Hello, friends. We've had a mostly cloudy, chilly week here in southwest Florida. But this morning, the sun is shining so I figured it was a good time to take this year's post-hurricane vegetation status photo.
Last spring, we decided we liked the large turnaround Ian (9/22) provided, so we made a center island and laid permeable pavers across the front to the garage doors on either side of the stairs. We replanted the area directly in front of the stairs and house, plus added several native bushes along the sides of the driveway.
Things look a bit better since January 2024, and I'm sure it will continue to fill in. Slowly, but surely the subtropical vegetation is returning... but we will likely add more trees and bushes again this winter. I'll include all the earlier photos at the end of the post for comparison.
Recent Reading//
A Good Life by Virginie Rinaldi
I started 2025 with a couple of DNFs, so my first book of the year was actually a reread. A few months ago I rated this novel about sisterhood, home, and family four stars but raised it to 4.5 stars this time around. It will be my selection for the small World Lit book club I joined this year. ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Oranges by John McPhee
This slim nonfiction classic, first published in 1967, was on my 2025 list of priority reads. I was hoping to learn more about the Florida citrus industry and its history... and I did pick up some interesting information. I enjoyed McPhee's writing style, reading about the development of the groves, the orange barons, microclimates, and historic freezes, but there were also parts I found pretty boring. I imagine some of the information presented must be outdated at this point. I would like to read more about the current state of Florida's citrus industry.
⭐⭐⭐
I've Tried Being Nice: Essays by Ann Leary
I'm halfway through this essay collection by the author of The Good House and The Children. It's very good so far.
How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard
This is a sequel to Maynard's 2021 novel Count the Ways... which I loved. I've read about a third of this one and it's just as good so far!
The week ahead//
It's supposed to be another cool and rainy week. I'm hoping for plenty of time to read while waiting for the refrigerator repair guy, AC service, and the carpenter who will measure for plantation shutters. I also had a crown fall out, so there will be a trip to the dentist, too. So much excitement... sigh.
Vegetation Photo Comparison//
Pre-Ian, January 2022
Post-Ian, January 2023
January 2024
Today
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
Like you, I am also fascinated by the history of oranges (in fact by any food history.) I wrote up my ideas on McPhee’s book here:
ReplyDeletehttps://maefood.blogspot.com/2008/11/oranges.html
I have also read other books on oranges. A very old one:
https://maefood.blogspot.com/2016/06/hesperides-very-obscure-book.html
AND
https://maefood.blogspot.com/2008/01/oranges-and-lemons.html
Thank you for sharing these posts, Mae. Very interesting reading. I hope to find a book about the recent history of FL's citrus industry. It seems to be struggling at the moment.
DeleteIt is looking healthy again. All the work you all have done is worth it, it looks great! Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteCindy - Thanks. Parts of the island saw more effects from Hurricane's Helene and Milton last fall than we did, so progress is variable but still present.
DeleteLike the comparison photos. It's looking really good. Hope you don't have too cold of a week. We're supposed to get a bit of snow on Mon/Tues overnight. We'll see what happens. I just don't want ice. Otherwise, it's cold and windy. If the wind would just go away, it would be better. I don't like cedar pollen and the wind - well, guess what it does to the pollen. Hate it. Hope you also get fixed up at the dentist and get your other things taken care of. Oh, and enjoy your reading....
ReplyDeleteKay - Thanks. We've got some overnights predicted to be in the 40s, which is very cold for us, but no freezing this far south. We went out to lunch today (I was wearing a quilted jacket) and it made me chuckle to see tourists in shorts and short sleeves... guess the cold is relative. If you get snow tonight, I hope it is just a pretty dusting without the ice! I managed to get a dental appointment this morning .. feels great to have the crown glued back in!
DeleteI was surprised at how disappointed I was in Oranges. I'd heard for years how wonderful it was, but aside for the clever way it was formatted, I found it tedious.
ReplyDeleteI've Tried Being Nice just came in for me at the library. Good to hear that it's going well.
Deb - I've been hearing how wonderful John McPhee is for years, but was not overly impressed with Oranges. Not sure whether to try something else he's written or not...
DeleteI'm glad things are starting to improve over there. Looking at the comparison pictures really shows how far you've come. I hope you enjoy your books and have a great week.
ReplyDeleteYvonne - It's been a long couple of years here and there is still plenty of recovery still ahead, but it's good to know the island is moving in the right direction. Hope your week is off to a good start.
DeleteThanks for sharing your photos. It’s nice to see the vegetation coming back and I love the circular driveway. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jodie. I'm sure I'll be planting more this winter... wanted to see how last year's additions did over the summer first.
DeleteThank you for including the comparison photos! You've done such wonderful work on the house and it looks great.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen... slowly, but surely we're getting there!
DeleteIt's wonderful how the vegetation has grown back ... and I like the turnaround. You've turned things around there. Way to go! Pretty. Are you reading the Leary book or listening to the author narrate the audio? I sort of liked the audio. It was engaging. Some chapters a bit more than others. Hope you get all those pesky chores done this week then you will be free!
ReplyDeleteSusan - We're pretty happy with the turnaround. It makes maneuvering around much easier! I've got both the ebook and audio of Leary's essays. It took a few minutes to adjust to her tone, but I do like listening to her on my walk. Got the tooth fixed this morning, now my fingers are crossed the appliance repair guy shows up tomorrow!
DeleteWhat a recovery from the damage of Ian! I'm sure it was really hard to live through that devastation, so I'm happy to see your yard looking so wonderful! Having a crown fall out is not the excitement one looks for. I hope it's an easy fix, and that you have a boring week to come, lol!
ReplyDeleteRachel - That first year after Ian, almost everything was brown... so depressing. At one point, we drove to see my sister on the other side of the state just to see some green. Thankfully, we've come a long way from there!
DeleteI think your front "yard" and driveway look great! Hooray for Mother Nature and recovery. Hmmm, I haven't heard of Grimaldi's book, but will add it to my library list. I have Ann Leary's book on audio, but haven't started. I wonder if I'd enjoy it more in print since it's essays. Hmmm. I can not wait to get my hands on How the Light Gets In. I wonder if I'll want to reread Count the Ways first, though. Sounds like you're doing a lot of "adulting" with all the house stuff and a dental appointment. Ugh. I spent a big chunk of my morning getting my new phone (Pixel 9 Pro) up and running. I only felt like throwing it across the room once. ;) Looking at all the photos now of your vegetation improvements and I have to say things are looking so much better than they did in 2023. What a relief, right?!
ReplyDeleteLes - I tend to like listening to essays, especially if you can put a little space between them to reflect for a few minutes. I borrowed both the ebook and audio from the library and, once I got used to the author's tone, haven't really needed the print.
DeleteI thought about rereading Count the Ways, but Maynard has done a good job of refreshing my memory. This is only the second book I've read of hers, but I have The Bird Hotel on my list for later this year.
Good job with your new phone! That will be one of my tasks this winter or spring, too. I'm overdue for an upgrade... the girls laugh at my 'home' button!
Thanks for letting me know that I don't need to re-read Count the Ways. Enjoy The Bird Hotel. It's really very good, too! Yeah, my phone was 5 years old, so I'm very happy with the upgrade, if for nothing more than a much better battery life!
DeleteLes - I remember you rating The Bird Hotel highly. Glad I have it on my kindle!
DeleteIt’s amazing how quickly nature can heal!
ReplyDeleteI ran across Florida Oranges A Colorful History By: Erin Thursby on my hunt for nonfiction. I’m not sure if it’s exactly what you’re looking for but it might worth checking out.
Wishing you a happy reading week
Shelleyrae - Thanks for the suggestion! That sounds more like what I'm looking for...adding it to my list.
DeleteLove the before and after photos. It's a work in progress but very cool how you can change it ut to look completely different. Oh no, about the crown! They are expensive and that can be a painful thing to deal with. Hope that is resolved quickly.
ReplyDeleteThe library does not have the Grimaldi book and I check on Thriftbooks as well. That's on my 2025 list...eventually. Have not read Joyce Maynard, yet.
My Goodreads list is filling with so much nonfiction for this year! As I will be in quite a bit I ought to get loads of reading in. Have a great week and I hope your repairs are completed soon.
Tina - Good news, I was able to get into the dentist this morning and the crown has been glued back in. What a relief!
DeleteDoes your library offer hoopla? It's an expensive service and one of mine stopped providing it, but A Good Life is available both as an ebook and audiobook there. This is my second book by Maynard and I really like her writing. Hoping to read The Bird Hotel later this year, too.
I'm planning to start Testament of Youth after I finish the essay collection... hopefully by the end of the week. I'll keep you posted.
I'm glad the crown issue was resolved quickly! Our library has this info sheet about services such as Libby, NY Times, and I have seen Hoopla. Will ask them about it when I go in this week. I'd rather borrow that purchase but if Hoopla is an option for loads of books, I may do that. Wish I could access the streaming features but...alas.
DeleteSounds good on Testament of Youth! Let meknow the day you will start and I'm in. Right now reading The Thorn Birds with Deb Nance :-)
Tina - Your library may even have a tech person that would walk you through adding it to your phone, ipad, etc. They're so good with tech support! Hope it works out.
DeleteI haven't read much so far this week, but I would still like to finish up the essays over the weekend so I can start Testament of Youth. I've been thinking about you and hoping the snow hasn't made things too difficult. It's been unusually cold here, too... they're saying Saturday morning will be the coldest!
I've had similar experiences reading John McPhee -- beautiful and boring.
ReplyDeleteYou're making great progress with the landscape!
Joy - Yes, that's a perfect description of McPhee... beautiful and boring! This was my first experience reading him and I'm not sure if there will be another. Is there another of his books you would recommend?
DeleteI love, love, love that you took inspiration from Ian's handiwork to create your new, beautiful landscape design! Talk about turning lemons into lemonade! I prefer the new look to the pre-Ian look! You get a clear view of those lovely palms.
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Jinjer! I really love the new look, but am not quite done yet!
DeleteI love the idea of turnarounds. We don't have enough space for anything like that at our house, but they seem so practical. I am glad you are having one put in. I am so glad you are enjoying Ann Leary's book. I look forward to reading it, hopefully this year. I've enjoyed the two books I've read by her. Joyce Maynard is such a good author, isn't she? I am glad you are enjoying your current book by her.
ReplyDeleteIt's been dry and sunny here. The wind has picked up again and with it the fire warning was raised to critical. I have a feeling this will be the norm more often than not from here on out.
I hope you have a great week, JoAnn!
Wendy - Our drive was pretty hard to navigate before Ian and I'm loving the new space to turn around. I've enjoyed Ann Leary's novels, especially The Good House on audio, and really like her essays, too. This is only my second Maynard novel, but she is a gem... really love her writing. We've been seeing your wind forecasts here, too, and can only imagine how worrying that is. These "new normals" are pretty scary. Hope your week is off to a great start.
DeleteUgh, good luck with the dentist. I wish I could read there, I'd be a lot calmer, hahaha.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicky. No reading at the dentist for me either!
DeleteIt looks like your yard is making a nice comeback and I like your new design. Thanks for dropping by my blog and giving me a lift after a weepy week!
ReplyDeleteAnne - Judging from the way this week is going, I think we're all going to need to continue lifting each other up!
DeleteWow. The new landscaping looks so nice and clean. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI love Maynard. I didn't enjoy How the Light Gets In as much as Count the Ways bit it was still quite good.
Thanks, Ti. Maynard is great, not sure why its taken so long for me to read her. Have you tried any of her memoirs?
DeleteYour photos tell a compelling story about life in hurricane alley--the work you have put into restoring your area is impressive.
ReplyDeleteI love the title and cover of How the Light Gets In. Now I'm curious.
JaneGS - I finished How the Light Gets in today. It wasn't quite as good as Count the Ways, but I was happy to spend more time with those characters. I'm planning to read another Maynard novel, The Bird Hotel, later this year.
Delete