DECEMBER BEAUTY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

This weekend, my (patient) husband and I drove my sweet mama up to my sister's home in Mt. Dora...in central FL. For the first day in a month, the skies were gloomy...no rain, just clouds and gray....and the colors of Florida were truly displayed against the soft backdrop...

We were greeted by this beautiful coyote...He was laying  right in the middle of the  drive into my sister's neighborhood. As our car approached, he balefully looked at us, stood, and slowly ambled under the fence and into the pasture, where he, once again, laid down.

The presence of the coyote did not faze these cows...they were just feet away from each other!

The grays of the skies and lake were a perfect backdrop for the colors of the leaves, the reeds in the lake, and the bouganvilla. This is Lake Harris...and the view from my sister's home.

Remember this turtle planter? With his "filling" dormant, you can see the patterns on his shell. Don't you love the aging on him?

A few examples of the ground covers on the slope down to the lake.

It's FALL/Winter! See the colored leaves?
Notice the waving Spanish moss? Most natives of the south do NOT remove the moss from the trees. We think it's beautiful...

Cypress "knees" in the lake

Bouganvilla....

Red and white impatiens...planted by my mama on one of her trips to  Mt. Dora.

These are tangerines...

This lone tree stands outside the pasture...down a rutted road, across from the orange grove. It's just there waiting for someone to find it...to share its bounty. This small tree (about 6 feet tall, and skinny...really small by grove standards) had HUNDREDS of tangerines. And I picked a basketful!!!

Some of the wildlife in a pond...look carefully, there are coots, ducks, an anhinga, an egret and a heron.

A pair of Sand Cranes...

DAY IS DONE...

Golden sunlight...It's the end of the day.

We head out to the dock to watch the progression of the sun as it 

sets over Lake Harris...(Tavares, FL)

The light begins to dim...

     gentle waves lap the shore as a boat glides by...

    Just a little bit to the left, you can glimpse the sun as it heads into the horizon....

And the show begins...

Then goodnight, peaceful night,

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear,

Friend, goodnight.

*This final verse, in one of the lyrical adaptations of Taps, was written by Horace Lorenzo Trim

May your day and night be filled with peace...

Jane

I am linking with Laura at Wayfaring Wednesday and

with Susan at Outdoor Wednesday.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER TRACY'S  ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY...IT ENDS ON JULY 31.

ON AUGUST 1, SHE WILL DRAW THE WINNERS...THERE WILL BE 5 OF THEM!  (AND ONE OF THE PRIZES IS  A PAINTING FROM ME)

YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT HERE...

http://msbake-it.blogspot.com