11/13/10 (Saturday):  We're settling in at our winter home in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.  We have a really beautiful site this winter.  In fact, we like it so much that we've reserved it until September 2012 (which is as far ahead as we could schedule it).  The sites on our end of the campground are heavily wooded, with palms and live oaks draped with Spanish moss.  The undergrowth is mostly palmetto with a healthy dose of wild coffee.  The park has planted hibiscus, turk's cap and some annuals.  This twisted beauty is a live oak growing around a palm tree.  They're both alive!  It's very "old Florida" looking.

Wiley has planted a vegetable garden (in containers) and has started a new orchid collection.  They look so pretty hanging in the trees.  Today we bought some pansies to put in the one little unshaded spot in front of the RV.

We put in hummingbird and bird feeders right outside our picture window.  This lady squirrel has gotten around every barrier we've tried so far to feast on our seeds.  We've decided to live and let live (who can resist that intelligent little face?).

Wiley's got a birthday coming up in a few days.  Since we won't be traveling in the big RV, I decided to get him a fireplace for his birthday.  The weather turned cool just in time to enjoy our first fire of the season.  (We've started his birthday celebration early!)

And speaking of cool weather--look at Lily, the Florida cat!  She's been doing a lot of cuddling up lately!

Quite a few of our friends from last winter have returned to the campground.  Wiley has enjoyed fishing just about every day with his friend, Dave, and I walk most mornings with a group of friends.  Yesterday, my friends Lucie, Julie and Louise came over for the day. Lucie is from Longwood (about an hour away) and Julie and Louise are from Ocala (about 2 hours away). We went to Canaveral National Seashore, where they were having a "plein art" festival.  The artists set up by the river or ocean and paint while you watch.  We had a lovely day together--the weather was great.

We saw this armadillo on the way out.  I don't think I've ever been to Canaveral Seashore that I didn't see some wildlife.

The waves were very big by Florida standards and colors were so dramatic. 

Can't think of a good segueway, but this cabbage at Home Depot's garden shop caught my eye today, and I just had to post the picture. 

This evening we're having friends over for dinner (linguini and lemon chicken).  We'll have a fire and eat on the patio, I think.  I've been doing some Christmas shopping.  On Wednesdays we go to Winter Park to visit with Wiley's Dad and give his Mom a break from the caretaking.  Life is pretty good for us.