23 March 2024
I heard somewhere that discretion is the better part of valor. I exercised discretion today. I started my morning walk along Riverland Road around 9 am, hoping to get it in before the deluge. I cut it short when I heard thunder heading my way and then some lightning. I didn’t think it wise to walk in a thunderstorm with an umbrella with metal rod and ribs. By the time I turned around and got back to the house, I had completed 0.8 miles so I didn’t feel too badly.
Speaking of rain, we certainly got the 100% chance yesterday. It rained all morning, had a short break in the afternoon, and then picked up again at night. It was enough of a downpour I periodically looked out the window to see if the streets were flooding. Fortunately, the top of the street was visible each time.
We are due for more rain and wind this afternoon. It’s filling the pool as I write. At least I don’t have to worry about the water level in the pool for the rest of the month. April tends to be dry in South Florida and the summer rains begin around May 15th – more or less.
I never got around to cleaning the pool filter but I did clean leaves out of the pool and the basket to the filter. The wind denuded a few trees and the majority of the trees near me gift me their leaves. It’s not that I’m not appreciative but the Great White which cleans the pool doesn’t work well when overwhelmed by leaves. It doesn’t look like the pool filter will be cleaned today, either.
I didn’t find much blooming on my walk – either that or I was looking up, not down. However, I did find the wild coffee in my yard starting to bloom.
This forms a rather nice shrub and is native. It’s often used in landscaping but mine came about from bird droppings.
The leaves are very shiny and from the specific epithet, you can tell the veins in the leaf are well defined. Eventually, the flowers will produce a red, ripe fruit like the coffee “bean.” According to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) it does not contain caffeine like coffee does.
I keep it around in the yard because it’s a source of nectar for the rare Atala butterfly. I’ve seen them in the yard on occasion.
I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. The house has been cleaned and the wash is on and nap time is calling.
Stay tuned!