Welcome - Fall in Springtime

A very majestic live oak tree.

Live Oak or Evergreen Oak -- The name live oak comes from the fact that these trees remain green and "live" throughout winter, when other oaks are dormant, leafless and "dead"-looking.

It is that time of year again in Ponte Vedra, that time that never ceases to intrigue me - fall in springtime. There are not many deciduous plants in Florida so autumn is relatively a non-event. But in spring, as the live oaks push off the old leaves to make room for the new growth, the ground and gutters are littered with debris. Hence, fall in springtime. When Zoe was small, she loved to chase the leaves as I kicked them along.

Live oaks also contribute to the pollen count. As the leaves are pushed off, little clumps of flowers appear and as they fall off and new leaves emerge, yellow pollen is everywhere.

It has been a long, cold winter and I welcome all the new growth, including a little debris and pollen.

Massachusetts Dreamin

A fairly early riser, I am enjoying the quiet of the morning (even though it's raining, again) and reminiscing of my recent trip to MVY.

It was fun to leave the cold of Florida and venture to the cold of New England. With the exception of a little snow it wasn't very different -- the ground is brown, the trees are bare, the sky is gray. Or so I thought until I awoke my first day on the island. From my room I overlooked the glistening Edgartown Harbor as the sun peeked over the horizon to a fresh two inches of snow. I was thrilled until I went to the car and had to brush snow and ice from the windows. A not so small detail I forgot about many years ago.

I love MVY in any season!

I have never been on MVY in February, and although the ferry was full, the island seemed empty. Almost all the shops and restaurants are either closed for the season, or closed for the month for updating, repair, or for the owners to just get away for awhile. Luckily my favorite coffee shop was still open for a few more days.

I enjoyed a nice brisk, long walk (didn't see one other person for an hour). I walked by our property...

The view from our property.

checked out the summer rental....

Home for summer 2010.

So very beautiful and peaceful. I headed back to town for a movie (Valentine's Day), a cozy dinner at the hotel bar, and an early bedtime.

Back in PVB (still cold) I can only dream of summer on MVY.