My Haven

Exploring more of Circle B Preserve today.

Gator

This preserve used to be a huge cattle ranch... the windmill was used to pump water into that concrete area for a water hole. This is one of my favorite pictures.

This is the Lakeland Plateau... years & years ago, this would have been beach front property and still sugar white sand for a good 20 feet down.

Watching a storm forming.

My favorite thing about the hot summer here in the semi-tropics is the rainy season. There are some of the most beautiful storms that roll through our skies -sometimes on a daily basis this time of year. From a steaming, unbreathable heat, to a cool breeze and darkening skies in mere moments. We are the lightening capital and the Lakeland plateau gets more lightening than any other place in the U.S. Thunder that shakes your walls gives you such a since of smallness, and even safeness in the world.

Beautiful marshes. So full of life and intrigue.

The famous Spanish Moss that covers all of our trees. Contrary to popular belief the moss does no harm to the tree. Long ago this was used to stuff mattresses and also where the saying 'don't let the bed bugs bite' comes from as those little red bugs find home here.

Henry Ford used spanish moss to stuff the seat cushions of the Model T.

We took a tram tour through part of the preserve on Father's Day. We saw wild hog nests, gopher holes, and an eagle nest. An eagle mates for life and builds its nest the size of a queen size mattress, weighing a ton!

A majestic oak canopy.

More stormy skies.

Spending time here makes compartmentalized apartment living bearable. How I long to wake and walk out a door into wilds... even in a simplistic yard of my own. I am too grateful for a life such as mine to spend it wishing on better - as there is need, there is provision and I tell you God provides.

He fills me up in such places so that I can pour Him out in others. As I seek the wilds, I am seeking His filling.

I love the land, as I am made of it's soil. I love the Maker, as I am crafted by His hands.