Winter Blooms (Sort of...)

Today started out cold and windy, but at least the sun was shining.  Since this is supposed to be the driest day for the next two or three, after some shopping this morning, we decided to go to the Botanical Gardens to walk off our Jason's Deli lunches.

The Gardens were not crowded at all, so we had a good time seeing what blooms in Florida in February.  This year, of course, we have had unusually cold weather, so not as much was in bloom now as in previous years.  We did, however, find some special moments.

One of the first sights we saw was the Anhinga bird.  This bird is clumsy on the ground, but it is a skilled flyer and spends much of its time swimming through ponds.  The Anhinga's main diet is amphibious: freshwater fish, frogs, water snakes, and leeches.  After it is done spearing its dinner with its long beak, the Anhinga will find a log or stone near or in the pond on which to perch and dry its wings. The pitch black bird blends in well in the dark waters, so it can be a stealthy fisherman.

The weird Anhinga bird stands on a log in the
middle of the pond and dries its tail and wings
in the wind and sun.

We found other beautiful flowers just starting to bloom near some of the other pools and ponds in the park.

Sometimes the leaves of a plant are more
brilliantly colored than the flowers themselves.

This flower was so bright that it looked fake.  Who says that God does not have a wonderful paintbox with which to brighten even the most dreary winter day.

The contrast of colors makes these flowers unreal.

The Garden has some breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and ponds.

This scene is so serene.  I may actually enlarge
and frame this one for our house.

The roses were just starting to bloom.  Although they did not have much of a scent, they matched Stephanie's coat quite well.

Roses are a welcome sight in winter.

The Wedding Garden had topiaries of both a bear climbing out of the garden, and of Cupid with his arrow.

The mushy love of the Wedding Garden must
be too much for this little bear cub.  He is trying
to escape the garden over the wall.

Cupid aims his arrow behind us as we enjoy the sunshine.

The Gardens were a great place to get a little exercise, to soak in some Vitamin D from the sun, and to spend a great Sunday afternoon together.