I can't afford to go to the touring Broadway shows, there are very few movies playing on the big screen for me to go and see them and eating is a pleasure that right now the scale says I can't afford to indulge in so I have one of the greatest pleasures available to me and that is Mother Nature. She puts on a new show every day and I love just walking around and see what she is offering this day!


For instance right outside my living room window is what I call the "Wilma" tree because when hurricane Wilma in 2005 the tree was completely stripped of every branch and leaf. Why the owners of Gateway didn't cut away what remained I don't know but I am glad they didn't! The tree (first picture upper left corner) has not only grown back but is even bigger and better than it was before it now being close to 4 stories tall and spread out between 3 buildings and so far the current owners haven't trimmed it back in time for the new hurricane season. Looking out my window I saw two new pods (see arrows) have grown on this side.


Talking about hurricanes is spite of the fact this is hurricane AND rainy seasons we haven't seen much rain yet though there are 3 more months to go. The only reason I know it has rained is seeing the white herons (#2 pictures) strolling around picking at insects and they only visit us after a rainfall which means it is raining late nights, early mornings and by the time I wake up all is dry.


I love walking around the grounds and coming across a scene that lets my imagination roam like when I came across these 3 lizards (#3 pictures) made up a tale in my head that they just came out of their hiding place and are roaming around for lunch. I have no idea how to tell a male from a female lizard but, hey, it could be a family who have made Gateway Terrace their home because they know no one will bother them!


Walking down to the mailbox I looked up at the tree (#4) in front of building N and thought I saw a green parrot but it really was just a green branch in the center to the right. We used to have wild parrots fly into the trees every day about 5 PM but they haven't visited for some time now.


With all that there is outside I have the reliable plants right by my computer table off to the right (#5s) and every day they are in bloom! There are the pink Geraniums and the yellow Cuban plant and thought you can't see it in the middle is the pepper plant and right now it has blooms plus 5 peppers at all stages of growth.


How can anyone be bored when Mother Nature is always putting on a show?!?!?!?