Signs of Spring

After many cloudy and chilly overcast days in north Florida we have enjoyed a sun shiny weekend.  So I walked today looking for Spring.

I don't know what these flowers are called......perhaps they were originally cultivated but now they seem to grow wild along the road sides.

The Bradford Pear trees have been blooming but here one is giving up its flowers for the new fresh green of tiny leaves.

I loved this old live oak tree but had trouble not sneezing looking at all those flowers on it! This is the season of pine and oak pollen.

We had planned to leave this past Friday but the Captain hurt his back.  And since we will be anchoring out for several nights before we get home, we must now get the windlass fixed....this is the motorized mechanism that hauls up the anchor.  You may remember that it broke a while back and Walter has been pulling it up by hand while I'm on the bridge moving the boat back and forth as he tells me to loosen it from the sand/mud.

There is a service tech coming on Monday to look at our windlass.  We are hoping for a quick fix as Wednesday looks good for travel.  However, rain and cooler temps are headed this way next week.  I believe when we do leave we will be doing longer days....still a lot we want to see along the way but we also need to get home....why? To plan a 50^th Wedding Anniversary Party for the Captain and his First Mate!