Let's take a moment to reflect on my last semi-optimistic visit to Florida. I say semi-optimistic because it was the early days of my mom's cancer treatment, and in spite of everything she was taking it like a champ.

Is There a Lime Inside?This little coconut stole (at the very least) our attention spans.

My husband and I visited for a week and a half-ish over Christmas and New Year's. It was a trip that in light of my mom's health turned very fraught with nerves and uncertainty. My response to this involved buying a new camera body and taken it our for its first spin on this trip. Clearly I make terrible decisions! It somehow worked out, though, as I managed to get quite a few shots that I liked.

Passing ShipsThey met for a millisecond, and that might have been enough.

While we spent time with family, we also took the time to wander around, visiting spots familiar and (semi) new to us. I took so many pictures that I actually liked that it surprised me. It wasn't all perfect; I still made exposure mistakes as I adjusted to reading the screen (as the D7200 displays over/underexposure the opposite of the D5100 displays). Even with that, RIgoberto 2.0 performed like a dream. It was awesome being able to adjust more rapidly than I ever had before.

Agama AgamaThey are pretty...invasive.

The trip overall went well. Some things did not go as expected. We were supposed to have a party for what would end up being my mom's last birthday, but then the host (my aunt) caught a cold, so that got called off. So my mom's birthday was a bit more casually spent. I did make a visit to my parents' place to give my mom her last birthday gifts from me. That cold made the rounds starting with my husband, and I got it last. It ended up mucking with my ears. SInce I didn't get sick halfway through the trip this time around, I was able to enjoy more of it.

Semi-Traditional GlowAway from the tropics, more classically ornamental decor has a chance to shine As is tradition, we went to Bok Tower and Gardens. The day was pretty cloudy throughout, which was a bit of a bummer. I was able to get good photos in the Pinewood Mansion, though, so it wasn't a total loss. At least the weather improved for our Vizcaya visit (which thanks to a glitch on my credit card statement will forever be known as Vizcayans in our house). There was a lot of local meandering as well when we visited our usual stomping grounds. There will be future holiday trips to Florida, but they will be very different. At least this last Christmas venture worked out well for all of us.

I Wanna IguanaThis guy totally stole the show at Vizcaya(ns).

Light My WayTo my surprise, I was able to get by with flash free photography in the Vizcaya(ns) mansion.

Tracking Down Fast FoodThis pelican type item is on a mission The Golden StoryI have yet to see this door up close, but the lens held up well enough for this semi-telephoto shot.

Thar She Blows!Our timing at Blowing Rocks was pretty incredible. We hadn't even planned it that way, to boot!

Downy and CoolHe's not looking for food...yet.

Lagoon ViewI've been to DuBois Park in Jupiter many times, but I never knew that this part of the lagoon even existed!

Red FlagSometimes the accidental droppings in nature make the best subjects.