Lovebug Season

The other day at the grocery store I saw one melon for five dollars, I was shocked at that price. Thankfully we have a produce stand nearby where fruits and vegetables are more affordable. That and the local fish market enables us to eat well to try and stay healthy. I worry about families with children wondering how many of them can afford healthy foods which continues to increase in price it seems almost daily. So many other prices continue to rise, like fuel which has increased more than two dollars a gallon in four years.

After living here for more than two years, time does fly, we were happy to afford a small landscape project to usher in the Fall season. Since we're in Florida we thought a tropical plant would be just the atmosphere we needed to enhance our entry. We had a scrawny shrub in this location but in partial shade it languished. Gary and I worked together to install this patch of beauty and are grateful for this small beautification project.
Today we removed the shrub and put in this heliconia, or false bird of paradise, surrounded by bark mulch and some spider plants and a lone orange geranium. I should have taken a before photo but sadly I neglected that small detail. What a difference a small change makes at our home's entry. A spot of color adds so much to enhance our good feelings as we enter and exit our home.

If you look closely at the flower above on the left hand side you'll see two paired lovebugs resting on the flower. It's lovebug season here in Florida; not The Love Bug either. There are two lovebug seasons here, one in Spring and one in Fall, which isn't so lucky. Lovebugs are flying and floating everywhere in the air. If we walk outside they fly into our face and hair. If we drive they cover the front of our car. If they aren't removed immediately, they can take the paint right off. A light spray of cooking oil or a coat of wax before driving helps tremendously in that regard. Thanks for reading and for all your comments