Harvest Moon and a Trip to Stephen Foster State Culture Center

This was the view from my front yard recently. 

Then I walked around the house to the back yard and saw this.

A perfect Harvest Moon makes me want to sing the song.

I absolutely love fall.  Yes, Florida experiences Fall, an abbreviated version, but it is autumn here. In fact, I woke up to the first frost of the season this morning and temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, but the temperature is rising and the light frost is quickly disappearing.

Last weekend we began our rambles through the countryside again. We headed to Steven Foster State Culture Center for a ramble through the park and along the banks of a different part of the Suwannee River.  It was a lovely autumn day. On the way to the park we spied a field of cotton.  Cotton was a huge crop in this area at one time, but it is a bit unusual to see it ready to harvest today.

When we arrived at the park, we visited the museum. It is always our first stop.  Filled with dioramas depicting Foster's songs, no matter how often we visit, I never get tired of it. Oh, Susanna, Camptown Races, My Old Kentucky Home, and this one, the state song, Old Folks at Home.

Yes, that is a field of cotton.

The next stop is the carillon tubular bell tower.  This lovely structure holds a few more displays and the park resounds with Foster's music from the bells it houses.

I have always loved visiting the tower. Its marble interior is refreshingly cool on hot summer days, but there was no need to lean against one of the interior walls on this trip.  Off to the river.  It is still remarkably low because of drought, but it is always lovely.

What does autumn look like in your neighborhood?

Suwannee River State Park Part 2

After a walk along the bank of the river, we usually take a short trek to the other side of the park to check out the history the park contains.

This part of the park features relics from the old sawmill that was located here.  Timber was and still is a huge part of the local economy.

The park is located at the junction of two rivers, the Suwannee and the Withlacoochee.  The area was an important center of transportation and housed a railroad bridge that crossed the Suwannee.

This became a strategic area for the Confederacy to protect during the Civil War and the Confederate Army built earthworks here in preparation to protect the railroad bridge across the Suwannee as the Union Army began a march west across the state.

The Union Army was stopped at the Battle of Olustee in neighboring Columbia County.  So the area the park contains did not see any action. But it is an interesting bit of history to ponder when enjoying a peaceful stroll.

We'll save this trail for another day.

Suwannee River State Park

Until I began this blog, I didn't realize how much time my family spent outdoors, especially at the river.  Our county is bordered on three sides by the Suwannee River and it helps define our life here.

One of the parks my family visits frequently is the Suwannee River State Park.  Our favorite parts of the park are the nature trails.  There are several to choose from, but no trip to the park is complete without a stroll on the trail along the river.  It's not too long and provides views that change with the seasons.  There is always something new to discover as we travel around each bend.

Perhaps the favorite part of this trail is the foot bridge that stretches across a dip in the landscape.

On this trip the dip is bone dry, but in times of plentiful rainfall the water rushes toward the river.

I particularly enjoy the view of the river from the bridge.

This trail meanders along the bank of the river and features some great examples of the native flora and fauna.  Magnolia, laurel oak, ferns, various birds, squirrels…

So much of the land around here is flat so it's a nice change to view a spring bubbling under, through, and over limestone as it makes it way down the slope to the river.

The sound of bubbling water is glorious!

Let's dip our toes in and cool off!

I also love the cypress trees along the river.  These appear to be ancient.

They lend a sense of permanence with their roots clinging deeply into the soil allowing them to stand in times of drought as well as the torrential floods of the past.

 

Visitors

Some of the bright spots during this long, hot summer were these visitors to my garden.

Little River Springs

On a sweltering hot day, Little River Springs is a family favorite. This spring is more developed than others in our area and has more visitors. It is the perfect place for folks of all ages to cool off.

It's like a natural water park with a place for swimming and a large area for wading and splashing by little ones.

We're in the middle of an exceptional drought, so the water level is low right now.  

But, there's still a lot of water from the spring crashing into the Suwannee River.

When the water level is high, the spring rises right up to these steps.

The deepest part seems to glow from some mysterious light. 

The "little river" runs from the spring to the Suwannee, hence the name.

 A view from the nature trail above the spring.

Approaching the spring from the parking area. 

Peacock Springs

With the incredibly HOT summer everyone is having, now is the time to share some of my favorite getaways not far from home.  When the temperature is unbearable, we head to one of the many natural springs in our area and we're not alone! People come from all over the world to explore them and cave dive.  In fact they have been referred to as "bowls of liquid light".  I agree.  They appear to glow from within.

Today we'll take a look at Peacock Springs, one of my favorite destinations.  

Dive on in. The water is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit year round.  It's just right for a refreshing dip on a sultry, southern, summer day.

Visiting this spring is like a mini vacation.  It is less developed than others and has fewer visitors, except for the cave divers at the head of the spring.  The natural beauty is undisturbed.  In fact, it is easy to imagine a trip back in time here.  This is what Native Americans and Spanish explorers saw when they lived and traveled through here.   I could almost believe there is a fountain of youth.  This place is magical.

Not into swimming? Take a walk or sit and listen to the chorus of insects, frogs and birds- a symphony of sound! You never know what kind of critters you may encounter here.  I wouldn't recommend swimming in this part. You may end up being invited to dinner -as the entrée.

This part is perfect for those, like me, who are faint of heart and don't know if they can take the chill. I'll just wade here.  Ah, bliss.

Surprise!

We made a quick trip to the farm Friday morning.  While the Grill Master was checking out the calves, I was looking for the pair of sandhill cranes that can sometimes be spotted wading in the brackish water near the lake. They were nowhere to be found.  But, I did see seven endangered wood storks.  I couldn't get a great picture of them- they were a bit skittish.  There is almost always a surprise waiting for us at the farm.  That's just one reason I love to go there.