florence

Florence flew into our backyard in June. She survived a hailstorm, rain, wind, searing heat. Now, we'll see how she manages in the snow.

A friend quipped that we should put some kind of machine next to Florence (I did stick a pin-wheel next to her, but I'm not sure that counts as a machine) as a nod to the eccentric band Florence and the Machine (who I also love).

from Wikimedia Commons

I'd like to go to Florence, Italy and see Boticelli's "The Birth of Venus." Our Florence came not from a seashell but from Lowe's Home Improvement store.