Sunset at The Zoo

The Central Florida Zoo has extended hours on the last Friday of the month through out the summer. I only found out about it at the last minute and decided to go on a whim.

Some caterpillars clinging to a vine.

One of the zoo keepers explaining the logistics of caring for the curious bears. 

A Florida Pine Snake.

The Everglades Rat Snake.

An enormous Gaboon Viper. This venomous snake comes from Western Africa and can weigh up to forty pounds. Its head was the size of my fist. In their natural habitat they hide on the forest floor and wait patiently for prey to get within striking distance.

The Aruba Island Rattlesnake, the rarest rattlesnake in the world due to habitat destruction.

The Desert Horned Viper, a venomous sidewinder from North Africa and the Middle East.

An Emerald Tree Boa from the Amazon Basin. 

Some beautiful succulent plants around the zoo. 

The giraffes reaching for a piece of lettuce from an eager child.

Wingpod Purslane

A vibrant impulse purchase from the Lowe’s garden center.

Attracting a beautiful green bee.

Summer Rose

A beautiful coral and peachy rose blooming in my friend Amber’s yard.

The Tomato Plant

Rochelle gave me a tomato plant on April 5th for my patio garden. I put it in the backseat of my car and forgot about it until I had driven it all the way to St. Pete for Easter weekend. Luckily, the little plant survived sitting in my car for five days. 

April 10th.

Back home on my patio.

April 14th.

After trimming a few leaves and repotting it, I set it out on the patio with my other plants. For a very brief time it was my smallest plant.

April 18th.

Within a few days it grew astonishingly fast.

April 26th.

May 1st.

The first flower.

May 10th.

The tiniest little tomato.

May 11th.

May 11th.

Wildly outgrowing its original pot.

May 15th.

May 16th.

Repotted in its new and much larger pot.

May 17th.

May 22nd.

A second tomato.

June 1st.

June 14th.

June 19th.

First tomato finally turning red.

June 20th.

After some rain.

June 21st.

June 21st.

Ripe for the picking.

June 22nd.

Made into the best caprese salad! 

The Blackberry Harvest

Rochelle with her youngest daughter Morgan in the backyard picking the blackberries she planted.

A Bed of Daisies

This little lizard just loves my daisies.

Afternoon Adventures with Ellie and Morgan

Rochelle invited me over to her place to spend a lovely afternoon hangout with her and her daughters.

The beautiful winter blooms in her garden.

Ellie showing off her adorable Pikachu collection.

Rochelle and Ellie.

Morgan and Ellie playing with a toy microphone.

The sunlight catching the silver streak in Morgan’s hair.

Morgan trying the edible flowers from mommy’s garden (they tasted like sweet cucumbers).

Ellie blowing bubbles.

A close up of the edible flowers.

Enjoying the hammock with Morgan.

Rochelle picked a flower from her garden to adorn my hair.

We took the girls for a walk around the neighborhood. They both wanted to be pushed in the little pink toy car but it only fit one. Ellie decided to ride a bike but I figured out how to push them both at once by having Ellie ride in front.

Ellie decided to make an emergency stop for some sidewalk chalk art.

Back at home Rochelle was in the middle of watering her plans when she decided to water her daughters as well.

Morgan and Ellie, soaking wet and giggling.