Nothing Gold Can Stay....

Nothing Gold Can Stay

  Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour,

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

There are many Witch Hazels in the garden; blooming late in the fall & early in spring.

These are spring blooming hybrids of Chinese and Japanese species:  Hamamelis x intermedia taken at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia.  They show along the way how March can veer wildly from winter to spring - and back.

Winter Light and Color in March

Winter colors:  white, grey, blue, black, a little green.

Spring Color and Work in March

Red maples and red robin against blue sky.

Florida Skies I: Sunrise, Sunset

 Naples Beach, above, at sunrise.  


Below, looking toward the Gulf through native trees at Crane Point Wildlife Sanctuary in Marathon, the Keys.

 Above, sunrise at Marathon.




To the right, one of many "Tiki Bars," this one in Islamorada, the Keys, at sunset.

Sunrise from a causeway in the Keys, looking northwest toward the Gulf.








Below, sunset at Key West.

What follows are chapters showing images from a bike trip, February 2013:
Start was in Ft Lauderdale, biked through Miami and down the Keys to Key West.
Ferry to the area of Naples on the west coast.
Then biked north past Corkscrew Swamp to Clewiston on Lake Okeechobee and east to Palm Beach.  Then one day south back to Ft. Lauderdale.
Total mileage:  440 miles.  Days of cycling:  8.
Source of information and cycling route maps:  Adventure Cycling. 
Link:  http://www.adventurecycling.org

Southern Florida Skies II: From the Bike

Early morning fog on the levee of Lake Okeechobee, left.  From the bike path that runs on the top of the levee near Clewiston.

Thunderstorms approaching Boca Raton, to the right.  Taken from Route A1A.

 Sparkling sun reflecting off the water, midday Key West.  Taken from the sidewalk along the road next to the water.  

 Above, image looking east across the Intracoastal Waterway from a causeway near Fort Lauderdale.


To the left, one of the 180 bridges that string together the Keys.


Below, looking north toward Boca Raton from the drawbridge that links A1A along the barrier island beaches with the mainland.

On the Road in Florida

 There is a bike route all the way to Key West, although largely on existing roads.  Alan is barely visible in the photo above, cycling on the highway shoulder.

Alan below has to carbo load.  The ride was rough.

 There are 180 causeway bridges between the tip of Florida and Key West.  Some have separate bridges for pedestrians, bikers - and fishermen.  Alan is getting ahead of me in the picture to the right - again.

Alan rests in the shade of native trees at Crane Point Nature Refuge in Marathon.

Bike Trip Starts: Miami Beach Area

 Alan looking up at roadsigns in Miami.  We followed A1A along the coast.

Alan in photo to left, bikes out of the Einstein Bagels in a mall in Miami Beach.

Miami Beach skyscrapers below.

 South Beach Art Deco Downtown.

Hollywood Beach Walk.

People on the Road to Key West

Sashy at Florida City Hostel, above.  Dutch biking couple below.  They have biked the entire US eastern coast.

Muffin man at the South Beach Art Deco District Farmers Market above.

Dion with touring Bike Friday at Key West hostel below.

More conventional tourists (or locals?) at Wendy's in Marathon.

Key West I

Funny thing, there are feral chickens everywhere in Key West.

Preparing for sunset on the wharf:  lots of Margueritas.

Fried Cuban food:  conch fritters.

Key West II

 Gathering to watch the sun set is a ritual in Key West.

The red marker shows this is the southernmost point in the United States.

There is a circus like atmosphere, with vendors, performers, jugglers, and lots of drinks.

Picture to the right:  drinking, talking on a cellphone and watching the sun set all at the same time, as well as checking out the scene on the wharf.