Twilight Time

I came outside in the twilight a few moments ago to water some newly planted lantana and pull a few weeds. For a few brief moments, there were no sounds save those of the quietly murmuring ducks feeding nearby and the tree frogs and cicadas awakening for the night in the trees. On the soft April breeze, the smell of the blooming Confederate Jasmine wafted by, and I simply stood for a moment to drink in my favorite time of day.

And then some kids whizzed past on a motorbike, a plane flew overhead, the dog next door started yipping and the neighbor kids raised their voices to join in. So much for solitude.

Still, I snapped a few pictures of the Confederate Jasmine blooming on the latticework on the north side of the house, and was reminded of what a great idea it was to install that to give us a bit more privacy when we sit out on the porch. Our neighbors to the south have a fence, but we are literally 10 feet away from the neighbors to the north, with nothing but a thin screen to separate us. And the kids next door, bless their irritating little hearts, are very nosy. They liked to peek into the porch, and announce, "Mommy, these people are eating dinner!" Clearly, we needed to do something, but we didn't want to lose the view or the breezes.


So, we installed dark green latticework and planted Confederate Jasmine. After a year's worth of growth, it has climbed its way to the top, although it's not as thick as I hope it will be some day. And now, in early April, it's in bloom, and the sweet but not overpowering scent adds the perfect cherry on the top of my evening.



And now the purple dusk of twilight time/Steals across the meadows of my heart...* It's nighttime here in My Florida Backyard now. Near silence returns, although a pair of cardinals still chirp in a nearby tree, stopping by our feeder for an evening snack. A curious wood stork lands amongst the ducks, peering into the gloom of the back porch to see the crazy humans who peer back out at him. There are many wonderful times in My Florida Backyard, but I know I'll always love evenings best.

*From Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael