Friday 

Oh boy! Fireworks are on the agenda for the Fourth for the first time in a couple of years. Got to make sure the boat is ready to go. Best seat in the house is anchored in the bay. 

Tuesday 

We weren’t the only ones viewing the light show from the water. But everyone was well-behaved, if a little rambunctious. But it had been two years… 

Thursday 

The last of my orchid blooms finally called it a day. They hung in there for several months. I’m so impressed with my green thumb. (But, truthfully, those orchids don’t actually need me or my thumb.) 

Friday 

A trip to Sarasota to meet up with G and F and experience the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit. Wow! It was borderline psychedelic. So cool! Gotta tell my friends, this is worth the drive up I-75. 

Monday 

Ten pots of mimosa to plant in the backyard were doing great. Then all of a sudden they weren’t. What happened? Mystery solved when I walked out the door to find a chunky bunny sitting right on top of the pots looking very smug. Grrrrrr.  

Wednesday 

A sudden downpour this afternoon seemed extra fierce. It relocated our new melaleuca mulch from the garden to the pathway. Sigh. Where’s the rake? 

Thursday 

Between ravenous rabbits and roaring rains—not to mention icky iguanas—gardening can be a challenge at this time of year. But, no, when you look at all our thriving native plants, it’s worth any trouble Mother Nature may dole out. 

Friday 

I would give a word of advice to transplanted northerners when it comes to yard care, though: Just give up on the lush, grassy lawns. It goes against every law of nature down here. We did, and our yard is better for it. 

Tuesday 

Very warm start to the day, but it didn’t keep us off the tennis court. Still, to those who say let’s beat the heat by playing at 8 am, NOT. The breeze kicks in around 9 or so, making the temps bearable then. 

Thursday 

Saw a crow attacking an osprey about twice its size. That takes some chutzpah. 

Monday 

Apparently crows like to play with tennis balls. One swooped down and grabbed one of ours right off the court and flew off with it. Probably the same audacious bird that went after the osprey last week. 

Saturday 

Never have I ever had a good experience on I-4. Capt. Google warned us off this time and we found ourselves in lovely inland Florida—roads lined with live oaks, dripping with Spanish moss. No theme parks in sight. Truly, a different world. 

Wednesday 

Let’s end August with an evening walk on the beach. If we’re lucky, we will have a clear sky and one of those postcard sunsets—maybe even a green flash (which I have never seen and thus doubt the existence of the phenomenon).