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~ Marco Polo ~ (c.1254 – January 8-9, 1324) was an Italian merchant traveler from the Republic of Venice whose travels are recorded in Livres des merveilles du monde, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned the mercantile trade from his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, who traveled through Asia, and apparently met Kublai Khan. In 1269, they returned to Venice to meet Marco for the first time. The three of them embarked on an epic journey to Asia, returning after 24 years to find Venice at war with Genoa; Marco was imprisoned, and dictated his stories to a cellmate. He was released in 1299, became a wealthy merchant, married and had three children. He died in 1324, and was buried in San Lorenzo.

His pioneering journey inspired Christopher Columbus and others. Marco Polo's other legacies include Venice Marco Polo Airport, the Marco Polo sheep, and several books and films. He also had an influence on European cartography, leading to the introduction of the Fra Mauro map.

Looking down through the arches inside Fort Pulaski next to the outside walls ~

Please view in lightbox ~

THE GUN GALLERIES ~

The casemated gun galleries, which surround the parade ground on four sides and give to Fort Pulaski the atmosphere of a cloistered monastery, contain fine examples of brick masonry. The arches were constructed over wooden forms, each brick being hand cut to fit its special place. The joints were mortared from above and, when the arches were firm and strong, the wooden forms were removed.

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~ Mark Caine ~

Purple pansy flowers at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando ~

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~ Meister Eckhart ~ (German Writer and Theologian ~ 1260-1328) ~

This "Peacock White Ornamental Kale" was a standout beauty at the Savannah Botanical Gardens in Savannah ~

Kale flower ~

‘Peacock White’ Ornamental Kale Flowers (called borecole) stand out in a garden, producing finely foliaged, feathery-looking heads. The midribs of even the outer leaves will be colored, almost all the way to the tip, while the central core of this flowering kale head will range in color from creamy pink to fresh vanilla. These can look frosted, even when there is no frost on the ground. It is a bold, round plant that exhibits great color during the Fall months. Just as with ornamental cabbage, kale isn’t very tasty or tender, so chowing down on it is not advised.

Beloved of the French and cultivated by them for centuries, the ornamental cabbage is the perfect hardy annual for introducing sculptural form and a splash of vibrant colour to a winter garden.
In France, the likes of 'White Peacock' with crinkly leaves almost coral-like in their intricacy and with colours of delicate green through creams, have been an important ingredient in the ornamental garden for centuries. Here this decorative vegetable is so well-loved that “mon petit chou” (my little cabbage) is used as a term of endearment.

Splendid examples can be seen in the gardens of the great Renaissance chateau, Villandry in the Loire Valley. For inspiration closer to home, visit the walled garden at Harewood House, near Leeds.

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~ Aldous Huxley ~ Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel writing, film stories and scripts. He spent the later part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death.

Our neighbor's blooming Dahlia flowers ~

Dahlia ~

Wikipedia

The naming of the plant itself has long been a subject of some confusion. Many sources state that the name "Dahlia" was bestowed by the pioneering Swedish botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus to honor his late student, Anders Dahl, author of Observationes Botanicae. However, Linnaeus died in 1778, more than eleven years before the plant was introduced into Europe in 1789, so while it is generally agreed that the plant was named in honor of Dahl, who had died two years before, Linnaeus could not have been the one who did so. It was probably Abbe Antonio Jose Cavanilles, Director of the Royal Gardens of Madrid, who should be credited with the attempt to scientifically define the genus, since he not only received the first specimens from Mexico in 1789, but named the first three species that flowered from the cuttings.

Regardless of who bestowed it, the name was not so easily established. In 1805, German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow changed the plants' genus from Dahlia to Georgina; after the German-born naturalist Johann Gottlieb Georgi, a professor at the Imperial Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, Russia. He also reclassified and renamed the first three species grown, and identified, by Cavanilles. It was not until 1810, in a published article, that he officially adopted the Cavanilles' original designation of Dahlia. However, the name Georgina still persisted in Germany for the next few decades.

"Dahl" is a homophone of the Swedish word "dal", or "valley"; although it is not a true translation, the plant is sometimes referred to as the "valley flower".

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~ Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910) ~

I was thrilled to find this 35 foot high working lighthouse when we went to Lake Dora at Gilbert Park in Mt. Dora ~

When we had a boat many years ago, we used to put it in this lake where there was a very small lighthouse at the time.

Mt. Dora Lighthouse ~

The lighthouse sits at the very end of Grantham Point just south of downtown Mount Dora. The 35 foot lighthouse was dedicated on March 25, 1988. Built of bricks covered with stucco, the lighthouse stands sentry over the Port of Mount Dora. Its 750-watt photocell powers a blue pulsator sending out a guiding light to all boaters navigating Lake Dora after dusk.

This lighthouse is registered as an inland aid to navigation, the only one in Florida. Has a flashing red light at night.