Nature shots

A few days ago, Lily came walking up with one of these. We knew that cashews grew around here but we had not yet seen one. The nut, actually a seed, grows at the bottom of a fleshy fruit called a cashew apple. The meat pulp is used to make a sweet drink. However, you have to know what to do when handling and processing the meat pulp and nut because the cashew shells have a toxin which can cause a reaction similar to poison ivy exposure. Lily was carrying it carefully by the flesh so she had no reaction.

Ripe cashew hanging in a cashew tree

The grass under the cashew tree is speckled with fallen fruit.

There is also an avocado tree right by the pool. The earlier avocados were all shriveling and falling off before maturing. However, the current ones look healthier so maybe they like the recent rain we have been getting. We are keeping our eye on them. It would be a shame for them to go unappreciated. I think Will has his eye on them too and he gets out and about everyday before us. But we are taller.

A young avocado growing slowly on the tree.

As I was taking pictures, Will and Lily started yelling for me to hurry quick with the camera to where they were. Their fingers were pointing urgently up a papaya tree. A bird! A fancy bird! By the time I got there, it was gone but… No! There it is!!! This little toucan-looking sweetie was eating blooms off the papaya tree. She flew away after a couple of pics but she really didn’t seem very afraid. Maybe she will be back.

Tropical bird in the papaya tree.

Here is a shot of her pretty yellow breast.

The kids spend hours everyday collecting blooms in coconut shells and fighting off pretend tigers. Molly likes the collecting and Will likes the fighting and Lily plays well with both. Everyday, they leave the playground equipment strewn with sticks, leaves and spent blossoms.

Lily and Molly playing in the prop roots of a large palm.

Lily has dinner plans with Yollata tonight. Randall and I are going to sneak up river for an early anniversary dinner while she is away. It is veintiseis (26) for us! 1 Wedding. 2 Kids. 3 Houses 4 Sailboats. 5 Foreign countries visited by boat. 6 States visited by boat. And almost 20 years in business together. And, well, I really must say, a lot of crazy days in between.