A New Camera

I have a very nice Nikon D50 and like it very much. But A friend gave be a pocket camera that takes spectacular closeups. While it is a point and shoot, it does have a large range of shooting modes in a neat portable package. It's one of the Canon's point-and-shoot Digital ELPH Cameras.

The Smart Car Comes To Florida

Now I hope that some smart drivers come to Florida.

Primary Vote in Florida

Today we went to the polls to pick our parties candidate (one Democrat and one Republic). It was not possible to take a picture inside. I ask one of my friends that's a poll worker to come outside and pose with the Poll Deputy. We vote in the social hall of the Congregational Church.

An Old Oak Tree - Well Not So Old

We had a visitor last week who came to see the garden. He was absolutely in love with our oak. Now I'm sharing it with everyone. The tree is not as old as I am, but it's a lot healthier then me.

French Village Garden?

One of the big ones. It's unusual for a home not to be partially covered with trees and shrubs. I guess they what to flaunt the raw beauty of the house.

WOC 19 Comes to a Finish

The World Orchid Conference 19 is winding up. We have hosted an English orchid grower and a German wholesale orchid producer for the last week. Tonight we will have also have a couple from South Africa for a formal dinner. Today's picture is a close up of a new hybrid orchid. Click here to see the entire flower.

Home on the Coral Gables Waterway

This home has a rare luxury, they can get to the ocean in there boat. The real rarity is that their house is on high ground.

Colonnade #2

The first floor is all retail in this parking garage. Two of the sides have colonnades.

WOC

The 19th World Orchid Conference is opening today at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel & Exhibition Center. The conference is held in a different city every three years. This is the second time that the conference has been in Miami. Singapore is the only other city to have the honor of holding the WOC twice. The orchid above is from my garden. See you at the show. Click to here to see more about the WOC.

My Kitchen

This store has the most fancy appliances and gadgets that one could buy for their kitchen. The other day I was talking to a contractor about the cutting edge appliances that so many people are buying. He said that the larger the kitchen and the more expensive the appliances, the more likely that it will not be used. We have a small kitchen and replace something when it stops working. We don't worry about walking from one side of the room to the other. The kitchen doesn't make the cook. Oh! and my wife has never wanted to replace me.

A Good Place to Meet Friends

The green market is a good place to make a new friend or two. The place seems to attract dogs. When we had puppies we took them to the market because it was a perfect place to socialize your dog. Now I usually talk to more dogs then people. The green market runs from January through March, the time that the area produces vegetables. It's also the best time to take a stroll.

The Green Market

Every Saturday morning in January through March a green market is opened in front city hall. This vendor has too large a variety to be the farmer. Some of the vegetables don't grow in our area. But it is fresh.

North Side of the Colonnade in Coral Gables

This is the north side of the Colonnade in Coral Gables. Notice that the columns are square. The original columns on the south side are round (see Jan 15 and 16). When adding to a historic building in Coral Gables it must be in harmony with the original but it can not mimic it totally. This way we have a building that looks like one building and if you look closely you will realize what's historic.

Flowers in Winter

Much of the USA is very cold today, but not here. This orchid is happy to sit in the garden while yesterdays flower is carefully tended to in the house.

Winter Narcissus Competing With Snow

A Christmas gift that gives us the light of spring. Ah! but this plant is blooming in a warm climate and outside the flowers are still beautiful.


The single bulb came with its own ceramic pot and fertile growing media. The one bulb produced three stems of flowers. Many years ago people grew the bulbs in a bowl of marbles and water. Without the fertilize those bulbs seldom looked very good.