I’ve enjoyed several photo collections on WordPress over the last month with everything from beautiful outdoor scenes and hiking trails lined with local plants to fall’s arrival and happy children carving pumpkins.

My challenge as a Central Florida resident is that fall is not so different from spring or summer (except for the heat) but that doesn’t mean I’m empty-handed here. This week, I’m sharing nature-oriented photos representing my adopted state, and how they’ve taught me a few things.

One of the biggest natural beauties we have on the East Coast is the Atlantic. Occasionally, we visited early to catch sunrises or went for swims in the afternoon. Sometimes, the surf was heavy, but other days…

…it was ideal. My rainbow photo is one of my all-time favorites. I felt like the “pot of gold” or the promise of all good things, was sooo close.

Every November, they sell Christmas cacti in the stores, and I desperately wanted one our first year in 2015. I couldn’t believe that a plant would know specifically when to bloom (based on sun angle and temperature.) I’ll admit that the one I bought mixed up its holidays and bloomed on Easter, but sure enough, this photo eventually captured my first Christmas Day cactus in full bloom. Magic. I didn’t have this in Chicago.

Back to the ocean for just a moment. Every year, from March through October, Loggerheads, and Green Sea turtles appear from the ocean and slowly make their way closer to the dune line. Once there, they use all four flippers to move away the sand; creating a deep pit where they lay the eggs. There is often a volunteer close by who will move in after the turtle returns to the water and put up a sign and protective stakes to keep the curious away.

I have not seen this process, but we were walking on the beach one day when a tiny straggler, recently hatched, lost its way and was moving away from the water. I gently picked it up and helped it enter the water. Someone passing by told me I shouldn’t pick it up. I was pretty green about wildlife near the sea.

And speaking of wildlife, I can’t avoid addressing our alligators. If I see them, I give them a wide berth, and I never turn my back on a lake or pond to take a photograph or stop in conversation.

Leaves do change color here, but this is an actual fall bloom for Florida. It’s called Pink Muhly Grass, and I love its texture and soft movements in a breeze. When I see it, I know the worst of summer is behind us.

One tree I fell in love with here is the magnolia tree. It’s large glossy foliage is gorgeous when it blooms with its oversized white flowers. They say it adds a “touch of elegance” to any yard or outdoor space. When I used to attend my outdoor Tai Chi class, the teacher encouraged us to look at the water and the magnolia trees as we meditated.

I grew fond of this little guy who hung by our deck screen door one season. When I tried to take a photo, he ran under our own magnolia tree. He thought he was successfully hiding.

These foggy, mystical mornings are rare, but I love walking on these days. I was on a footbridge over water when I took this photo.

“A Land Remembered” is a historical fictional account of a family arriving in Florida in the late 1800s, and their struggles to develop the untamed land. But they did. They built cattle and citrus grove businesses, and that money allowed them to buy Florida land cheaply, including being part of the Miami land boom.

They had a unique relationship to a Seminole Indian family, which lasts decades; eventually learning that their home is in the area now known as the Everglades.

Carefully researched by the author, the book has been ranked #1 Best Florida Book eight times in annual polls conducted by Florida Monthly Magazine. I just learned it is going to be a limited series on television next year.

I am not always a fan of historical fiction, but if you’re interested in early Florida, its environment, its historic storms, its people and its growth, I highly recommend it.

One of our early morning sunrises..

Morning has broken like the first morning….

Cat Stevens