Our Babies in Retirement

Beau - one week after surgery

We do a lot of "babying" around here.  First and foremost there is Beau.

Guess what I had in my other hand when I snapped this shot?  See how pretty and white his clean teeth are?

It is impossible to resist those big brown eyes....so he got it...that cheese wrapped antibiotic he was eyeing.

And then the tomatoes Butch swore he was not going to fool with this year...he started with a couple of plants he picked up at Home Depot -- they are ripening and we are eating them now.  But those pictures above are the ones we are really waiting to try.  His first successful attempt at growing Heirloom Cherokee Purple tomatoes.  A gift from our friend, Nancy, in Jacksonville.  Look, Nancy!  They are beautiful!

This is the Cherokee Purple closest to the door from the lanai.  He has actually had to add a second tomato cage to keep it from breaking.  This plant is HUGE -- due to Butch's daily "babying" and the aptly named Miracle Gro tomato food and plant soil. We are hoping the weather does not get too hot for them.

I wish we had "smell-a-vision" capabilities here.  We continue to baby the Plumeria trees.  Remember the "sticks" I showed you a couple of weeks ago?  The ones Butch just stuck in a pot last December?  That's them.  It is very rare for a Plumeria to bloom the first year of planting, but here they are.

In all their glory --with many buds still getting ready to unfurl.  I couldn't believe my eyes.

And the big trees around the perimeter of the lanai.  It is just heaven when southwest breezes ruffle through these trees on the way to us as we sit outside under the paddle fan.

I hate to see them drop their blooms.  And when I see one like this, I pick it up and bring it inside to float in a crystal bowl.

I probably should have saved this one for a Monday Macro post, but I just couldn't leave it out.  I do believe I will end up using this one for a painting.  I just love it.

And one on another flower bract.

And another.  I am loving this Spring so much.

These are about 12 feet high -- still reaching for the sky.  I had to use my telephoto lens to  take it.

I found it impossible to choose which pics to post, so I'm afraid that I just have to subject you guys to ALL of them.  Ha.

Okay.  That's it for those babies.

And, I am still "babying" my Christmas poinsettia.  Remember how red it was when I posted pictures a couple of weeks ago?  Well, not so red anymore.  The green is coming back.

And still no dropped leaves.  I have no idea why this is doing so well. None whatsoever.

While I was busy with the camera for all of the above, the Beau Monster was busy, too.  I should have just put the camera on video.  Despite having many little lizards inside the lanai, Beau fixated on a little one outside the screen. The slight blur of his tail is an indication of the whirligig that feathery plume becomes when he sees his favorite playthings --or chases a squirrel.

He seems to be saying, "Hey, I could use some help here!"

"See it? Do you see it.  Help me out here!"

"Beau, he's just a baby --  too little for you to play with."

"Maybe if I stare at him long enough, he'll get bigger."

So there are the babies. And people wonder what they will do in retirement.  I'll tell you what.  They'll take time to love a pet with more attention than they were able to give them when they were working and raising a family.  They'll not only stop to smell the flowers -- they'll spend time raising them.  And they'll take time to appreciate every minute of every day that we are allotted in this earthly lifetime of ours.