Tuesday, August 2, 2016

A lonely walk, but interesting




You are looking out our picture window (windshield) The direction of my walk.

I seldom walk alone, but Sherry’s knee didn’t want to walk over a mile, so I continued for a couple miles. This was a new trail lots of Florida white sand:
 Lots of scrub brush and palmettos too.
But this got my  attention. This is a honey bee hive. Very unusual to a NC boy. I remember most honey bee trees are hollow oak or gum. But this is a pine and it is at the base. Look carefully, the entrance is lined with honey bees, it is nearly time to stop work for the day. but the workers were still coming in. I am about two feet away. They won't bother you unless you threaten them, then at this distance, it would be "Katie Bar the Door!"
















Notice most of the pines are burned at the base. The forest service does a controlled burn on a regular basis (maybe every 5 years) it protects the forest and reduces the chaces of forest wild fires by a big percentage.
 I found a little color, it is amazing how one little yellow flower and the small white one above it, sticks out in this wilderness.

 Note the crazy Live Oaks. they grow in every different direction  Florida history tells of ships captains anchoring here to  replace main masts that had been destroyed in storms. History says they preferred the long straight live oaks. WHAT?  I haven't seen a straight live oak tree in my life.
 I am following the Orange blaze trail. here the white ad orange runs together. Now to me the palmetto below was an 'Eye Catcher' It is dying from the tips in, leaving an almost perfect circle of green.

I walked by this and came back. the two white spears you see in the foreground, came from the lightening struck tree you see in the distance. Had someone or an animal been standing here when the lightening struck, you could have been impaled by the giant sliver from the pine in the distance. This spear is buried deep in the ground.













This is the struck tree. There was another not 50 yards away, So lightening does strike close at times.
(Not a good shot, but when I saw these young pines, I thought this is Florida, they want to be Palm Trees!)

This is a great place to walk, but it isn't as much fun without a FRIEND!

Nite Shipslog    
1929 A-Model Ford

8 comments:

Paula said...

Very interesting post Jack. I've sorta been absent celebrating my birthday. My Lynda and her husband gave quite a wingding party. I'm trying to recover.

TARYTERRE said...

walking is cathartic. always something to see. amazement abounds.

betty said...

Such a pretty walk! I hope Sherry's knee cooperates soon so she can enjoy it with you1

betty

Lisa said...

Thanks for taking me along on your walk. I like the palmetto leaf. The white and orange dot together would confuse me.
Hope sherrys knees feel better today.

Keep walking
Lisa

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I always enjoy your walks but I do agree they are better when you have a companion. Hopefully Sherry will soon be walking with you. Sometimes we all need a little rest and that does make things better.

Unknown said...

Sorry to hear about Sherry's knee. Every once in a while mine will act up some. The walk is beautiful enjoyed seeing the trees. I have small thing
that looks like palm trees pop up in the yard which I pull up. I wonder
what they are. Maybe I will let one get big. Tell Sherry to take care of the knee..

Mevely317 said...

You are so observant, Jack! Like many folk, I'm guilty of rushing here and there and not taking time to appreciate the scenery.
I've a strong hunch, walks such as yours are more catharic than time spent on some fancy PhD's couch.....

Healing wishes headed Sherry's way!

Rick Watson said...

I tried to post earlier but my iPad wouldn't corporate. Hope Miss Sherry's knee gets to feeling better.
R