Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Time for another episode of Erik & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (on bikes). Yesterday we landed in St. Louis and caught a quick cab to St. Charles, the first capital of Missouri, located along the Missouri River. We are hoping the day’s 90 degree heat will not follow us for the next week. We are biking […]
Beach combing is a twice daily pastime for Juana and me. Every day we find something new and exciting. But these days are now behind us as we head back north to rejoin our family, friends and frost 🥶.
Juana and I decide to take a short road trip to Big Pine Key with our bikes. Big Pine Key is known for its Key deer, which are very tiny and cute, as well as the Blue Hole, which is an old limestone quarry that now fills with fresh water. This key was hammered by […]
When do you know you are in the tropics? When you find more discarded coconut shells by the road than beer cans. 🥥🌴😎
It seems no matter where you travel in the Keys, it is hard not to bump into or spot an orchid. These epiphytes hang effortlessly on trees, fences, strings and anything their often-exposed roots can grab. I am jealous that we have had little luck up North keeping the ones we purchase alive and healthy. […]
Walking along the beach yesterday, I spot a strange looking stone. Picking it up, its lightness surprises me for its size and I soon realize that I have found a pumice stone. It is riddled with tiny holes that give its smooth surface appearance a rough edge. Perfect for a bit of exfoliating. These stones […]
Floridians seem to be more playful with their mailboxes than us Northerners and Keys residents appear to amp that up a notch or two. Here is a collection of some of the more interesting mailboxes/posts that I have found in my daily bicycle trips around Upper and Lower Matecombe in Islamorada.
A bicycle ride yesterday reminded me that I am not the only migrant looking for a nicer place to spend the season. Tucked behind a communications tower I find an abandoned boat half-filled with water. On the port bow is written ‘protegida’, which means protected. On the starboard side, ‘por dios’ is written, which means […]
While one may think that coconuts are the only things to forage in the Keys, there are lots of other options. The other day Juana and I stumbled upon some desert purslane nestled next to some wind-blown palm fronts and a stone-like sponge. Differing slightly by shape and taste, this wild succulent is just like […]
Juana and I, like a pair of elderly migrating birds, have made our way South (way South) to the Florida Keys to warm our bodies and souls. With the exception of the past few years, we have been coming to the Keys to vacation for over 20 years. The tiny apartment we rent is on […]