Perfect Spot for Coffee Main Street - Magic Kingdom

My favorite place to have a coffee and Danish on in Main Street.

 So many flowers.  Walk past the caricatures and the silhouettes to three little tables with chairs.

Hiking at 2 Feet Above Sea Level in South Jacksonville Florida

 

If you are driving south on I-95 and want a short hike close to the Interstate, Julington-Durbin Preserve is a great stop.  Exit 335 will take you to gas, food, lodging and a 1 mile trip through a diverse look at inland natural Florida.

Start out in a Stand of planted pine forest, a common site all over the Central and Northern portion of the state.

 

 Pines, cedars and wildflowers line an open portion of the trail.

 "1 Day I Will ... "

 

 

Halfway down the trail, the environment changes.  No more sand and only a few pines.

 

 

The Wetlands in the second mile are full of different but still facinating. 

 

 

 

On one day we were searching for fungi.

 

 

 

 

 

We couldn't resist photos of the yellow, lavendars, butterflies and other insects. 

Many were too fast for our camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These white flowers smelled so very sweet, there was endlessly perfumed air.

 

 

 

 

A walk worth taking, even wtih little legs.

 

The walk, is a 2 mile round trip from the parking area to the creek and back. 

 

Trail Map for Julington - Durbin Preserve

 

 

Mountain Laurel in Brasstown North Carolina Mountains

 When we first arrived in North Carolina, the buds were getting ready to pop open, the children thought they looked like popped balloons. These first three are only a few of many showers of blossoms over the Brasstown Creek at The Brasstown Creek House.

 White Moutain Laurel at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard, North Carolina

 Pink Moutain Laurel at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard, North Carolina

Brasstown Creek House - Visiting Western North Carolina

thebrasstowncreekhouse.com

Loved this vacation home.  It was fantastic, simple, clean open floor plan with wood floors and plenty of closets and cabinets.  The setting is wonderful, with the creek right outside the three sets of french doors, tumbling over rocks you can see between beech, rhododendrons and mountain laurel.  The doors are great for blocking out the creek if you don't want to hear it too! 

For miles you can amble along paths through pasture, hemlock woods or along two different creeks. Here's one of the pastures filled with buttercups. 

The true treasure in staying at the Brasstown Creek House were the hosts. 

You must be very careful not to jump into buying a house next door, not for this gorgeous scenery,

but to simply be able to visit more

with the owners, Bass and Sandra Hyatt. 

Pictures don't do it justice, and the feeling of welcome is complete.

We spent time visiting the John Campbell Folk School, walking the Chatuge Lake and Dam, Ducktown Copper Mine and traveling a bit afar.

Blooming in Northeast Florida today

First the Roses .... finally roses that I can not kill.  

 These are mostly Knockout (c) or (tm) or something.

The other are Simplicity pink (c) (tm) .... so why no heritage varieties? Because mine died.

The last of the amarillis are still stunning.

This is a Betony flower spike that shot up through the amarylis.

Bush Bean Blossom

Pea Flower

Tomato 

Blooming in Northeast Florida - Camilla, Azalea, Dogwoods

Flowering Dogwood is a it's height, not a green tint anywhere in those bracts .... all snowy white right now. Cornus - Cornus florida


Coral Bells - Rhododendron (Azalea) - Kurume Hybrid


Camellia reticulata


Selection of Camellia japonica


Single Camellia japonica


Flowering Dogwood against the sky

Blooming Right Now - Northeast Florida

March 18th

Azaleas are in bloom There are a few houses that I made sure to drive by just to see a long line of blossoms under the watchful stand of pines along the road.

I have seen other dogwoods in bloom in our neighborhood, but ours is slow waking up and stingy with tight greenish blooms.