We completed one out of three discoveries offered at the Florida Botanical Gardens located off Ulmerton Road, Largo this morning: Nature. For Art, presented at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, and History to be experienced at the Heritage Village, the newest of the three, they will have to await our next trip. We were at hand to watch the gardens grow, to witness the symbiosis that exists, and to marvel at the richness of nature unfolding by "taking a refreshing pause in nature and enjoying a pleasant walk though 150 acres of formal gardens, scenic landscapes, and native habitats", as the brochure beckons invitingly. Admission is free, at least for the nature discovery part, and the exercise in coursing through the garden maze really does the body good.
While you may not have been there, let me help you out by guiding you through a digital display of captured sights that will surely nudge you into seeing them for yourself.
Wify, the chief architect of the visit, by the flower hedge along the bridge railing.
The tree portal fronting one of the three bridges crossing McKay Creek that runs through the heart of the Gardens. And the sky seems to be lending its own fireworks to the occasion.
The Oak wearing a skirt of ferns.
"Mushrooms" on tree. Maybe not.
Bumper harvest.
The leaves look like they have gone through a shredder. Wonder what secrets have been exterminated.
Free falling.
Weighing down.
Random bloom.
Breaking though the phalanx.
Mutual admiration.
Pitstop.
Swagger.
Peaceful coexistence.
Bee at work.
Bee at rest?
Dandy stop.
On solid ground.
Easy does it.
Picture perfect, if you miss it. (we rewarded ourselves at the China Pearl Super Buffet located along Dale Mabry Highway and the painting appears on the wall of the front office.)
Another potpourri of life as my camera lens sees it constitutes my adventure into Bloggerdom for the day. These are the scenes that meet my eyes on a daily basis, or at least, at places where I go to work or to shop, or to relax, regardless whether it is up in the air or down on the ground. Some have managed to trigger the gems of witticism from me, or so I thought. Still others seem to convey some hidden messages, if you choose to think out of the box. Of course it is largely a matter of perception really, just like one can see a bottle as half full, while another, half empty. So, just observe and let go.
Looking for extra-terrestrial assistance for Earth's problems? An array of ground receiving satellite discs seen in the USF campus.
Rumbling along above the hustle and bustle.
Converging, or diverging, depending on one's perspective.
Below every dark cloud, there is a gold pot.
Island in the sky, 'cos it resembles the outline of England, with latitude crossings.
The invasion of the gray that is no fight for the rainbow streak, as seen through a rain-pattered windscreen.
Ribbons in the sky. Taken at the front of the newly opened HHGREGG store along Bruce B. Down Blvd.
Birds of Paradise, also known as Crane flowers, are one of the most beautiful Exotic Flowers. Birds of Paradise are native to South Africa. They bloom from September through May. The flowers of the Birds of Paradise resemble a brightly colored bird in flight and so the name Birds of Paradise. Taken in USF Campus.
Multi-threading in nature. As seen on USF Campus.
Multi-directionality of a cluster of ... (I have no idea).
Hypermetropic, as in far-sighted, i.e., blurred near vision. Actually it is a focus trick of the camera.
A lone lily bud sprouting out of the water, over the lily pads/leaves, some verdant, some variegated, symbolizing the transitory nature of life. Seen on a road-side lake along Martin Luther King Blvd on my way to work every morning. 
The lone lily flower bursting forth.
Casting shadows, the work of the saucer-like lily leaves working in tandem with the sun.
Hydrophobicity (from the combining form of water in Attic Greek hydro- and for fear phobos) is the physical property of a molecule (known as a hydrophobe) that is repelled from a mass of water. Superhydrophobic surfaces such as the leaves of the lotus plant have surfaces that are extremely difficult to wet. The contact angles of a water droplet exceeds 150° and the roll-off angle is less than 10°. This is referred to as the Lotus effect. This is physics at work in nature.
Optical illusion that results from a mere rotation of the photo image. Actually, it is the cactus plant that is inclined, and the buildings upright, demonstrating the importance of context.
"Now, fellow fearless duckies, we have hydrophobic plummage, we have webbed feet. And we are all hard-wired to swim. So, go ahead, take the plunge," the duckie general, dressed in white, cajoles.
The pretender.
A fountain whose watery emissions seem to merge into the clouds, their brethren in the sky. Taken in front of the building where my office is located, graced by wify.
