Friday, August 27, 2010

excerpts from the road. part one.

...just when i thought i was finally getting over being without internet...phone...texting...here i am! back to reality! (if you read my last post from aug. 10th, then you know we took off to go camping for 2 weeks).

it all began (and ended) on a HOT MUGGY day in North Central Florida. driving in and out of dark gloomy skies. rain. pine forests and logging trucks. chicken farms. hunt clubs. cows and goats.  FIRST STOP, Torreya State Park, overlooking the apalachicola river (in Bristol, the north eastern area of Florida's panhandle).

Torreya is one of eight state parks in Florida that was built by the 'Civilian Conservation Corps' (or the CCC) from 1933 to 1942. The Great Depression...one out of every four workers was out of work. President Roosevelt's solution was to create New Deal Agencies, one of which was the CCC, to help employ young men between the ages of 17 and 25. they earned thirty dollars a month. twenty-five was sent home to their families. the young men enrolled in the CCC lived in camps that were constructed throughout the country.
in florida alone...in nine years...the "CCC boys" planted 18,924,000 trees, constructed 3,620 miles of trails and roads, built 2,736  bridges, spent 97,993 worker-days fighting fires, and developed 8 state parks. 
some of the buildings still standing today in the parks we visited...are such beautifully constructed stone buildings...as you'll see in the pictures to come.

ok, so here we are...Torreya State Park...
i'm a bug magnet. 
actually, sam's more of a bug magnet than me. he's getting bitten all the time. if there's a mosquito...yellow fly around...they'll seek him out!  i'm not usually bothered. but this vacation...we were both covered like patchwork with caladryl lotion!  i'm not sure what kind of bug this is...looks like a stink bug.




mark of a lightning strike running down a pine tree.















  raccoon family we were lucky enough to spot on one of our afternoon wanderings around the park...



The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The next best time is now.  ~Chinese Proverb 
























two caterpillars...centipedes...??  curled up together. mating?? or just hugging??





Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.  ~Ray Bradbury 















milo...the camping cat...making sure the picnic table is...comfortable enough...


Butterflies are self propelled flowers.  ~R.H. Heinlein 
well...i don't want to bombard you with too much at once. 
i'll take a break. you take a break. 
part two...later this evening or tomorrow morn.
next stop...Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama!!  

in the meantime...stay cool...
and don't let the bedbugs bite (esp if u live in NY)...i'm sorry. that was uncalled for...(i just couldn't resist...)

laura   :)

OH YEAH!!!!!  and a PS - THANK YOU to all those people who stopped by and visited here...and left comments...while i was away!! it thrills me...to know that there are so many others out there...who appreciate all these little things of nature...
life's a garden. dig it.




13 comments:

  1. Welcome back!

    Just got back last night myself from my own vacation and will have to put a post together. Looks like you had a good time. Can't wait to see part two.

    Sally

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  2. oh yeah Sally!! watch for part two...three...four...whatever it takes to get all the adventure in there! :) it's sad though...that after taking a vacation...we need another vacation after catching up on all we left behind... :) will be looking forward to checking out your post(s) too!! thanks for stopping by. laura :]

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  3. The last fungi picture looks almost like carnations! pretty!

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  4. laura, although I'm a new follower, i have to say, you are an awesome photographer...:) JP

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  5. yes, Erika Jean, they DO!! i love taking pic's of fungi!! they're all so unique!! but how many mushrooms can i post? how much fungi do people really want to see? ha! i have too many of those pic's on my comp!! :)

    Home In The Hollow!! thanks for the compliment...and i'm glad you found the time to stop by and say HI! :)

    nature is a wonderful thing...we just need to slow down...and take the time to SEE....

    laura

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  6. Welcome back Laura. Hope the trip was as awesome as the images captured.

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  7. thanks June! yeah, it was an awesome time! and went by way too fast... :] laura

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  8. As usual you capture the small moment in nature and make them large. Love it!!

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  9. I'm really enjoying your trip. I especially like the critter and bug photos. Great shots!

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  10. thanks!! for stopping by!!

    who wouda thunk it??!! thanks for the comment/compliment...i'm trying... :]

    bunnits!! i'm looking forward to finish up our 'road trip' posts...so i can get back to all my 'local' nature critter stuff!! :]

    laura

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  11. I am sooooo jealous! The things that you see just by being there ... I loved your pics and the nature of it all! The spider ... creepy, the squirrels, the raccons - funny and of course Milo making sure everything is taken care of! LOL! Glad you are back, but will be waiting for your next pics from wherever!!! HAHA!

    Love ya,
    Cathy

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  12. oh oh oh!

    I don't know where to start with this comment. It is absolutely beautiful. Everything. The spiders (oh! the spiders). The hugging centipedes. The amazing butterfly quote, the absolutely correct tree quote. I love bugs. I only can't stand cockroaches.

    But I love your post, your pictures and I wish I could have seen what you saw.

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  13. cathy...funny running into you here! ha! thanks for looking at my blog...i hope you had a chance to see the later posts of our 'road trip"!!!!

    and Keda!! YES!! i LOVE the spiders...and their webs...i have quite a few pic's on here of them...the webs just fascinate me! and the hugging centipedes!! ha!! talk about being in the right place at the right time!! and looking DOWN!! :) thanks for ALL your comments!! you are very much appreciated!

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thanks for stopping by! it's always nice to hear from fellow wanderers!