August in Florida means hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms, and perhaps a tropical storm or so.

Since I am a year-round Florida resident, my escape from the heat is a nice long walk on the beach, feet in surf, camera in hand.

Normally, I photograph nature but thought it might be fun to look at human activity and signs on my walks and share these photos with you.

My local New Smyrna Beach seems a bit more crowded lately. My guess is that many are not travelling far this year and are visiting the coast as part of their summer “staycation.”

Folks are enjoying the beach in all the normal ways, swimming, fishing, biking, strolling, and baking themselves in the sun. One local wit renamed my town, New Sun-burna Beach, in honor of all the pale white tourists that turn bright red in the sun like a pot of cooked lobsters.

Those that have been here for many years reminisce fondly of days when our beach was less developed. With crowds comes crowd control and regulations. In the past, beach driving was not regulated, and people could drive for miles on the beach, stopping as they liked for picnics and camping or other “beachy” acitivities.

Now, we have no-drive zones, marked traffic lanes, and areas beyond which parking is not allowed to protect both dunes and sea turtle nesting habitats.

I understand and appreciate the reasons for these regulations but also wish I could have experienced the freedom of years past.

Surfing near the Ponce Inlet jetty is also a favorite sport for many with interesting consequences. Yes, we do have sharks in our surf.

Sometimes, (ok often), sharks will take a little nibble out of surfers or swimmers usually near the jetty where they are hunting for bait fish. In fact, New Smyrna Beach has been called “the shark bite capital of the world.” No fatalities have occurred, just a variety of bites, some requiring stitches.

As a local, and a walker, not a swimmer or surfer, I am not alarmed. I respect the fact that sharks are in their element whereas I am just a two-legged interloper.

The beach is mine, but I do keep a wary eye out for what might lurk not very far from the shoreline!

Lyn

Mr. Duck

Just imagine the vivid scene as Boy Scouts with paddle boards pushed and guided hundreds of bright yellow duckies toward the finish line at the end of a canal, cheered on by the spectators. I wondered (out loud, I fear) if the Scouts were on their way to earning a coveted duck badge.

I missed much of the bull riding but did catch the “tail end “of that, plus the antics of the Rodeo Clown who cracked the usual one-liners, tumbled around the ring, and led youngsters in a crazy dance contest. And, I took lots and lots of pictures of the whirling rides.

The Powersurge ride!

On May 16, I could not resist attending the First Annual Potato Festival in Bunnell, Florida. Although on a smaller scale than the midway and festival in Titusville, friendly locals and hospitality won my heart.

A friend and I arrived early in Bunnell and decided to tour the Holden House Museum before the Festival activities were in full swing. The museum docent graciously spent much time with us, providing not only a full narrated tour of the House and local history, but also took us through the adjoining Museum Annex.

Holden House Resident

At noon, my friend and I wandered into the potato / beef recipe cook off. Both of us hoped to sample the food, for a fee, of course. Imagine our surprise when the event organizers implored us to sample for free and to vote for our favorite in the People’s Choice award. Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? The portions were ample, the cooks charming, and the food wonderful. We were stuffed.

I went home with a bag of locally grown potatoes and big smile on my face.

Festival Favorite

However, my inner child is loudly chanting “liar, liar, pants on fire” in my head. So to quiet her down, I need to admit that they were fun when I was a kid, and they are still a blast.

Happy summer! Lyn

Bright sails on a bright day!

The day of the SEVCC field trip to Mt. Dora dawned with bright sunshine and no predictions for rain. It was as if we knew that this would be the one perfect day that week. Fourteen members and guests arrived at 9:00 AM at Gilbert Park, the loading and launch site for the annual Mt. Dora Sailing Regatta.

Wating for the race

The picturesque setting became more crowded and lively as the 12:30 PM race time approached giving us ample opportunity to photograph the crews as they rigged sailboats of many shapes, sizes, and colors before setting sail on Lake Dora.

In addition to sailboats, we photographed the park lighthouse, a nature garden, birds, interesting structures, a sea plane (landing and taking off), each other, and yes, even some snakes. Although warned by a sign that a hungry alligator lurked near the shoreline not far from the dock, the reptile did not make its photo shoot.

Children's Artwork on Tiles

Antiques and history were on the agenda after lunch – antique shops, an antique car show at the Lakeside Inn, historic buildings and the Royellou Museum downtown set up in an old jailhouse. A few ventured off around Lake Dora to Tavares, where skiff races provided shots of different kinds of boats.

Just a few of the many antique cars in the show..

Thanks to Andrew Mullen, President of the Mt. Dora Historical Society, for providing an informative and entertaining tour of the Royellou Museum.

Thanks as well to Tommy Stevens, VP Administration of the Mt. Dora Yacht Club, for helping us to plan the visit.

No doubt many of us will return to Mt. Dora again, as there is so much more to see and do in this charming Lake County town. Lyn

The Forest Floor, Covered by Ferns

Would participants, all graduates of one or more modules of FMNP, be put under a magic spell by our guides, Jay S. Barnhart, Jr., M.D, an expert on mushrooms and native plants and Joannie Faulls, Sanctuary Steward? Or, would we be entranced by nature as we wandered along trails through several different habitats: oak scrub, mesic and hydric hammocks, wet prairie, and pine flatwoods?

Sunday, March 29 dawned with overcast skies and a prediction for rain. Both the rain and I arrived at the Sanctuary in Titusville at the same time. But, FMNP graduates are undaunted by a little rain, and off we went, raingear protecting us from the elements. Drizzle and dark skies seemed only to enhance the potential for spell-casting as we hiked from open sandy sites into lush forest vegetation.

We stopped often to identify species of plants and fungi and learn more about human use of the area, including a tale about the uncompleted Addison Canal. The 1912 plan to drain agricultural land into the Indian River Lagoon was thwarted by an unyielding coquina rock ridge in the Enchanted Forest. Perhaps forest spirits hexed the digging equipment?

How could I capture should lush vegetation on camera? A forest floor blanketed with ferns gave me one opportunity for a shot, but then the forest closed densely around me. Birds darted in and out of trees – only their calls provided identification.

A hickory bud unfurls

Tiny Pink Mushrooms

Helping to decay a log

Ah, so this was the spell – the dense forest growth had charmed me into looking at the little things.

Our knowledgeable leaders safely guided us out of the Enchanted Forest after a very enjoyable hike. But was the forest following us as we left? Maybe it is my (active) imagination, but what would YOU say about the final photo? Lyn

Is the forest following us?

Ampitheater Stage

Stairs to Suspension Bridge

Azaleas are the theme flower of the park. By 1934 over 95,000 had been planted by Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) workers. In 1999, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although Azaleas can bloom from January through April, I arrived to find that (sadly) most of the Azaleas were past bloom, but I still photographed some lovely examples. (See the pink and white and bright pink azaleas included on the previous blog entry.)

A 1.8 mile loop trail encircles the ravine; visitors can either drive or walk, stopping at several parking / observation areas along the way. I hopped aboard an open-air wagon hitched to a truck, with a dozen other guests. A park ranger narrated as we slowly wound around the loop, providing an overview of the Park’s natural and human history.

I learned, for example, that the ravine was created over thousands of years by water flowing from the sandy ridges on the shore of the nearby St. Johns River. The park is actively managed to prevent erosion, to maintain the historic architecture, and to control invasive, exotic plants, such as air-potato and Chinese tallow. (For more information, see the Park’s Management Plan.)

Fountain and Garden

Bridge over pond

What a treat! I will surely visit next year, hopefully when the abundant azaleas are full-bloom. That must be a glorious sight! Next trip… Mt. Dora. Lyn