Plants And People. Beaches And Boats. Fishes And A Pretty Fine Day

When I was out with Lily and Lauren for lunch last Wednesday, I said, "Y'all- I gotta get a picture."
Lauren said, "For the blog?"
"Yes!" I said. "I need to post some pictures that aren't..."
"Of a plant?" she asked. 
"YES!" 
Not that there's anything wrong with plant pictures but let's face it. In the grand scheme of things, pictures of humans are generally the most interesting, pictures of animals, including pets come after that, and then we have...plants. 
So there's yet one more picture of the Seminole pumpkin ripening on the fence with a bloom on the same vine which is making another pumpkin. I really thought they were all done. At the moment I have six pumpkins that will be ready to pick soon. I think this will be all the pumpkins I need to satisfy all of our pumpkin needs. 

I have more plant pictures. Here's one of a flower you get to see at least twice a year because they bloom twice a year. and I always consider that blog-worthy.

One of my very favorite tiny buds in the world. Not only are they minuscule which makes them adorable, they also have one of the most delicious scents in the entire world and I always smell them before I see them. I've been smelling them on the back porch for a day or two but it took me this long to figure it out. 

The tea olive. And yes, my thumb is indeed the thumb of a person who digs in the dirt without gloves on. I try, y'all but I'm sure I could try harder. Honestly, I feel like my hands are clean enough for cooking and so forth and there's only so much scrubbing I care to do. Now that I'm looking at that picture, my fingers look alarmingly like something that may or may not belong on a human hand. 
Oh well. 

We got rain most of the night, I think, and have gotten more on and off all day. The weather widget says we have 100% chance of getting more tomorrow and Tuesday and then although the odds are lower, even more the rest of the week. The temperatures have come down a little bit but the humidity is 89% so it ain't exactly fall-like. I've checked the forecast for St. George for next weekend's gathering and unless things change dramatically, we'll be getting a lot of rain there too. This will seem odd as I can't recall it ever raining while we were there before. We've had incredibly beautiful blue skies and cooler temps but I believe we've always gone a little later in the year. Terry and I are always the only ones who jump into the Gulf and she handles it far better than I do, as she lives in Denver where cold is really cold. 
I'm always so glad I did do a plunge though and often come out saying, "That was magnificent!" And it always is. 

In fact, I have a picture of Terry standing on the beach, looking at the water from last year. 

And for the hell of it and to post another picture of the human variety, here's this one, also from last year. 

Do you remember this? 
We are older, we are battle scarred, we are beautiful. 

Okay. What was I talking about? 
No idea. 
Pictures. I think pictures shall be the theme here this evening. Don't worry. I don't have many more. 

So it's been a good and laid back day. I actually worked on the jigsaw puzzle I've had in progress in the dining room for what seems like an eternity while I listened to an audio book, of course. Mr. Moon got up early and went dove hunting which was exactly what he needed to do. I did not ask for a report on the poor doves. Sometimes I just do not need to know. But it was such a good break from the routine he's been keeping lately due to ICU fatigue, worry, stress, and all that other stuff which is not really conducive to an enjoyable life. I made us a nice breakfast when he got back and we've had a very nice cuddle and we've had some very sweet chats and life, at this moment, seems ridiculously good. 

And now I'm going to go cook some of the beautiful hog-snapper filets his dove-hunting buddy gave him. 
Did you have any idea how many types of snapper fish there are? Hog snappers are the kind of fish we have eaten with such appreciation and enjoyment in Cozumel on the "other side" of the island which is still very much in a natural state with only a few beach bars and restaurants. 
Another picture!

Don't you even tell me that you could not possibly eat a fish that looked like that. 
I can and I did and I would love to eat far more of it than I have and even as a woman from Florida who has been fortunate enough to eat some of the most amazing seafood available in the world, I can say that hog snapper was probably the most delicious fish I ever ate in my life. 
I hope to do these filets justice and honor. 

Ooh. I just realized I have some pickled red onions that Jessie made and brought to the Taco Bar Birthday Bash. Also- avocados. But let's face it. There is nothing in the world I could do with this fish to equal how a hog snapper tastes at Chen Rio in Cozumel.

From those boats to that table. 

Oh. Sigh. 

Love...Ms. Moon