~February, 2018, Lake Louisa State Park near Clermont, FL.
~ Lake Louisa can be reached by walking along a boardwalk, which spans a swampy area filled with Cypress trees and Swamp lilies. Take a moment to stop along the boardwalk, who knows what you might see.
~A portrait only nature can paint.
~Swamp Lilies rising out of “green soup”.
~The boardwalk leads you to the sandy beach of Lake Louisa. Swimming is allowed if you are brave enough to endure its cold temperature this time of year. I declined, what a wimp I am.
~What a great place to enjoy hiking, the park offers over twenty miles of trails.
This huge Live Oak tree welcomes you to walk underneath its branches, and to adventure along the sandy trail to see what lies ahead.
As I walked slowly pasted this Live Oak, admiring its beauty, I thought I heard it whisper “Be careful, have fun and watch for snakes!”.
~Cypress trees rise out of the water.
~A solitary walk, beautiful scenery, an opportunity to be reflective.
~A lone Cypress tree stands guard over the lake. “How old are you I ask?”
~I’am not alone, looks like I found a friend. He told me hello and poses for my camera.
~Many trails in the park meander through piney woods, and if you are lucky a glimpse of its inhabitants.
~Lake Louisa State Park, one of Florida’s treasures~
Note:Header photo is a photo I took during a previous visit to the park. Many Gray Catbirds call Lake Louisa home.
Here is my Japanese Lantern poem. Inspired by Jane at Just Another Nature Enthusiast (see link below).
~
Yes
Smile
Positive
Simple pleasures
Yea
~
Yes
One evening last week, I captured the sun setting behind this tree. The branches form the letter Y. So as it usually goes, I wake up with words in my head. I remembered reading Jane’s post about Japanese Lantern poetry form.
~Here are the rules as posted by Jane on her blog ` Jane
A five-line, eleven-syllable shape poem take the form of a Japanese lantern.
Line 1: one syllable (usually the topic and a noun)
Line 2: two syllables about the topic
Line 3: three syllables about the topic
Line 4: four syllables about the topic
Line 5: one syllable (synonym of or related to the first line)
Say yes instead of no when you can, always offer a smile, be positive, enjoy simple pleasures and all things in nature.