Strawberry Season

I had the good fortune to be born in early May.  Why is this such an auspicious time of year, you may ask?  Strawberries.  The fruit of the gods, in my opinion.  My birthday cakes were always either cakes festively decorated with strawberries, or actual strawberry cakes, with the exception of one rather devastating year 8th birthday.  That was quickly remedied the following year when my 9th birthday party was held at the strawberry patch. 

It was with great relish that I managed to squeeze in a strawberry picking trip this season.  Things never quite worked out for all of April, but I finally managed to do it today - just in time for my birthday!  We drove out to a field just bursting with some of the best strawberries I've ever tasted.  I'm very sorry South Carolina, but Louisiana clearly has you beat on the strawberry front.  There's just something about that Mississippi mud.  Every, single berry we picked was at it's peak, and they weren't even small, scraggly, picked-over berries.  It was like no one had touched the fields in a week!  Delicious! 

 

The day's haul.

After a long drive and some time in the sun, we rewarded ourselves with fried catfish at Middendorf's.  

They have a cute dock at Middendorf's with all sorts of maritime things that made me miss home a bit.  The only thing they didn't have was the salt in the air.  

 

I missed the big action with my camera, but this guy was devouring a bug while we watched.  You can see that he still has his mouth full.  

Coming Up Roses

The city is finally coming to life again.  The smell of jasmine lingers in the air, and roses are bursting into bloom on every corner.  These particular beauties are across the street from where I work.  I've spent spent many a quiet moment in the store daydreaming about the day when I can grow beautiful roses like these in my own yard. 

As the newest buds are about to burst into life, the old blooms crumble at the touch.  I tried to take one home last night, but it was a lesson in fleeting beauty.  You just have to appreciate the moment. 

We mustn't forget that these are the ones that make all this beauty possible. We need to do everything in our power to protect them.  I'll start by planting more flowers and eating more organic food.  What will you do?

The Botanical Gardens at City Park

Last week at the botanical gardens:

 

«Processed using VSCO for the iPhone»

 

«In the Japanese Garden»

  

«Stunning cacti and succulents»

«Fern wall (above and below) processed using VSCO for the iPhone»

«Orchids and bromeliads»

All photos taken with my iPhone. 

Swamplandia

Tuesday came with beautiful sunny skies and nearly perfect temperature - still a tad on the cool side (for those of us with Southern blood), but warm once you were moving around.  It was the perfect day to get out of the city.  Off we headed into the wild swamp lands of Jean Lafitte National Historic Park.  

We clearly weren't the only ones who noticed the sun; the reptiles were out in full force.  We must have seen at least ten snakes on our short hike, and a more than a few gators.  One of them was at least ten feet long, with a head almost the size of my torso!  Had he been sunning on our side of the bank like the others, I don't think I would have been able to walk past him.  Those creatures are so primitive and terrifying!

Spiderwort 

« Tradescantia ohiensis »

Butterweed against palmetto.

« Senecio glabellus against Sabal minor. »