Colors of Nature

I grew up in New England. Unlike Florida, we had seasons there that were sharply defined. It wasn't anything like the Sunshine State, where the seasons roll into each other, with the occasional cold front thrown in, or where the wet weather takes hold for a few days. Hell, no! There were changes you could feel down to your toes.

Fall was always a favorite time of year for me. The incredible colors of Mother Nature's palette never ceased to amaze and delight my senses. Unfortunately, though, the foliage extravaganza was short-lived, being replaced by hours and hours of raking time. When we were kids, getting rid of the leaves was easy. We'd just rake them into piles and light'em up! That was a special time for every young pyromaniac I knew; it almost took the sting out of the blisters you had all over your hands from raking.

But it's all different today. You can't rake and burn, as we did in the old days. We're all Politically Correct and Environmentally Conscious (thanks for that!), so we now have to deal with the drudgery of getting rid of the leaves. I always had a garden, so turning a majority of my leftover leaves into mulch all winter made sense to me.

My friends up north always tell me about how much they love the seasons (until it's 6 degrees and oil is four dollars a gallon), and how I must miss them down here in Florida. Well, I do, sort of. But after twenty years of suffering here in the Tropics, I've learned to appreciate Mother Nature's colors, Southern Style. The best part is that I don't have to rake them up, or wonder what I should do with them. They come and go on a daily basis here, year-round, and every day the cost is the same: zero! Here's some examples of what I love about Florida colors.

               This was taken from my backyard a few years ago on a crisp winter night.

             I took this one evening as I sat on a friend's dock, watching a beautiful sunset.

                                 This was an early morning catch at the beach.

                  This is a sunrise shot taken by a friend. View his work at PureOceanTV.com.

                Another beautiful morning photo, complete with shorebirds, courtesy of                                                         PureOceanTV.com.

You see, I'm a believer when it comes to beauty in all things. It's everywhere, and we can learn to love and appreciate it no matter where we live. It's a wonderful planet out there. Let's take better care of it!.


Have a great day everyone!


Mark

                                        Hell, yeah, we got pumpkins down here!


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