Bird Nerd & Words

Left tree is alive. Right tree was actually hit by lightning! Up close you can see a spiraling scar around the trunk running up the entire tree, evidence of the spark. I actually came across this tree during one of my Jay Watches this summer. Someone in our group identified the marking for us! Thank you Jay Watch! Happy Saturday.

On my afternoon walks I came across this flower and couldn't help but stop and admire the beauty. The species is endemic to Florida which is a plus for me. I advocate for native planting and this specimen sure does light up a landscape. Yellow Milkwort. I took this photo of them all growing in a shallow swell in a Pine Flatwoods preserve, Indrio Savannahs, in St. Lucie, Fl.   Also known as Rugel's Milkwort. You can find this flower almost anywhere in the state.   Formally known as Polygala rugelii The story goes that the milkwort name comes from it's presence in cow fields. It was believed to help them produce more milk! The name rugelii comes from Dr. Ferdinand Rugel, a Bristish botanist and physician who admired wildflowers too. Source: http://floridawildflowerfoundation.blogspot.com/2015/07/yellow-milkwort.html

SR 98 & SR 70 from Sebring, FL to Fort Pierce, FL is rich with history and parcels of natural beauty. Immensities of pasture, Hardwood Hammocks, Pinelands, and Marshlands compose a plethora of ecosystems divided by two lanes of open road. Classic texts such as A Land Remembered are actualized in this environment. Florida Crackers earned their salt upon this land which shaped the tides of commerce, war, and cultural adaptation. Historically this route traverses the Florida Cracker Trail. The Florida Cracker Trail Association adeptly points to the organic formation of the trail, existing below the Kissimmee flood plains, yet above Lake Okeechobee directly south.  The Association's website also points to the accreditation of the road as a Community Millennium Trail. I include this excerpt : "Millennium Trails is a partnership between the White House Millennium Council, the Department of Transportation, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the National Endowment for the A...

My mind classifies hammocks as low, earthy, dense with the smell of fresh rain or dried grasses. This particular hammock though sticks in my mind with a smell akin to my grandfather's workshop: sappy Pine. The freshness from the hot Florida heat slightly crisps the outer bark of looming Pines to release this fragrant note. Crunch beneath my feet reinforce the presence of scattered cones along the path and nettles that have dropped for months on end. Blackroot have sprouted from recent patches of burn highlighted by the celestial swaths of sun gleaming through the trees.  Previous trips led me towards the left off towards the edge of spanning pasture and grasses with random Oak stands making home to Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, White Eyed Vireo, and Eastern Phoebe. This particular day the sun was high above the clouds with piercing accuracy. I fled towards the right in refuge of more mossy dense Oak hammocks. Small vegetation corralled twin Oaks, their branches arched towards...

My day off in celebration of the 4th of July warranted a visit to the George Le Strange Nature Preserve in St. Lucie County. George Le Strange was an avid outdoors enthusiast, fisherman, and resident of St. Lucie County for whom the property is named. A trail traverses a thriving expanse of ecotones meandering along the Ten Mile Creek giving a rare glimpse at the ancient Florida water table. Giant Oak and Hickory reach towards each other creating canopies hiding sunken swamps primed with pure unadulterated life. Opposite the river a large man made lake, an old sand mine, poses a backdrop for painted skies at sunset. Below I include the brochure provided by the county and include my own commentary expounding on the factual and poetic journey throughout the preserve. A larger pathway at the boat ramp merges into a loose stoned pathway. Surrounding Pine trees riddled with woodpeckers sound their kwir kwir calls. An expansive view of the lake starts the journey. Approach...

"My Gaga's Lignum Vitae Tree in bloom, Long Key, FL" Midnight crawling, whiskey on my breath;Simonton intersects Duval to wait on a cab. Rhythms mingle, passing each soulful drunken bar while my eyes linger. Flung back, a 15 me sees the fabrics factory, a white boat of a Cadillac, and cassette tapes for crusin. A woman: 80’s tortoise sunglasses, freckled skin, a grin; hair windswept, an auburn caramel; Shorts fitted an hourglass figure; Blouse adorned in island vibes; Sandals, never flip flops. My Gaga, affectionately, a grandmother portraying charm I’ve chased all my life. Remembering; religiously she brought us meandering down here. Leaving my Papa parked in the pews of the Episcopal church on Truman, he’d migrate to the top of the LaConcha. What a perch to feel free upon with depth, salt air. Retrieval meant Cuban coffee at the laundromat. Seeing now, a wink, a smile, nodding approval of our shopping spree. Combing racks...

In memory of my late grandfather, these simple words I have to say. " On the bow of the boat I am free, On the bow of the boat I can breathe, On the bow of the boat I will see. And on the bow of the boat, I be. " -An homage to you, my biggest fan. Written by Julia Wiggins