Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 -- Mattie died 232 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. Mattie was home between treatments and though it was challenging, we tried to encourage him to use his walker at home. In so many ways Mattie was thoroughly incredible. Despite the pain he lived with, pain which would have sent most of us to bed or cowering in a corner, Mattie found a way to be up and about and to engage with the world. For the most part we carried Mattie around our home, from one place to another. Which was a feat because he was fragile, had constant pain, and ultimately really wanted to be independent. But when he did have the energy, he gave it his best effort to try to relearn to walk. I snapped this photo one day which I think illustrates his spirit.  

Quote of the day: If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. ~ Latin Proverb

Last evening while Peter was outside on the balcony and I was writing the blog, Peter had a dolphin sighting. Literally right by the dock of our hotel. Peter instantly called me and I jumped up and got to see this beautiful sight! Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

Today was another glorious weather day! In the upper 70s and with NO wind. It was delightful. This was our sight over breakfast. We sat on the deck of our hotel's restaurant and I admired the beautiful flower on their traveler's palm. The flower itself looks like a bird of paradise, in other words it looks like the profile of a bird!

Literally right next to me was our breakfast table. This is breakfast by the dock! I will have to remember this beautiful sight as we head back to the grayness of DC tomorrow. It is hard to imagine that some people live in sun year round and others of us suffer in the cold and gray depressing winter.

Peter and I drove for an hour today to Sarasota. We visited Sarasota many years ago, during our pre-Mattie days. Because we are determined to spend as much time outside as possible in this beautiful weather, we decided to visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. A first for us! 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was officially opened to the public on July 7, 1975. Marie Selby's final wish was fulfilled, and the Selby legacy was in full bloom. Since the Gardens opened, the property has expanded from seven acres to nearly 13 acres. The elegant Mansion in this photo was purchased in 1973 and now houses the Gardens' Museum. The Gardens maintains a plant collection numbering more than 20,000 accessioned plants. Eight greenhouses include the stunning Conservatory where unusual flora can be seen year round. The Botany Department provides headquarters for the Bromeliad, Gesneriad, and Orchid Research Centers, and the Selby Gardens' Herbarium and Molecular Laboratory. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a respected center for research and education, as well as a famous showplace, delights more than 180,000 visitors 
each year.

As we entered the gardens we were greeted by this plant called the Flaming Vine. It lived up to its name! To me it screamed out..... MATTIE MIRACLE!

This is a photo of me inside the Gardens' huge hot house. This Garden contains one of the largest orchid collections in the world. Specifically the Garden houses: 5,500 orchids, 3,500 bromeliads and 1,600 other tropical plants. I learned today what an epiphyte was!!!

Epiphytes are plants that live on other plants but are traditionally classified as non-parasitic. The most common epiphyte seen in Florida is Spanish Moss—not a true moss, but a member of the bromeliad family. Often called “air plants,” epiphytes attach to their host plants for support and as a means to reach more sunlight. Epiphytes, most abundant and diverse in tropical rain forests and cloud forests, can also be found in forests around the world. Epiphytes account for 10% of all plant species and are found in many plant groups such as the aroids, begonias, bromeliads, heaths, nightshades, orchids, ferns, and true mosses. Since they have no roots in the ground, epiphytes use special adaptations to obtain and store water and nutrients. 

Though Peter captured MANY photos within the hot house, I will share eight extraordinary examples of epiphytes with you! Check out this orchid.

This may not look like an orchid, but it is. Keep in mind these orchids are NOT growing in dirt. They are literally hanging from walls, off of other plants, and thriving.

Another stunning orchid!

I have never seen such a patterned orchid before.

This is your more common looking orchid, and yet there is nothing common about it. This hot house stopped people in their tracks. People were simply enamored by what they were seeing. 

Here you can see this orchid hanging in mid-air and also Spanish Moss growing into it.

To me, orchids have faces! What do you think?

This plant, also an epiphyte gets me every time. It needs a protein source to grow, and literally it achieves this source by capturing bugs, rats, and birds (YES!!!) inside its pitcher. As soon as something lands inside the plant, enzymes kill it and the plant begins devouring its prey for nutrients.

How do you like this fern? One of the largest I have seen! I am standing under it to give it scale. 

I love bougainvillea, but I have never seen a bonsai version. The brilliant color is captivating regardless of its size.

In addition to the hot house, there were expansive gardens all about. Gardens of cactus, a fragrant garden, mangroves, and a garden filled with flowering plants and trees. Not to mention a banyan tree in the middle of the property which is hundreds of years old. 

This particular garden caught our attention. Maybe it was the beautiful and melodious fountain within it! Nonetheless, if Mattie were with us, he would have been instantly attracted to this rain forest.

Within the rain forest garden, was a pond filled with koi. A sight which would have definitely intrigued Mattie. In fact, if Mattie were in tow, we would have bought koi food to feed the fish. Peter and I rarely go on vacations alone, but when we do, we reflect on our side kick who is missing. With Mattie, we experienced and saw things in a different way.

The Gardens have thought of everything. There is an extensive children's play area, filled with trees and things to climb on. I had Peter snap a photo of this so you could see what I meant. For us now we only look things like this from the outside in, rather than if Mattie were with us.... inside out. 

This is a red silk floss tree. Not a leaf on it yet the flowers are enormous. Like the size of a big rose. The birds LOVE this tree. There is practically a bird for every blossom. 

This is a Gumbo Limbo tree, which is considered in jest to be the unofficial tree of Florida. Why? Because the brownish red bark tends to peel, not unlike a tourist who gets a sunburn!!!

Within the fragrant garden was one of my favorite bushes. It was named.... the Vick's vapor rub tree! A tree I absolutely love, especially when sick! 

The Gardens are filled with lizards, of all shapes and sizes. Some of them walk right out in front of you, it is amazing there aren't smooshed lizards everywhere.

This glorious flower belongs to a banana
tree. If you look closely you will see a bunch of bananas growing on top of the flower.

No visit would be complete without a monarch butterfly sighting. Butterflies were flying all around us, however, only at the end of our visit did one actually stop moving and pose for a photo. A Mattie sign indeed.

After our tour of the Gardens, we drove into Lido Key, which is part of Sarasota. This key is filled with shops, cafes, gardens, and people. We had a lovely lunch at Cafe Europa, sat outside, and watched the people go by. 

It is hard to believe that our week in Florida has gone by already. Since most of it was spent working, this isn't surprising. We need many more days here to recuperate, but I am happy we had these three. I am still not 100% from the flu. I am not as symptomatic, but definitely not well either. The doctor told me that I could feel debilitated for a month and so far her trajectory is right on target.