Archives

“One of the Forever Gifts …”*

(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Here we are again. We don’t exactly know each tree by their name, but we know we are among friends. The arching branches provide shade for our late morning breakfast. A breeze by itself makes no sound, but when it rustles pine needles above our heads it gives the impression of waves breaking along the shore of our souls. No matter how ingenious… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: bahaman aster, blue-eyed grass, blue-gray gnatcatcher, carolina desert-chicory, cloudless sulphur, common ground dove, common yellow stargrass, downy woodpecker, eastern leaf-footed bug, four-petal st. johnswort, leavenworth's tickseed, little yellow, mexican primrosewillow, north american racer, northern parula, oakleaf fleabane, prairie/savanna lily, red admiral, regal jumping spider, savannah sparrow, spotless lady beetle, walter's viburnum, yellow-rumped warbler, yellow-throated warbler

Around The Lakes

(Click to enlarge images. Click again to zoom.) It was mid-November and plans were in progress for Thanksgiving. Family and food. Not enough of the former and too much of the latter. Such is life. We continue to be thankful for both. For a small break from thinking about all that shopping and planning and shopping, Gini and I made an early morning visit to one of our local patches. The area… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: anhinga, bald eagle, blue-gray gnatcatcher, brown pelican, cloudless sulphur, eastern carpenter bee, eastern phoebe, great egret, green lynx spider, little blue heron, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, red-shouldered hawk, variegated fritillary

Escape From Lost Lake !

The Final Chapter Just as we thought all was lost at Lost Lake when we stumbled upon the remains of that alligator carcass which was likely a result of the poor beast becoming hopelessly lost at Lost Lake, we spotted the car. Whew! We thought for sure it was curtains. Or at least cheap drapery. Turns out it was just Spanish Moss hanging over the trail obscuring our view of the parking… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american beautyberry, american bird grasshopper, brown thrasher, c-130, caeserweed, cloudless sulphur, dainty sulphur, florida carpenter ant, great crested flycatcher, lost lake, osprey, purple passionflower, rambur's forktail, red saddlebags, red-winged blackbird, swallow-tailed kite, thread-waisted wasp, trumpet honeysuckle

Finding Lost Lake

Header Image: Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) on Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.) One of our birding “patches” which we often mention is the Tenoroc Fish Management Area. We mention it often because we visit it often. A few minutes drive from the house, the area consists of over 7,000 acres (2800+ hectares) and offers a fairly diverse habitat. There are 30 lakes, hardwood and pine forests, open grassy fields, wetlands and well-maintained trails…. Read More

Category: Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american alligator skeleton, apple snail, blue mistflower, brown anole, cloudless sulphur, ferns, four-petal st. johnswort, gulf fritillary, little blue dragonlet, lost lake east, mushroom, orchard orbweaver, rosy camphorweed, southern beeblossom, southern tussock moth, tenoroc fma

Colors of the Spirit

My Dad was a builder of homes. Much like any kid, I valued those days I rode along in the pick-up truck to a job site. The sights, sounds and smells of a new house being built can be pretty heady stuff for an eight-year old. I didn’t know it at the time, of course, but by far the most significant part of the experience was time spent with my Father. On… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american kestrel, cloudless sulphur, cypressvine, dotted smartweed, dusky pygmy rattlesnake, eastern tiger swallowtail, great egret, hairy chaffhead, narrow-leaf sunflower, narrowleaf silkgrass, phaon crescent, pinebarren goldenrod, red-shouldered hawk, tufted titmouse, virginia buttonwood

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Our Natural Places

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