Peace In The Margins

Designation: Dark Sky at Kissimmee Prairie State Park in Okeechobee, Florida.

Independance Day weekend has come and gone, and a storm named Elsa didn’t bring the disater some predicted (non-Floridians for the most part). I’m now back at my day job and having a bit of wanderlust withdraws.

Kissimmee Prairie State Park was beautiful, and the one night I was able to see the stars blew me away. The biggest photog-awareness I gained from the experience was that I need to figure out this astrophotography thing if I ever want that “Aha!” Milky Way image. I was able to snag one decent shot – and I use the word decent loosely because it is definitely not an award winning shot (15 images stacked – post processed in Photoshop).

Setting aside the failed attempt at astrophotography, the landscapes were amazing! To maintain the ecosystem of the prairie, forestry and park services must conduct the occasional controlled burn. One such burn had apparently occurred not too long before our trip, but long enough that the new growth was beginning to peek through with bright green foliage. This event allowed for some fabulous B&W images. And I loved how they turned out.

The wildlife didn’t disappoint either – even with the heat and humidity. There were deer (too far away for my 85mm to catch successfully), hawks, eagles, and the commonly occurring racoons and snakes. I’m not a bird-watching connoisseur, but I’ve been told there are some rare species tobe found here. Yet, I was after the unofficial Florida mascot – GATORS.

We had been told about an area off one of the trails called “Aligator Alley.” Video after video showed scenes of 20 – 30 – 40 plus gators sunning themselves on the banks. I knew my 85mm might not have enough umph to grab a well-framed and well-distanced shot of the gators. Worse than that, it was hot, and any good Floridian knows aligators stay in the water and the weeds when it’s hot.

As we came upon the watering hole, the low growls told us these gators were old and big – and probably wise from their years on earth. The low vibration like a siren’s song calling me closer. While I did get some gator shots, I didn’t get the WOW shot. Most of the beasts were hidden in the weeds. DH and I do plan to return to this park (with our eyes set on site 20), and hopefully in the fall/winter these big boys will pose pretty for me.

(At the end of this post you can check out a few of the photos from the weekend.)

On another note, the hubs and I learned very quickly that old age is no respecter of persons. While tent camping is doable, it is also a lot of work, and with creaking joints and out of shape bodies, it took longer than it should have to set up camp. Although, once it was set-up, it was amazing. We cooked on an open campfire, made good, ol’ fashioned cowboy coffee, and enjoyed the simplicity of that elusive visitor named Rest.

It’s amazing how often we forget to simply be still and live in the moment; to simply experience the beauty with which God has filled this world. This trip allowed the hubs and I to reacquaint ourselves with Rest. As the rain moved into camp, we took shelter in our tent, and once the storm had passed, a freshness settled across the area. We sat around a fire, cooked our supper, and simply spent some much needed quality time with each other.

Even though we broke camp one day early, it was a weekend well spent, and in a few short months, we’ll be trying our hand at a different state park: Highlands Hammock.

Until next time,

Alicia