More of Ft Desoto Park

While getting my memory cards ready for my shoot last night, I found that I forgot I had some photos from last Sunday's Ft Desoto shoot. This was one that I almost missed.

It was made a little earlier than the previous post, probably an hour before sunset. I knew there'd be a marvelous sunset because of the beautiful clouds in the sky--if they didn't hide the sun, that is.

It's days like this that make me love Ft Desoto. Every time I go there, this is the atmosphere. It's always peaceful, quiet and I feel like I'm on my own private beach. Ft Desoto is spread out over so many miles that even on a busy weekend, there's plenty of beach for everyone. If you want to find that "private" solitude, there's a spot for everyone. On the other hand, if you're one of those people that like to people watch, and like to see many people on the beach, you can also find that there, too. It's just the perfect place.

It is also one of the only beaches you'll find that you can see the sunrise and the sunset from the same beach. It's a must visit if you're not from this area. If you are, then you already know about this beautiful place and have experienced all it has to offer.

Spatterdocks

While walking in Sawgrass Lake Park, I spotted these Spatterdocks floating above the water in the canal. I like the way they're grouped in this shot. Throughout the canal, there are many little groupings of these Spatterdocks.

There are many varieties of Water Lilies and this is just one of them. The blossoms look like little yellow unopened flowers and aren't very showy. What I like best about these are the various colors, ranging from yellows to greens to a pretty purple color.

Spatterdocks grow from Rhizomes and support much aquatic life. "Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. This invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called "detritus") for many aquatic invertebrates. Spatterdock is grazed by deer while the rhizomes are consumed by beavers, muskrats, and nutria. Seeds are consumed by ducks and other waterfowl." - http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/emergent_plants/spatterdock.htm

Personally, I just like the peaceful setting of the Spatterdocks floating on the canal. It's amazing how much we can find to photograph in nature if we just slow down and open our eyes and minds. Nature is all around us. We need to protect it for the future.