Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Loving Opera@TheWaterfront in West Palm Beach

Palm Beach Opera held a community event Saturday, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The event was billed as Opera@TheWaterfront. Ninety minutes of live opera music outside on the lush lawn of the Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach -- what's not to love?

The weather that Saturday was postcard-perfect, as if someone called Central Casting and ordered blue skies, a breeze that swayed the palm fronds and a temperature in the low 70s.

My favorite tenor, James Valenti, was there, along with the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra and its Chorus. And the whole thing was free!

People used the fans, which listed the afternoon's music schedule, to
shield their faces from the bright sun.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Exploring Sandi Land in West Palm Beach

I was supposed to go to Clematis by Night event on Thursday when West Palm Beach would light its 600-ton sand tree, but the downtown was mobbed. The  closest parking was about a mile away from the waterfront. My friends begged off and chose CityPlace instead for our Girls Night Out.

So I had to wait until Saturday morning when I usually drive up to West Palm Beach for yoga at its library and veggie shopping at its GreenMarket. The 35-foot tall sand sculpture was awesome.

The sculpture was decorated with a Christmas tropical theme.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Smelling through West Palm Beach garden

Sunday was a beautiful but blustery day here in Palm Beach County.

Wouldn't it be great, I thought, to photograph wind in action. I decided to drive up to Mounts Botanical Garden, across Military Trail from Palm Beach International Airport. It would be a veritable wind tunnel up there, with palm fronds swaying in the wind.

The planes were noisy as they landed and took off from the airport, often making the butterflies scatter. But I was soon lost in the garden, entranced by its fragrant blooms and brilliant hues that I forgot about my idea of photographing wind.

Here are five plants that caught my eyes and nose:



1. Bourbon rose

When the double white flowers of the Boule de neige (ball of snow) are opened
fully, the outer petals roll back at the tips giving the blossom a rounded, snow-
ball-like appearance. The flowers carried a moderate damask rose fragrance.