"November's sky is chill and drear, November's leaf is red and sear." - Sir Walter Scott

I'm told this phenomenon happens every fall in climates north of Florida
Happy November 1st!  It was 82 degrees here today in sunny southwest Florida. I was thinking today about my first experience with real fall weather. The first big trip I ever took was in 1978 to Colorado.  As a native Floridian that was a big deal for me. The seasons in the Sunshine State consist of hot, hotter, really hot, & hurricane season.


 As I exited the plane in Colorado Springs Airport I passed out from the altitude.  On the drive from the airport to my friend's house in Green Mountain Falls  I  started getting my bearings. As I was glued to the scenery - Pike's Peak,  Garden of the God's, & Red Rock; it seemed odd to me that a place touted for such beauty would have dead trees everywhere. 


I mentioned the dying trees to my host who responded incredulously "It's fall". As I stared blankly back at him he proceeded to explain that once you emerge the bubble from down in paradise the weather actually changes from season to season.  Well. big. duh. me.  


Well, I'm older & well traveled now.  I've even seen snow.  I love the travel channels.  I get to see snow without having to get cold. Today on Stump Pass if Florida beaches do have a fall then this is what it looks like.

This is what fall looks like on a Florida beach

Florida coastal fall colors

flot·sam  (fltsm)  n.
1. a. Wreckage or cargo that remains afloat after a ship has sunk.
b. Floating refuse or debris.
2. Discarded odds and ends.
3. Anything of mine that my hubby calls junk

Fall on southwest Florida beaches means lots and lots of flotsam.  I love that word - flotsam.  I had to look up the meaning the first time I heard it.  Dang, I thought all that stuff was just washed up debris and here all along it was flotsam. 


 Now there are some talented artists out there doing some very creative stuff with this flotsam.  Meet Prudence from Australia.  Her blog Flotsam Friends chronicles her beach combing  & the beautiful creative things she makes from her finds.  Pam from iLoveShelling found some flotsam artistry on Sanibel. Yay, now I have an official word for all my treasures from my beach combing excursions - "Honey, it is not junk it is flotsam".


I took lots of my mini shells and.....




I finished off the bottom of my newest treasure from The Shell Shop in Englewood with a bunch of shells from my mini-shell collection.  Doesn't this just scream  FLOATSAM!

Comments

  1. PammyNovember 1, 2010 at 10:34 PM

    I never knew I had so much Flotsam!! Hehehe I think this is my new answer to many questions!! Thank You!! And I love the colors of a Florida Fall, Awesome!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Blooming Rose MusingsNovember 2, 2010 at 4:59 PM

    I can see that Autumn in Florida is beautiful!
    Flotsam! Great word. Love your pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  3. iLoveShellingNovember 3, 2010 at 8:24 PM

    I think "flotsam" is cool too. All we need to know now is what "jetsam" is.

    ReplyDelete
  4. rjerdeeNovember 4, 2010 at 7:24 AM

    Love your discussion of flotsam! And the trip to the beach on this rainy morning :) Fun post, Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Flotsam FriendsNovember 4, 2010 at 3:55 PM

    Hi Karen, thank you for popping by my blog and for your mention in this post. Flotsam is a beautiful word isn't it... I adore what you've made there too. What a great project. Thanks for finding me. I'm now following you!! Kindest, Pruxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownNovember 4, 2010 at 7:00 PM

    Karen, I love the blog and reposted it for all my family and friends up north!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Florida BloggerNovember 5, 2010 at 1:04 PM

    I love every season in Florida and wouldn't trade them for the world!

    ReplyDelete

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