Mini Me Escapes Confinement

Living on a building site, as life sized me decided to renovate the condo,  mini me has been confined to hubby's backpack to avoid getting dust in her lungs and on her (one and only) blue dress.

 

Yup it's dark; no electric in kitchen

Mini me is developing claustrophobia and finds it all a bit stuffy, along with life sized me and hubby, so the three of us decided to venture out on a Sunday afternoon. 

What to see - well a historic tourist relic - the Sunken Gardens of St Petersburg beckoned.  Built at the beginning of the last century, it has recently been restored and replanted, using an old Coca-Cola bottling plant as the entrance/gift shop (yes one exits through the gift shop just like a UK National Trust property).

Although hot outside (sweat did drip down our backs), the Gardens are largely shaded and retain some of their former glory.  Sadly few, if any, of the plants are labelled so a pleasant stroll, but not very educational.  Must say we were a bit puzzled why they put black metal benches into a park blazing in the Florida sun - something that would fry an egg isn't too pleasant to sit upon!
 

colourful macaws-S American Parrots

The Gardens has a number of lizards, an alligator snapping turtle (yes, apparently they do eat small alligators - hurrah!) and a number of exotic birds - a hangover from its former glory days.

Let me out for a shower!

Otherwise we seem to be spending much time in Home Depot (the American version of B&Q complete with orange logo) where dogs of all types are welcome -- some large ones on a lead (or not) and smaller ones that get wheeled round in the shopping trolley or - and I kid you not - a baby buggy!

Blue Heron with fish eyeing our pool!

Closer to home, a SHARK SWARM has been spotted up north closing the beaches; plus just last week a lady told me they caught a 4 foot shark whilst fishing from our beach - yikes -- almost as bad as my friend's bee hive double swarm!!!  Yesterday was an adult baptism ceremony on the beach.  This morning, a close, muggy day, began with a scrawny juvenile visitor struggling to swallow his fish just off our pool deck.  Now the clouds are rolling in ...

Hard to believe we are living in Paradise -- and that one can be grateful for grey clouds to shield the sun and a thunderstorm to cool one off!