for the love of palms…5
So we went to Koreshan State Park Sunday and it was definitely one of those outings you don’t soon forget (because your mind, body and soul is STILL crying out in pain!). Not only did we pick what seemed like the hottest day in the history of Florida to go hiking with two small children under 4, but we also didn’t think to remember the mosquitoes!
Ah yes! mosquitoes: Florida’s state bird! And don’t let anyone tell you any different! At least that’s what it seemed like to us….mosquitoes the size of small house flies, happily flying around our hot, sweaty, miserable bodies as we trekked through the Florida woods in the dead heat. With two toddlers. In a wagon. Going uphill. Mosquitoes. In 99 degree weather. Did I mention the mosquitoes? The heat? Of course I did.
So here’s the scoop: my mom led the pack, Rene behind her pulling the wagon with the two hot and grumpy toddlers inside PACKED full of provisions, and me right behind them, fanning them with the largestt palmetto leaf I could find….keeping the birds mosquitoes at bay. The girls didn’t get bit that much, thank goodness. But don’t ask about us. And YES! We ARE Florida natives. YES we should know better and YES we DO HAVE repellent, only it’s at home. Safe. In our bathroom cabinet. 30 miles away.
We’ve done this hike several times before and it’s truly wonderful. I love this park because there is so much to explore and the history here is simply amazing. Part of the trail to the settlement cuts across this amazing Bamboo forest, which if you stand still (which we didn’t do this time for fear of being carried off by mosquitoes), literally sings to you. But it’s not for the weak of heart…(translation: don’t go in July without bug spray). The entire time we RAN through the hike, we kept wondering how the Koreshans ever managed living here SANS any form of repellent. I surely would have killed myself if the bugs didn’t get to me first! The Koreshans are truly amazing….and their culture and society is most interesting…..and it’s all right here in our backyard!
Anyway, it was a gritty day and we loved every minute of it. After spending the entire week behind a camera and computer and cooped up at home, we all LOVE getting out on Sundays. It’s our family/adventure/see-the-world/make memories/bond with each other day. And this is exactly the kind of adventure we hope for.
So for the daily photo rambling, I chose another lovely Florida palm image that I took as I ran walked through the settlement. This is the official Florida state tree, the Sabal palm (also known as the cabbage palm). It’s a lovely palm tree that grows to over 50 feet in height and stands out considerably.
I decided to have some fun with this image and used texture and a totally bold palette. It definitely has an intenseness about it but it’s quite lovely too, just like our special day at the park. I love this picture….I love how majestic the palms look here, as though they were soaring above the clouds.
