A friend and I went hiking in the woods yesterday. It was the perfect day for it, cool but sunny, finally the Florida weather I love the most. We did nearly 7 miles, walking and talking, and stopping for a few pictures. Not many really.
We kidded that if our mutual friend Betty had been with us that she would have taken a million pictures already. So I took this one in her honor;
We didn’t seen another person, and only saw a deer off in the distance, but in the sand on the trail were tracks of lots of animals. Linda said that it must be like rush hour in the night with all the animal activity. We did see a rhino though, not a frequent sight in Florida.
Hogg pond was our destination, and we found some egrets gathered there. I suspect the beginnings of nesting activity. And there have been great flocks of birds in the air lately. Usually they are too high in the sky for decent photos, or the camera just isn’t set up for that capture. These birds were coming in to land however. Yes, this will be a booming place in the spring.
We had stopped for lunch at a very quaint hot dog shop in Floral City, and then hiked in the Perry Oldenberg wilderness area. But the jackpot happened as we finished the hike and were ready to leave. That’s when we saw the cows in the pasture next to the parking lot. I was looking to take photos like this when I was at my daughter’s house in PA over the summer, but somehow failed to get out and explore the rolling farmland for scenes like this. People ask what kind of photography I like best, but I think I like the surprises along the way that make it so interesting. And I’m normally out by myself for photos, but it was nice to be out with a friend…
I thought that all the cows with horns were bulls, but closer examination of my photos disproved that theory. Not this particular photo, but trust me…
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 