The last one....for this trip!!

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.  ~Lao Tzu

This is always a difficult post for me, the last one of the trip.  I never seem to find a quote that shows how I feel, and I never really know what to say! We got an extra day this trip simply because we took it! We originally planned on heading home today, but as this new home feels more and more like where we want to be, we decided it was worth just staying simply because we wanted to! How about that?! It is a two day drive home, and we will stop in North Carolina for a few hours to see Hubby's mom and take care of things for her so we will be home late Sunday, just in time for us to begin our REAL life again...you know the drill, work, chores, duties...all that REAL life stuff!! We will be back soon, we hope for more adventure and more paradise.

Since it was supposed to be so "COLD" this morning we stayed in bed and slept in a bit and didn't go to Sanibel before dawn! For some reason 49 degrees in shorts just didn't sound like what we wanted to do this morning!! I know, most of you have FEET of snow and freezing temperatures, but we have been living at 65 degree dawns and 80+ degree days....and loving it.  Real life for us this time of year is 30 degrees one day and 60 the next....with rain and ice off and on!! So we decided the nice warm bed was where we wanted to be....after all we were playing Hookie...right??

We did go to Sanibel for "Linner" (Lunch and Dinner) about 3:00 to Gramma Dots, many people decided to do the same thing! Everyone, except Hubby was in sweatshirts and long pants, but the food was wonderful and of course we had to finish up with some awesome Key Lime pie!  

We came back home and went for a walk around our new neighborhood and I saw something awesome!! So my post today is from our neighborhood instead of the beach, and also some 'catch-up' posting!  

You probably think I am crazy, but I thought poinsettias were grown in pots wrapped in green or gold foil, didn't you?....check this out!!

There were several of these bushes in our neighborhood!! I know you must think I'm crazy, but I never knew they were something that you could just grow, and that they were bushes!! they are gorgeous and the flowers are huge!!

We also have several bottle brush trees....appropriately named, don't you think??

We can alway count on our neighborhood Ibis to be hanging around the pond!! They obviously have become quite tame...they fly up to you and greet you when you come out our back door!!

The Great White Egret, is a resident also, though he doesn't usually stick around very closely so I felt very fortunate that he struck a pose just for me!!

I believe this is a little blue heron....I guess he struck a pose also....or had an itch!! :)

This pic might just end up on my wall....love this pose!!!

I wanted to show you how the horse conch turned out!! It looks much better, and now has a place on our porch! He has lost his point, but that just gives him more character!

Do you remember the small one I found on our last trip in early December??
Here it is before I cleaned it up...It's not NEARLY as big as Hubby's!!

Here it is after it was cleaned up!! It was absolutely perfect!!

It now resides with its cousins in our living room in the REAL world!

That's him in the back left!

I also wanted to show you something I made for my Grandbabies and their parents for Christmas!! Our four little angels!!

Cute huh?!

This will probably be my last post for a little while! Hope you and your families stay safe and continue to have a Happy 2014!!

::Hugs::

Cheri