Signs of Spring

 

 

Photo by Me

Crotons in foreground~Plumeria in background

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday the temperature was a balmy 78 degrees. 

 

Monday, we awoke to temps still in the 70's, but it became blustery and the temps fell through out the day.  Thirty five degrees!  I don't have heat in my place, my choice, I don't like the propane pilot light on in case it should be blown out by the winds.  And there is always wind.  An electric blanket does the trick of keeping me warm at night. 

 

When I crawled out from under by Blankie this morning the temp has risen to 42 degrees.  Some of the inland counties actually had freeze warnings which we usually have a few days a year, but never this late. 

 

I was out with Jazzy, this afternoon and noticed that the Crotons are developing new foliage, as are the Plumeria. 

YaY, Spring in Florida. 

 

 

 

Crotons are found primarly in the Caribbean, and Plumeria, a native to central and South America, thrive here in Florida.  If you have been to Hawai'i or Indonesia you may have thought the fragrant flowering plant is indiginous, but from what I've read it is native to Central and South America.

 

 

 

Other signs of Spring

 

Florida Feet ~ The permanent V shaped tan lines we Floridians develop from wearing flip flops all year 'round.

 

Crazy horny Lizards ~ I don't mean Horny Lizards, as in the species.  I mean crazy, horny, sexy lizards.  Heads bobbing up and down, scattering among the plants and grass as I walk by.   

Soon there will be eggs the color & size of pearls under the foliage of my plants.  Then tiny little rascals are everywhere.  The wonderufl thing about lizards is that they eat the mahogany colored Palmetto bugs and misquitoes.

 

 

 

 

Love bugs~Don't they sound lovely?  who COuld resiSt a love bug?  Love bugs invade this country in the mid-1930's. 

They spend 5-7 months of their lives as larvae in the leaf litter. Then the adults emerge synchronously twice a year (April-May and September - October) and can form large swarms that cloud the air.

Many people don't realize that these flies are actually invaders from Central America and have been working their way northward along the coast as far north as Wilmington, NC.

 

Swarming little pests are attracted to the warmth of the roadways where their acidic bodies damage the paint on vehicles. 

My love bug peeve....they land on me while in mid forniction.  If I ain't getting any, SWAT! Ain't no bug is getting any!

 

Toads ~ The toads dwell  in the ground until the weather warms.  They are brownish and come in all sizes from the babies the size of dimes to adults the size of a softball  ball. When summer arrives it seems as if the world has been invaded by these giants.  At night the dog and I will run along the back road her in the park and they scatter clumsily to get out of the way! 

 

 

 

 

The Snow Birds are packing.  YaY!  It's nice to see them come, but it is nicer to see them go and finally get some elbow room in this small RV Park.  Jasminee and I will have the back road to ourselves.  April 1st is when the first wave of exodus occurs.  A back up of traffic will occur as Motor Homes, Trailers, and 5th Wheels line up at the exit gate to find their way home to Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania.

 

 I will try to take photos this year, it's hilarious.

 

 

 

Plumeria