putting these visually appealing labels on their crates.

During the 1940s, cardboard boxes began to replace wooden crates and need for the colorful labels diminished. In later decades, diseases and freezes crippled Florida’s citrus industry and thousands of acres of groves were developed.

Even though I had no idea what to do with them, I selected six labels from the dozens available. My next stop that afternoon was a thrift store. In the back of the shop was an old, sash window with six panes. Talk about a perfect match!

I finally got around to cleaning, repairing, and painting the old window. I’m pleased with my “new” label display!

Most days, I find a walk on the beach to be restorative. On days when I’m not feeling well, even more so. The fresh air (and the negative ions released by the crashing of the waves) soothe my soul.

I was disappointed not to see any dolphins tonight but I still enjoyed the entertainment. Never a dull moment (and it’s always better than tv)!

I found this top of a china cabinet out by the road a few months ago. It was solid oak and in decent shape (just missing a shelf and the cord for the light had been cut) but amazingly, the mirror and all the glass were still intact. I was instantly enamored with the unique, curved glass on the sides of the piece. So, I loaded it into my car and brought it home.

It sat in my carport gathering dust until I came across an oak plank the right size for the shelf. I cleaned, sanded, and painted the cabinet (using discounted “oops” paint). Then I rewired the lamp (using cord from a yard sale), added feet to give it a little height (harvested from a couch beside a dumpster), and switched out the knobs (from a thrift store). I cannot take credit for the hardest part, cutting the plank to match the curves of the cabinet. Thank you, Al, that was no mean feat!

I’m pretty darn pleased with how it turned out. Now comes the hard part, deciding what to put in there!

Caught a bit of the action as the tide was going out this evening; a jumping fish (probably a mullet) and two cruising dolphins.

During a break at work the other day, I wandered over to the bay. I caught this colorful reflection while trying to photograph a large school of small fish. I darkened this photo a bit but otherwise, this was just a fun trick of light.

Last night I was fortunate to catch the last 8pm sunset of the year. The clouds prevented a colorful show but they made up for it with some interesting shapes.

When I arrived at Highlands Hammock State Park yesterday afternoon it was humid and 90 degrees. Not surprisingly, there weren’t a bunch of people out and about. It was muggy but I was excited to explore one of Florida’s oldest state parks.

There were about a dozen short trails to choose from so I decided to hike them all. Though, coming from the rugged terrain out west, I don’t really consider this flatland stuff to be hiking. As I strolled along I kept noticing pops of color in shades of red.

The biggest issue of the day was water. Some of the trails were flooded but it wasn’t deep or flowing, so I happily splashed along. By the time I was halfway through, I was glistening (women don’t perspire, right?). I was grateful for the cloud cover until it started to rain. Not just a gentle, soft drizzle but an actual downpour.

Thank goodness I brought my rain jacket! Darn shame I left it in my car, in the parking lot at the other end of the park. On the upside, I did have the entire place to myself for the rest of the afternoon. The downside? I was soaking wet and chilly (the storm had dropped the temperature into the 70s), and there was water in the lens of my camera (here’s hoping it dries out soon).

Regardless, I had a lovely time wandering through this special, protected area.