Norikami Japanese Garden

Nikki and I were very moved (horrified) by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated so much of the north coast of Japan in March. To honor the thousands who were injured and killed we are planning to build a small Japanese garden in the stone wall enclosed area in front of our house. After reading (well, looking at the pictures) several books on Japanese gardens from the library we learned about the Norikami gardens in Delray Beach. So off we went on a search for ideas!

This garden at the entrance is very much what we have in mind -- we're off to a great start with our tour.


I took this pic because of the fence, but notice the lantern in the background.

Got lucky with this pic of a Great Blue Heron. Note again the lantern in the background.

A peaceful, small pool with a lantern

This is a deer scare. When the large bamboo tube is filled with water it tips forward, empties, and falls back with a loud CLANK on the brick.

This is part of a very large dry garden which simulates water around islands of rock.

Another dry garden with bushes simulating hills and mountains.


Nikki taking a break.
An interesting gateway.


Bonsai exhibit at the entrance to the museum.
A really big lantern but all in scale.

Very peaceful.

Interior courtyard of the museum. Another inspiration for our small garden.

Too many Big Macs????

Garden in front of the welcome center.

Our visit to Norikami was just a wonderful time. Come with us next time!

More Cool Cars

When Jeff was visiting us in March we toured the antique and classic car show "under the oaks" with our pal Richard Beeman. There were lots of really old cars,

even one that came with its own repair kit. That's a pretty good hint about what driving in the early days was really like!


Some had exterior luggage capacity behing the rumble seat.

Others offered at least some protection from the elements.

Not this one -- an early motor bike.


Remember this one?

Richard is scratching his head about something -- maybe how to get it home? Curiously, only the trunk lid could be opened, so everything stowed there had to be lifted up over the back of the car.

Can you believe how long this car is?

A real Back to the Future DeLorean. There were three of them on display. Unfortunately Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd were not there.



Lunch at Citrus Grill with Nikki and Trish capped off our boys morning out!

Boat Tour with Capt. Christy

While Chris and Gary were visiting us we took a late afternoon narrated tour of the Indian River lagoon with Capt. Christy. Christy has been doing this for years and is a great guide.


We started at the Sebastian Marina and went across the lagoon to Pelican Island, the first National Wildlife Refuge. There were some White Pelicans...

and trees filling with Wood Storks settling in for the night (there are also some Roseate Spoonbills hiding in those trees).

Keeping a sharp eye for new sightings on our way to the Sebastian Inlet which connects the lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean.

Capt. Christy tells us where to look.

White and Brown Pelicans -- note how much bigger the Whites are.

We came across several pods of bottlenose dolphins. Many are so familiar to Capt. Christy that she can identify individuals by the names she has given them.

More White Pelicans and a beautiful Great Blue Heron.

It was a great adventure on the centerpiece of Vero Beach -- the Indian River lagoon!

2600 Miles

My biking exercise program continues to go well and I greatly enjoy it. My goal is to complete the ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC this summer. This will need to be done in several segments with Nikki playing the key role of dropper-offer and picker-upper. Biking companions are always welcome!

Val's Gardenia Tree

Our friend and neighbor around the corner, Val, has a gardenia tree in her front yard. It is magnificent to look at and a delight to smell. In fact, its fragrance can be enjoyed at least 20 feet away. Nikki noted that where we come from gardenias are found in pots and usually dying! We think we will add a gardenia tree to our landscaping plan.

Dr. Suess in Vero Beach

The Dr. Suess exhibit has been at the McKee Botanical Gardens for several weeks and Nikki and I went on Friday to check it out. This is the welcoming garden and pond at the entrance.

Here is the Cat in the Hat...

Yertle the Turtle...


And the Grinch himself!

The gardens are beautiful, well maintained, and a great place for a stroll. But we were getting hungry.

Nikki couldn't believe how her BLT was presented

and how far away the rest rooms were!


Good advice from Dr. Suess.

Cool Cars

There were some cool cars in the parking lot next door the other day. The white Corvette and the '57 Chevy were show stoppers; the Benz, the Mini-Cooper convertible, and the T-Bird were pretty neat as well. Car envy?? Or mere appreciation??