American Oystercatcher on the Gulf Coast
In the wake of Hurricane Michael and all its devastation, my heart goes out to all the people who lost so much. And to the creatures, trees, forests, and wildlife habitats. Godspeed to all in your recovery.
Chipola River Floodplain
Through the years, I spent many joyful hours exploring nature in this swath of the Florida Panhandle, and have captured many images of its beauty. Here, I've chosen some pre-storm photos from Michael's path and want to share them in honor of what was lost, what remains, and of the resilience of the folks whose lives have been disrupted, but are rebuilding anew.
Line of Dusk - Dune lake west of Mexico Beach
Hurricane Michael made landfall at Mexico Beach - not far from where so many of my Gulf Coast adventures date back to 1978.
Eroding Dune
Pink Sea Wash - Cape San Blas
Grayton Dunes
Gulf Abstract
New Day Dawns - Indian Pass
Dune Lake
Sea Shell in Sunset
The Gift -- Least Terns
Cutting Edge - St Vincent Island
Grayton Dune Lake
Last Rays
Shell Seeker
The storm roared north between Econfina Creek and the Apalachicola River basin -- two of my favorite wild places...
Springside Foxglove - Econfina Creek
Early Light on Econfina Limerock
Econfina Mountain Laurel
Cypress & Tupelo - Apalachicola River Basin
Dead Lakes Cypress
Prothonotary Mouthful
Owl Creek Light
Twisted Cypress - Apalachicola River Basin
Dead Lakes Moonrise
Dr. Seuss in the Florida Wilds
Apalachicola Oxbow Camp
...Maintaining Category 4 force winds all the way to Jackson County on the FL-GA line.
Misty Cypress Dawn - Merritts Mill Pond, Jackson County
Plunging in at Jackson Blue Spring
Spring on the Upper Chipola
Primordial Forest - Florida Caverns State Park
Luminous Underworld - Chipola River
Maund Spring - Chipola River
Silver Pond Cypress - Merritts Mill Pond
Chipola Dawn Fog
Troubadours of Tupelo - Chipola River
Chipola Ovens
Chipola Canopy
Blue Spring Bass
Florida Caverns
Indian Pinks - Florida Caverns State Park
Green Heron Breakfast - Jackson County
Florida Oasis - Chipola River
Standing in Honor at Grandmother's Grave - Florida Caverns State Park
The Storm whirled onward, wreaking havoc in Georgia and beyond. Climate change is here and now, fueling these epic storms and other extreme phemomena in our state, country, and across the planet. A sad new reality that might have been averted, and with some political will, might still be mitigated. There is much remaining natural beauty worth protecting. It/we are all interconnected -- a delicate balance -- and surprisingly fragile. May we humans have the wisdom to do what we can for the health of our Earth.
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