Photo Mishmash...

I went back today and took a photo of the leaves of the Texas Star Hibiscus. There were a few dried pods, with many more to come. No one was home so I plucked two. There are many seeds in each of the five compartments and I'll try to start some next year. 

Click on photo to view larger.

A friend just sent me a photo of one of the jellyfish that washed up here on 'our' beach today. 

She says it was as large as a salad plate.

Well, that's it for today. Running short on time as I've been out and about and must now become Suzy Homemaker for a bit.

Pretty Flower Identified

The other day I saw two lovely flowers in full bloom in front of one of the permanent resident's homes here in the campground. They stood tall in their clay pots and there were several other pots with the same leaves with only buds evident at the top of their stems.

The leaves looked quite a bit like marijuana leaves - yes, I know what they look like. The flowers were a bright red shade with a white star at their centers and a hibiscus-like stigma.

No one was home so I took a couple of pictures. I wanted to know this plant's name. I tried to identify it but couldn't. This morning I rode by again, in my golf cart, camera again in hand. The lady of the house  was out and was tending to some of her other plantings. I stopped, introduced myself and asked her if she would be able to tell me the name of the ones I pointed to. She said, "Why yes, they are a Texas Dahlia." I thanked her and went home to recheck my research findings. NO! They are not a Texas Dahlia.

Texas was the key word and I searched again and found it.

BUT.....I found out they have several names, one being Texas Star.
Here are the other names for this flower:

Texas Five Star Hibiscus
Swamp Hibiscus
Texas Star
Scarlet Rose Mallow
Scarlet Hibiscus

No wonder I had difficulty, eh?

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1872/#b

Century Plant 10pm

Agave Plant Video I Made

Magnificent Plant Dies

Part #5
This is the final installment of my Agave story. Yes, it has produced its stalk and flowers and now is in the process of dying. Sad to see but you must realize that more plants just like this will soon be popping from its mother's roots.

Part#1
http://nookworm-connectionsmore.blogspot.com/2013/05/magnificent-plant.html

Part#2
http://nookworm-connectionsmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/magnificent-plant-continued.html

Part#3
http://nookworm-connectionsmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/magnificent-plant-continued.html

Part#4
http://nookworm-connectionsmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/magnificent-plant-more.html

Information link:
http://www.xericworld.com/forums/showthread.php?p=18986&mode=linear#post18986 

Clyde's Creek Island Wildlife

Goats, Turtles and Egrets

On the small island here live several creatures happily getting along very well together.  I often ride over there to see what is going on and once in a while observe something quite interesting. Goats have resided on this island within the campground for over 50 years. The campground management has removed and castrated several of the rams because the population was difficult to manage. Yes, they feed the goats now with pellets of good feed.

In the Spring I wrote about all of the turtles and had photos to show them basking in the warm sun. 

I have never had the luck to capture the muskrats that I have seen many times. They are wary and slip away as I approach. One of them is a light brown. There is always a great blue heron or two catching fish from the gently sloping banks as well. 

This is the area where the swans nest and try to raise their cygnets but 'something' always seems to shorten the lives of the little ones. Foxes have been seen lurking in the area by a neighbor and my husband saw two one afternoon. 

Click on photo to enlarge

Can you see the 10 turtles back behind the goats?

Note crooked horn.

 There were 3 different egrets this day.

Miscellaneous Campground Area Photos

The weather is still excellent but the flowers and pretty bushes are dying off - as they do each year. I go into my "other interesting growing things" mode as I do every September in the campground. We had a little excitement the other day when a large limb of a hickory tree fell on a resident's front porch roof section, and their brand new golf cart and car that were parked in just the perfect spot under that limb were crushed. I didn't have the heart to take pictures of the damages because the owner was sitting on the back of a security guard's golf cart bawling her eyes out. Her cat was missing and he usually is on the porch. Good news! Two days later the cat came back. We thought he was a goner but the cat came back.

So here are the other pictures I took that day.

Double trunk of a Palmetto tree

Catalpa Tree beans just starting to grow

Pindo Palm Tree ripe fruits developing

An unripe cluster is still green

There is a lady here who makes pindo palm jelly.

If I had equipment here I would make jelly.

South Carolina in the Late Summer Sun

The weather here has been great, full of sun and no rain. There aren't very many opportunities to take photos of nature's beauty at this time of year. But there are a few…and I find them. This is a very large campground and I never have to leave to find things that interest me. Many many years ago there was even a tiny cactus growing on the roof of an old trailer. I suppose that a bird dropped the seed. Today it still grows there and is becoming to be a full fledged beautiful plant. It bloomed this spring. When I ride around on my golf cart, I look up and down and sideways to find things others miss. I then share my finds with friends who also like to take pictures. 

Birds are still here but not my priority this week.

Pretty soon I'll venture out onto the beach. It's too hot for me currently and the sun and I don't get along very well now. I seem to develop itchy burning rashes and hives. Do you think it is because I don't get much exposure in PA? I've been spending all afternoon in the outdoor pool from 3PM to 5:30 PM with lots of sunscreen every day since arriving. YUK! I hate the stuff on me but it is necessary to avoid burning and those nasty hives.

Here you go….today's photos. And one of some friends.

Angel Trumpets and Mexican Petunia

Dark Red Crepe Myrtle

 

And some friends...

Tomorrow I'll post some more photos I took today of trees and trunks and fruits.

Back to the Beach and Friends

One of my blogging friends actually missed me! Well I haven't felt like writing lately, and if it doesn't feel good - I don't do it. I didn't before, but now feel a bit, just a little bit to blog - just a little bit. 

We traveled to SC (13 hours straight through) on the day before Labor Day. The highways were not  very busy and it was  good decision. It is quite a job for us old(er) folks to pack up our pre-cooked foods and empty the refrigerator, order and be sure to bring medicines for the two month absence, and to endure the ride, that we are always bushed upon arrival. The good thing - very good thing, is that the trailer is always as we left it two months previously. NOTHING could be better than that! 

Once we arrive there is a two day recovery period. At this time of the year the winter-like clothes are put away, and we are getting reoriented to our surroundings, again. The golf carts have to be uncovered and the covers put away and the deck chairs, tables and chargers have to be brought up onto the deck. of course the deck must be hosed down first, and then dried. It's so nice when it hasn't rained for a few days and wet sand isn't brought up along with the necessities for porch sitting. We have no stairs or steps in PA so our legs get a heavy workout!

Grocery shopping is a necessary that is next on the list. We can only eat grilled cheese sandwiches for a couple of days before desiring a more varied menu. Because we always bring milk and cereal and bread and cheeses, we don't starve. We leave a new can of coffee so we can have the usual morning energy to do what must be done. 

We've been to the outdoor pool every day since our arrival and a stroll on the beach is next in order, but I have to watch out for too much sun. I had hives for three days because of overexposure already! Benedryl tabs took care of it - 4 a day! 

Friends of many past years all gather here at this time of year - some friendships since 1989 when we first came in our motorhome. There are "dates" for gatherings at several local restaurants scheduled and at campsites. Most of our friends are "transients" meaning they don't have a permanent place as we have had since 1999. Some have motorhomes, some trailers, some fifth wheel campers, some rent the villas. All are wonderful and regular people, just enjoying life. We've lost a few over the years, to death and illness and really miss them. 

This was supposed to be a bit of a blog but I got carried away, as usual. It is here that I find so many opportunities to photograph nature at its rawest and highest peak of beauty. It is here that I seem to be able to construct and teach various crafts that are fun and very varied. It is here that many have great satisfaction in the surf fishing and the beach and ocean fun. Mostly it is a very social time and I turn into a different person. 

More to come……

Frank & Ray 

 Bud of red flower below

 Not identified as yet

 Wild Morning Glory

 Pampas Grass

 My Pineapple Plant (started 1/1/13)

 Giant Beanstalk Flower

Pindo Palm Green Fruit