Flora and fauna

Son Steve has become a good bird photographer. So I tag along and try to learn. I'm a poor birder and have little patience, so I like the Florida birds that are large and hold still, or move slowly.

Pelicans, for example.

Then there's my good friend the willet. He's easy to identify and is used to humans.

I was pretty pleased with one good shot on an otherwise failed expedition to Steve's local Audubon site.

But flowers, now, are an entirely different matter, and we have a fine family tradition of taking more photos of flowers than of each other. An afternoon at Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Sarasota was a revelation: they are one of the world's leading research facilities for epiphytes. So now I know what those funny things that my orchid always grew instead of new flowers: air roots!

The place is a wonderland of exotic plants, from banyans to bromeliads to hibiscus. Highly recommended if you're in the area!