Thursday, September 24, 2009

Clouds


The skies in Florida are so dramatic. They're the first thing I notice when I arrive, with clouds piled up like mountains, sidelit and towering. I always forget how amazing they are, and how puny and flat our northern skies can seem by comparison.


Yesterday evening I went for a walk with my mom, and both of us kept marveling at the clouds. It was an especially dramatic evening, as you can see.


I feel like a New Yorker through and through, having lived there now for almost ten years. I have no intention of leaving, and no plans to permanently return to Florida, the land of my birth. Culturally, I don't fit in Florida at all -- at least, not in the area where I grew up, north of Tampa. But these clouds remind me how much I still love the natural environment of the Sunshine State.


Nature in Florida appeals to me. I love the excitement and deco glamor of Miami, and the languorous tropical lushness of Key West. But I grew up in a woodsy area, and more than either of those places, I love the birds and bugs and reptiles, the armadillos and gopher tortoises, the humidity and palmettos and pines. That's where Florida's true beauty lies, and it still speaks to me, even though my life is no longer here.

6 comments:

Barbara said...

I totally understand. I have a fond connection with the white beaches. I can recall the smells of the golf course. The water everywhere is alluring. I even love the power of the thunderstorms that seem to come out of nowhere. But culturally I don't fit in there either.

Enjoy those beautiful clouds and your family!

utahDOG! said...

I like the bugs too! WEEEEE!

Mark said...

Those shots are just wonderful, Steve.

Reya Mellicker said...

The photos are exquisite! I'm so happy you are replenishing your stash of blue. My guess is that NY skies are also incredible - you just can't see them from the floor of the canyon.

I love it that you know how to make yourself at home wherever you are. That is an excellent talent to have.

xx

e said...

While I totally get your connection to the natural world here, it isn't enough to hold me here, either. I've tried to leave several times for jobs that have fallen through, so my next adventure is just to leave, period.

Enjoy your vacation.

lettuce said...

wow, wonderful photos, I love those clouds.