Just wanted to post a photo of a moment from a wonderful morning I had recently. Well worth getting up for. Most folks I meet that are visiting Florida rarely travel west of I-95 unless they are heading to either Orlando or the “other” coast. Lol. Sadly, many folks that live in Florida rarely travel west of I-95. But they are seriously missing a very beautiful, historical part of our country, that you can see nowhere else.
Oh, and did I mention you see cows. Lots and lots of cows.
Artistic Inspiration 360 degrees
Just drive for a few moments west of the main highway running along the eastern corridor of Florida and you will feel like you really are in ‘the West’. There are cows, along with a few horses, almost everywhere. The houses go from being pretty condensed, to spread out, to ranches to wide open spaces that stretch endlessly on the horizen.
Wildlife is also abundant. There are lots of birds, mosquitoes about the size of birds, snakes, alligators, and all sorts of neat creatures to see. Everywhere I look I see a picture–to take, to study, to paint. Inspiration abounds. And in the early morning, the light is simply magic!
Florida’s Agricultural History
Florida has a rich agricultural heritage that dates back to the early 1500’s when the Spanish explorers brought cattle and other livestock with them. They are also responsible for bringing citrus here. But what is nice about this, and why I bring it up here, is that this heritage is alive and well. It was my daughter’s interest in becoming involved with a part of this heritage that brought it into my orbit. And I am glad it did. I will write more about it soon, but wanted to just share a quick picture from one of these special mornings–getting up really early and heading well west of the highway to experience this firsthand. Believe me, it is something I look forward to!
As I said a moment ago, it is simply magical. Check back with me and you can save yourself insect repellent, or maybe be inspired to go check it out for yourself.You won’t be sorry!
