Since I missed making it south this winter, I took time to scroll through hundreds of images that I’ve snapped in the past. No surprise, my collection was over-represented by Palm Beach, which provides such a dreamy climate during winter months up north. Fortunately, I’m never aware of how much I miss this until I’m in a part of the world where the outside plays so significantly in the pleasure of living…morning, noon and night. Of course narrowing down these selections was difficult but each image resonates for me, for different reasons.

Courtyards have always fascinated me, perhaps because they seem to convey a sense of privacy and seclusion. Hence the feature image (above and first image below), appropriately named ‘Il Cortile’ (Courtyard) with an intriguing herringbone brick surface and an entire second floor master suite that overlooks this courtyard and a pool alongside the Intra Coastal Waterway.

Courtyards so suit the Palm Beach outdoor winter lifestyle; you almost can’t imagine a home without one, lending themselves to a display of tropic greenery and every imaginable color.

Others also serve as a “motor court” (to use an old-fashioned word).

Some images were chosen because of my enduring affection for Mediterranean architecture, in all its variations, from Italian Renaissance to Mediterranean Revival to Moorish.

I couldn’t resist adding this pair of images, presenting as they do a breathtaking day and night juxtaposition, carrying out the owner’s wish to “enjoy varying views from different angles of my property.”

Of course a few images piqued my gardener’s eye for details and design, manicured and maintained to a fare thee well, as only Palm Beach can…

One in particular giving dramatic new meaning to creating a green privacy hedge that continues around the curved road.

And I’ll close with the “if I had to choose just one favorite’… it would be this picture, Obviously I’m not alone given the response this receives whenever I post it on Instagram. Maybe it’s because you can almost feel those tropic breezes on your skin, hear the sound of the ocean, taste the salt spray on your lips, and see the palm trees swaying…