Mimosa

I almost waited too late to get a picture of some of the mimosa blooms which can be seen all over town this time of year. As you can see, some of them have already started to wilt. I passed this tree while on a walk in my neighborhood.

Painted rocks

My grandson and I found these painted rocks at the park near my house. They were painted and hidden by members of a local group called Tallahassee Rocks which is similar to The Kindness Rocks Project. Basically it is a fun activity which involves painting and decorating your rocks, hiding them and then looking for rocks that have been hidden by others. People post pictures of the rocks they are hiding or rocks they have found on the Facebook page and then rehide the rocks for someone else to find. They can be decorated any way you want and some are fancy or contain inspirational messages on them. My grandson gets really excited whenever he finds a new rock. We haven't painted any of our own yet, but we might get started soon. Apparently these groups are springing up in cities all over the place, so there could be one where you live.

Linking to Our World Tuesday.

White Squirrel

For several years, there has been a colony of white squirrels living in my neighborhood and they are always fun to watch. They are hard to photograph though because they move so quickly. Yesterday I saw one scamper down a utility pole and make a meal out of a mushroom growing nearby and it stayed still long enough for me to get some good shots. Its eyes are not red and it has a bit of gray on its head and down its back, so it is not an albino, but a variation of the common gray squirrel.

Linking to Saturday's Critters and Camera Critters.

Magnolia blossom

The magnolia trees are really putting on a show this year with blooms all over town. This one is on a smaller tree and I was able to get a nice closeup.

Linking to Floral Friday Fotos.

Improvements

There is a construction fence around the Capitol while they are working on improvements. I wish the improvements could be more than cosmetic though, as in clearing out some of the politicians inside.

Linking to Fences Around the World.

No dumping

These little signs are posted near all of the storm drains downtown.

Linking to signs, signs.

Ducklings

Don't worry, their mama wasn't too far away.

Linking to Our World Tuesday.

Roots

I think the tree will eventually win the battle with this downtown sidewalk.

Looking for dinner

This Little Blue Heron was stalking some dinner by a pond near my house. In the second photo, you can see it giving me a look like it didn't want me taking its picture, but then went right back to what it was doing. I had originally gone there because I heard there was an alligator hanging around the pond, but later found out that someone who lived in one of the houses that backs up to the pond had called the Nuisance Alligator Hotline and an alligator trapper contracted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had already removed it. There is a swampy area close to this pond, so it's probably only a matter of time before another alligator shows up.

Linking to Saturday's Critters, Camera Critters, and The Bird D'Pot.

Drifting cloud

A cloud drifting by the 22 story new Capitol downtown. It's not really that new (built in the 1970's), but Florida's historic old Capitol (which I showed here last week) sits right in front of it, so most locals just refer to the two buildings as the "old" Capitol and "new" Capitol. I think the old one is much more interesting, but the Observation Deck on the top floor of new one does have some nice views.

Linking to SkyWatch Friday.

Cozy Park Bench

I noticed this little bench under a tree in one of the parks downtown. Maybe the size is a deterrent to keep people from sleeping there.

Welcome

The Florida Legislature ended its annual session last week, but these signs were still up downtown near the Capitol.

Linking to signs, signs.

Cannon

I could not find any information about this old cannon I saw downtown. I walked all the way around it and there was no sign or plaque to explain what it was there for. I did notice that it is sort of pointed towards City Hall though.

Linking to Our World Tuesday.

Flags

United States and State of Florida flags hanging over the walkway next to the Florida Retail Federation offices across from the state capitol complex downtown.

Stuffed beak

My grandson and I were in a store parking lot and we threw some bread out the window for some of the birds that were hanging around. I took the first picture through my car windshield with my phone. That bird was so funny looking at us with his beak full of bread! The other two birds were waiting patiently next to my car for their turn. I think these are common grackles, but hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Linking to Saturday's Critters, Camera Critters, and The Bird D'Pot.

Capitol Dome

The dome of Florida's historic Old Capitol downtown.

Linking to SkyWatch Friday.

Boardwalk

Here is a picture of the boardwalk I was standing on the end of when I took the three previous pictures I posted this week. This boardwalk is only a couple of months old and there are also new picnic tables, outdoor grills and restroom facilities nearby. On the other side is the floating dock used for fishing and a ramp for launching boats into Lake Jackson.

Linking to Fences Around the World.

Paddling Trail

A sign marking one of the access points of the Lake Jackson Blueway, which is one of Florida's Designated Paddling Trails (the link provides information about all of the paddling trails in the state). I had to zoom way out on the lake to get the second photo of someone enjoying the trail. You can visit this link to find out more information about this particular paddling trail, including maps, a description and access point locations.

Linking to signs, signs.

Water Lilies

I pointed my camera down after I took yesterday's picture so I could get a good shot of the water lilies blooming in Lake Jackson. I was standing on a boardwalk that extends over the edge of the lake.

Linking to Our World Tuesday.

Gone fishin'

I took this picture at one of the boat ramps on Lake Jackson this past weekend. The weather was gorgeous!

Aren't I great?

Closeup portrait of a Great Egret looking for a meal near the edge of Lake Ella.

Linking to Saturday's Critters, Camera Critters, and The Bird D'Pot.

Show off

This hibiscus was putting on a show in my daughter's yard so I had to get a picture.

Linking to Floral Friday Fotos.

The real Florida

Forget the theme parks, this is what the real Florida looks like (at least to me) and I'm thankful for it. I took this picture while on a boat cruising down the Wakulla River, just south of town. The river is fed by one of the largest and deepest fresh water springs in the world, Wakulla Springs.

This is my first time linking to Thankful Thursday.

"Old Guys Rule"

This car was ahead of me in traffic. It was hard not to notice, so I had to take a picture! In case you're wondering about the title of my post, I kind of liked what it says on the bottom of his license plate frame.

Linking to signs, signs.

Lichen

I think this is a harmless lichen growing on the bark of this tree. I thought it made an interesting pattern.

Linking to Our World Tuesday.

May Theme Day: "Let's eat!"

When you live in Florida, especially on the Gulf coast, you just have to love seafood. I really like shrimp and here are two truly Southern ways they are often served. The first picture shows grilled gulf shrimp in red eye gravy served over smoked cheese grits. The second shot, and probably my all-time favorite, shows fried gulf shrimp served with hushpuppies and French fries. The grilled carrots and brussel sprouts are optional, but I like to add something healthy so I feel better about eating all that fried food!

The first day of the month is Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community and this month's theme is "Let's eat!" To see what other CDP participants are featuring for the theme, visit the Theme Day Gallery here.