Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Saturday, February 18, 2017

Begin Visit with Daughter Ashleigh and Her Husband in Sunny Florida~




February 2, I was able to fly down and visit with our youngest daughter Ashleigh and her husband Matthew in Pompano Beach, Florida.  Ashleigh is the President of  "Be Strong" a non-profit global organization. I was very pleased to be able to meet with the CEO Roy Moore and his wife Lisa during my stay.  Coming soon will also be a visit to the Palm Beach Equestrian Center where Lisa rides, but that will be another story shared in coming weeks.   My first morning I spent some sweet time connecting with the wonderful people who along with Ashleigh help create a very well run support system to Stop Bullying. I was treated to tasty muffins, coffee and juice selections and also received a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers.

  
We are so proud of what they are doing for the youth and their families to try and get this a horrific issue a part of the past.  Sadly they have a very long way to go, for every day children are being bullied and many even commit suicide.  

I enjoyed being within a five minute walk from Pompano Beach and watching the sunrise and collecting seashells and walking the beach to the pier and back.  It was a good thing for my knees as well.  The sunrises were glorious and in coming posts and this I will share a few. 

In posts coming soon, I will be sharing many more entries from Florida...
Some of the things to look forward to will be images of Great Blue Herons, and Wood Storks creating their very large nests among many like minded birds such as the Anhingas and Green Herons, while Iguanas share their tree space and Alligators swim beneath.   My first introduction to the Royal Terns as well as the "Mystery Birds" Black Skimmers... I was in awe of so many beautiful sights while in sunny and warm Florida.  
Here is hoping that you will be sure to stop by and check them out.  I will be taking time this week to catch up with many blog that I follow and have been missing~ 

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after                                                                you have read the narratives~

I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:
Saturday's Critter

Anni at:
http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 
I'd Rather Be Birdin'
 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'

    
Maggie's  MOSAIC MONDAY
                                              https://normandylife.blogspot.com/


Stewart for:

























On one of my early morning walks I saw this cute pooch carrying home with his master a Coconut.  Here are a few of the many sights that I would see.



On the first full day of my visit we were all treated to lunch at Houston's.  What a beautiful place to enjoy fine dining, great company and lovely scenes~




We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Sea Watch overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Coastline. The  Lobster Bisque is always a favorite of mine and Ashleigh's.  The Crispy Calamari was really light and tasty as well~


Ashleigh took the image of me below shooting photos with my camera, using my cell phone ;) The Iguanas can be found all over the place in South Florida~


The Green Heron was looking for breakfast down at Lighthouse Cove in Pompano~









Caught this Seagull yawning just like I often was first of the morning.  I would arise very early and make my way in the dark to get to the beach, so that I wouldn't miss any part of sunrise. The Seagulls and Sandpipers were always near where I walked~









 Mr and Mrs. Boat-tailed Grackles were frequent company to the Pelicans on the fishing pier.  The male is the black feathered beauty and the female the lovely shades of brown with rufous tones~


20 comments:

  1. I had one fav (#5) until I got to the birds on the end...and who wouldn't love all of those shots :)

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  2. Hi Mary. Catching up time and I feel warmer already. I could do with some of that Florida sunshine on my old knees too.

    Lobster bisque and crispy calamari I would like.Yumm.

    The light in your beach pictures is just fantastic, especially the Ring-billed Gull and the plumage of the Sanderling. Ha, Boat-tailed Grackles. Florida is for boats I guess?

    I’ll check your last posts.

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  3. Hello Mary! Looks like your Florida trip was awesome. Beautiful shots of the beach and the birds. Love the Green Heron! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

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  4. I'm so happy that you have the chance to come down here to visit this month. It's such a great time to be in Florida and looks like you are taking advantage of the nice weather to get outside a lot. Love the green heron...we are just now seeing it in the wild. Enjoy your weekend sweet friend. Hugs, Diane

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  5. Exceptional post Mary!!! Of course I love all your birds [the green heron on the pier post is just spectacular as are the close up images of the gulls]

    I can totally understand your pride in what your daughter is doing with her life/time on earth. You SHOULD be proud.

    By the way, thanks for enlightening me on the Red-shouldered vs. the Cooper's hawk...I will go correct that in my editing. Thanks again dear one. And glad to know you enjoyed your time and are now home safe and sound.

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    1. ps...Thank you so much for sharing your link to this wonderful post for us birders at I'd Rather B Birdin'. I look forward to more from you when you can.

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  6. Truly amazing photos, Mary, as yours are always! I'm here to see birds, but the beach photos really made me dream. :)
    To work against bullying is unfortunately very important nowadays, when with the Internet and social media bullying has become even more harmful than before.
    Have a happy Sunday and a great new week!

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  7. What a lovely time you had being with your daughter and sharing their lives for a little while. I loved seeing all your beach shots, they reminded me of time spent along South Carolina coast that we know and love.
    As always, it was a joy to have your company for MM again this week.

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  8. Florida is so different to your usual world, but you still managed to capture the birds Mary. It sounds like you had a wonderful visit with your daughter, and it may have been a little warmer for you than home. Have a fabulous week Mary. Hugs.

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  9. Enjoy your visit with your daughter and Florida. Looks like you are off to a great start. Wonderful work your daughter is doing. Your images are gorgeous. I giggled at the yawning gull -- they seem to always be showing off in one way or another! Happy Monday!

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  10. Amazing photos. Your daughter works for such an important course. I agree with Sara above. The online bullying has nowadays very awkward patterns and harms the young seriously.

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  11. Kudos to your daughter for working to better others' lives. You must be very proud of her.
    Wonderful beach images. The yawning seagull is a great shot.

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  12. Lovely beach images and water birds!

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  13. Mary, I love seeing you so happy and carefree, spending quality time with your lovely daughter, enjoying those scrumptious meals together, having the chance to shoot your favourite critters, taking long walks on the coastline, under those stunning sunrises and glowing sunsets. You look relaxed and rejuvenated, all at once, and I look forward to seeing more of your exciting trip in the future.

    Your photos today, as always, are breathtakingly brilliant!

    Happy Tuesday, sweet friend!

    Hugs,
    Poppy

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  14. So many beautiful pictures in one page!!! enjoyed all the pictures...

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  15. What a wonderful time! Fantastic photos!

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  16. You captured so much of the beauty of the Atlantic Coast side of Florida. I am so glad you had a good visit ....and that it helped your knees. I know I feel better away from cold and damp . Thanks for sharing the trip and the info about the good work your daughter is doing.

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  17. Great set of shots - I like the golden gulls.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  18. Your talent inspires me! Love you mama

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  19. Très belle proximité avec les oiseaux ;-)
    Céline & Philippe

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