12 Oakdale

Wednesday , it was 47° when I went for my jog. I wore tights with shorts over, 2 long sleeved shirts, wool socks with my sneakers, watch cap, fingerless gloves (definitely going to try others), and a handkerchief around my neck. I figured if someone visiting from Chicago saw me, she’d laugh. Hey, I’m from south Florida. By today, Saturday, the temp was back up to 73°, and I was back to wearing just shorts and a short sleeved shirt.  The warming weather was a plus when Patten and I tromped out in the Saint John National Wildlife Refuge looking for black rails in a North Shore Birding Festival trip Thursday evening. The guide and black rail supreme expert,  Mike Legare, told everyone to wear knee boots which I don’t have. I also know I’m not going to die of hypothermia in Central Florida, and I figured my chance of snake bite was pretty low if I wasn’t at the front of the line.  After being trucked in a 1/4 mile, then walking/slogging cross-country through waist-high grass ...

Another Bunch of Bananas   Our banana plantation along the canal is fruiting. We harvested 3 stalks, each with 5 - 6 hands of bananas,  and at least 4 plants are in flower or with small banana already showing. Banana bread, banana smoothies, banana daiquiris, bananas on cereal, bananas just by themselves, a lot of bananas in our diets. These are small, but not finger-sized, yellow ones. I am going to find other varieties to add to our crop, perhaps even plantains, if they will grow this far north. Unfortunately, like so much else, the Rare Fruit and Vegetable Council sales are shut down because of Covid-19. The rest of our gardens are on hold. Too late for spring planting; too early for fall. My few okra are hanging on. Something ate the eggplants. I’ve learned to start seeds inside. Grant has kindly turned the compost pile twice, adding the bucket of horse bedding I got when we picked Clara up from horse camp in Mount Dora. I need a closer source. Nehrling House Art...