Aaaaah, Late Summer in Florida. This is truly my favorite time of year. So many natural wonders to enjoy with months of delicious weather ahead.

Many Floridians like to say that we have four seasons, the same as everyone else across the country. I like to think that's true. We have Early Summer, Almost Summer, Summer Summer (a.k.a., I'll kick your ass just walking to the mail box with oppressive heat and stifling humidity Summer) and Late Summer. My favorite Season is Late Summer. Many of you refer to this time of year as Fall.

Late summer is marked in different parts of Florida by the very first cold front to reach your specific latitude. Late Summer came two weeks early at my latitude this year and was as welcomed as a blessing from the very Gates of Heaven. It may not be a cold front the way many of you may think of a cold front, but last week was the first time since early May that the temperature has dropped below 70 degrees and yes, that includes night time temperatures, too.

Wednesday morning last, I woke to a glorious outside temp of 65 degrees! A gift from the Gods of Weather that prompted me to shed my clothes and dance the traditional Dance of Late Summer on the dewy front lawn, much to the dismay of my curious neighbors, most of whom quickly drew their shades, wishing they had never been witness to such a spectacle.

Of course the first cold front doesn't last for long. This week we are supposed to have highs right back up in the low nineties for the rest of the week, but the great thing about the first cold front is that it dries out the humidity, making the nineties a lot more bearable. No longer does one end up out of breath and soaking wet with sweat after such difficult tasks as bending and tying one's shoe.

So, as the days grow shorter and the mercury slowly begins it's wane, I'd like to share some Late Summer images shot, for the most part, from my own backyard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Last night's full moon proved to be an elusive and difficult shot to master, but with patience and a lot of foul language, I managed to capture this.Isn't she beautiful?

 This little fella appears to be gliding in for a landing, all bug eyed and crazy, but he is only a tiny flower dropped from a golden rain tree that temporarily managed to get snagged by a spidery web....... 

   ....as the last of his family cling in desperation before going to pod. 

 This lovely hibiscus begins to unfurl as the morning sun begins to warm her lovely skin...

........she slowly yawns and stretches, until...........

 ...........she reaches out to display her glorious magnificence.

Colors abound as this string of unidentified berries seem to march along the trunk of a live oak tree.I don't know what they call these tiny berries, but I call the purple.

The smallest of blooms have there place and duty this time of year, as they spread their tiny petals and await the breeze to carry their aroma to far off and unknown destinies.

Even those considered weeds by many, can show unusual beauty this time of year, if only given the chance. All one needs to do is take a closer look.........

A lonely common toad lies inconspicuously in the morning dew waiting for either a fly to eat or a prince to kiss the ugliness away.

 In a moment of rare silence, a mockingbird checks the rain gauge while waiting for a breakfast of dragonfly or beetle before continuing her plagiarized songs.

White ibises (ibis', ibis's, ibi?)...........A pair of white birds have struck the motherload of snails and grubs in the neighbor's front yard.

As the morning mushrooms are mushing.............

 ..........the woodpeckers pecking................

...............the hornet are horning..........

........this larcenous squirrel continues to out smart me.......

 .......as the neighbor's cat holds watch............

 ........the lizards liz as they warm on the driveway............

.......and a redbrested hawk squeals in triumph over the capture of a small serpent.......

.....all of fall is good in my little neck of the woods.

Okay, this one is an add on for Sirenita Lake.