Detour to West Martello Tower

We were walking from our house to Higgs Beach, and we noticed that the Key West Garden Club at West Martello Tower was open! We’ve been peering through the fenestrations for weeks, but always manage to have bad timing.

This was a civil war fort and now it’s a lush tropical garden that is free to the public. It’s the first place we’re taking friends who come to visit. Map boy will tell you where to go.

He will lead you to the hanging orchid “room”.

I love this one.

It is very important, when you live in a tropical climate, never to look up. No matter how large your computer monitor, I guarantee it cannot display this overhead web full size.

Here is the maker of this web, the Spiny Orb Weaver. This spider is the most common one I’ve seen in Key West. This is a super close-up, she’s no bigger than a pea. Again, I will say it: Never google Florida spiders if you live here…*shudder*

These guys are also everywhere, but they don’t give me the willies. We even find them inside our house, and once there was a gecko that only Zach saw.

There was even a funny assortment of pool noodle arrangements. My sisters will think this is as hilarious as I did.

This is a strangler fig or maybe a banyan growing over the archway.

and a lovely banana flower pendulum.

Out the archways and on to the beach!

I know this is my first blog post from Key West. It is absolutely amazing how quickly we have adapted to island time, and find the hours just whittled away each day and week.  I’ve resolved to post more about this great place we stumbled upon, and will get my camera out more often.

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Morning Trail 2

Here are pictures from this morning, a more gray day, but a little warmer. You may be able to spot the slight yellow tinge at the base of the mountains that signifies that, later in the day, there will be a pollution haze.

Here are the Canadian geese in the wildlife preserve. This section of trail smelled like duck poop.

A shot overlooking I-215 from the 4100 South bridge. I felt a bit of vertigo and had to refrain from throwing my camera over the edge, something a tiny part of me always wants to do when standing up high.

As promised, a shot of me in my riding gear. I have on santa boots, wool/silk socks, thermal pants, pajama pants, a tank top, a thermal top, and a 2-layer coat. I also wear a nifty orange balaclava.  I am NOT cold. With my lights flashing, I just hope people notice me!

Morning Trail

After a month of filthy air, and lung infections, and feeling like going outside would cause me to get asthma, I finally felt ready to ride again this morning. Here’s a 7am shot from the street, before I got onto the trail. At this point, I was going into a coughing fit, but by the end of the ride, my lungs were fine.

The air was clean and crisp, and the sunrise was gorgeous.

I’m outta shape, though, so I only made it 9 miles, than hopped on the bus up a little hill for the last mile. One of these days I’ll snap a photo of myself in all the gear that I pile on in order ride in 28 degree weather (I don’t have fancy gear, just lots of layers).

Jordan River Ride

I am working on a new challenge where Zach will give me a smiley face sticker if I ride at least 6 miles in a day. After 20 smileys, he’ll take me out to eat! So, on Saturday I got up before the boys (at 8:30) and got on my bike to go for a ride by myself. Under normal circumstances, I would have waited for him, but his ankle is twisted and I knew he wouldn’t be up for towing the Boogedy in a trailer.

I rode good and hard on the outward 3.5 mile leg of the journey. When I reached my destination and found this gorgeous yellow tree, I decided to photograph the pretty stuff all the way home.

There was a pink tree:

And this nifty rusty bridge that made the best clunkety noise when I rode across.

Here I am stopped on the bridge:

I think this might be a beaver dam:

Here are at least three varieties of grasses, all contraindicated for inhalation up my dog’s nose:

I want you to know that I faced my fears and stepped out upon this grate-topped walkway over the river for blog’s sake.  I am showing you my dorky riding pants and socks because I have no shame.

The view from there was grand and it was LOUD.

Another pink tree:

Some Russian olive trees and thistle with some blue wildflowers. Those Russian olives are the bane of my mom’s existence.

A spot of deep shade, at least 5 degrees cooler in here.

I went home and ate sauteed tilapia and green salad and a strawberry kefir smoothie. I lovely start to the day. You can believe that I took a long nap that afternoon.