Dogs, frogs, butterflies and skunks

After several unsuccessful attempts we finally managed to get a groomer for the dogs, who were starting to look a bit wild and woolly.  The transformation of the two 'thugs' was somewhat startling to say the least.  The groomer really give them the canine equivalent of  a 'short back and sides.  Both Arthur and Harvey, but Harvey in particular looked like totally different dogs.  Most striking was the optical illusion of him being a much bigger dog.  We had always thought he was bigger than sweet little Millie, but in actual fact there isn't an awful lot of difference.

Arthur after his haircut, next to Millie

 Harvey looking like a totally different dog

Chanel, Millie, Obi, and Arthur after their haircuts.

We've had a fair bit of rain here over the Easter period, and some immense thunderstorms.  Easter Sunday evening was spent at a friends house by the pool watching the lightning light up the sky and listening to the torrential rain and cracks of thunder.  Truly one of those moments I wish I had caught on camera. As a result spring really has sprung and everything is turning that beautiful green that seems peculiar to spring whether you are here or in the UK. The rain also brings out tiny little frogs in abundance.  I had the pleasure of finding one of the little guys on the drink holder on my bike.  Needless to say he was safely relocated before I went on my ride.

One of the things I have noticed here is the proliferance of butterflies.  I have read that they are on the decline in the UK, but sadly, and ignorantly, hadn't really noticed the lack until being here in Florida this Spring.  They are everywhere and such a delight to see, reminding me of the springs of my childhood in Cambridgeshire when one would see them everywhere.  It has really highlighted for me how dangerous the overuse of pesticides is and something we need to really to stop in the UK before it is too late.  Seeing one fly by as I pedal away on my bike never fails to cheer me up.

Driving along the other day a bright red flash out of the corner of my eye.  I turned just in time to catch the disappearing sight of what could only be a Cardinal bird.  I can only say I have never seen such a bright eye catching shade of red before on a bird.  It truly was a magnificent shade of crimson.

Cardinal

Unfortunately on the same drive a little later we were overwhelmed by a truly awful smell.  I can honestly say I have never smelled anything so dreadful in my life.  I was informed that we had driven by a Polecat, or Skunk.  Having mentioned a few weeks earlier that I was curious about Skunks and couldn't understand how such a cute looking animal could possibly smell so bad and thought that perhaps everyone must be exaggerating.  I can truly say that all my curiosity has been laid safely to rest!  The smell is truly disgusting and vomit inducing!  Although I still own to thinking that they are very cute looking.  A fact backed up by seeing one close up on a visit to the Tractor Store in town,  This one had had his glands removed and was most definitely one of the cutest things I have seen with a tiny little black nose that twitched towards us inquisitively from the inside of his open carrier, before deciding that as we didn't have anything nice to eat he was going to curl up and go back to sleep.

Spring in Florida

Finally, after saying I was going to write a blog, here it is.  What a rigmarole it's been!  I ended up signing up with at least 3 companies who promised me a blog site for free.  Well, their version of free and mine differ slightly.  When someone tells me something is free, I take it to mean that it means I don't need to pay anything.  This is true if you have 100's of hours to waste looking for a domain, or you don't actually want to upload any pictures!  Anyway the long and short of it is that someone directed me here, so I can but give it a bash, although I still haven't managed to buy a domain as google don't seem to like the fact that I want to pay in sterling but the computer is obviously in America.  You would have thought in this day of international travel one companies wouldn't have a problem with this, but obviously not!

When I came to Florida I never gave much thought to the seasons and definitely not spring.  in my naivety I honestly thought that as it was warm, to the likes of me anyway.  The natives keep trying to convince me it's cold when it's not, especially a woolly hat wearing individual who shall remain nameless and looks at me like I have grown two heads when they are wrapped up in their fleece and hat and I am in t'shirt and shorts!  Having said this, it was a very chilly 44 degrees Fahrenheit/6 degrees Celsius the other morning.  I think everyone was relieved to find out there wasn't an alien in their midst when I complained it was 'bloody freezing!'  Anyway I digress, in my naivety I never gave any thought to how the flora and fauna managed the changed seasons and just thought that they kept their leaves all year round.  Needless to say this is most definitely not true and Spring in Florida has been just as much of a delight and rebirth of the foliage around us as it is in the UK.  Obvious there are a few differences such as the American oak, which is nothing like our oaks in the UK.  The leaves are long and thin on the ones here in Florida, that I have been told are called Angel oaks, (there are several different types of oak)as opposed to the distinctive looking oak leaves we have in the UK.  The Angel Oak started losing it's leaves at the beginning of March, not with the quiet decorum of our English Oaks, but in flurries that bordered on being torrential.  If you should be standing under a tin roof when a sudden flurry should fall, it sounds akin to a sudden sharp hail storm.  As soon as they have shed their leaves they start producing the next coat of new leaves, so it is nothing to see one of these oaks wearing a livery of old dark leaves and bunches of new bright green ones. 

 Oak leaves.

Oak tree in the process of losing all its leaves.

New leaves coming through.

The verges on my cycle ride have changed from dry arid grass to a carpet of bright pinks with the occasional white and yellow flower thrown in for good measure.

 The verges a few weeks back.

 The verges now.

 Close up of the verge flowers showing the different shades of purples and pinks.

Closer picture showing a bright pink flower.

Another type of flower found on the verge.

It is a delight to cycle along and spot all the flowers beginning to come out.  Some of which I recognise, many of which I don't, like the wild yellow jasmine - I'm only used to seeing the cultivated white ones.  And wisteria, which again I am only used to being cultivated and trained to climb the outside of a few houses in England.  The first time I spotted the wisteria was due to the lovely smell, which brought me up short.  Initially I thought it was Lilac as it looks and smells very similar.

Wild Jasmine

 Wild Wisteria

Closer view of the Wisteria

That's all for now, catch up with you all again soon. :-)