Casita Aventuras: Highland Hammocks and Myakka SP

And the Winner is.....
First, I want to acknowledge the winner of the "What is it? Mystery Photo" from our Miami-Wynwood Walls posting. All had good guesses and we thank you for your responses, but the person who came the closest was Joan Collins from North Farm. The photo was taken from inside our camp screen house looking up through the top at the morning dew drops that had formed. I'll see if we can find any more Mystery Photos!

When we go on walks through the natural areas in Florida sometimes all I can think of as a description is "It's a jungle out there!" At Highland Hammock State Park, I asked George to take some photos of "The Jungle." The photos with water were taken from a boardwalk and the others from a walking path.

"The Jungle"

Me standing in the hollow of a live oak.

An ibis in "The Jungle"

Myakka State Park

Photo of Myakka from the canopy walk

Live oaks with hanging Spanish Moss

The tower from the canopy walk.

The canopy walk structure

An epiphyte (air plant) hanging from a tree and backlit

We visited the John and Mable Ringling Museum in Sarasota which had sections devoted to the circus, their ornate home named Ca' d' Zan on Sarasota Bay, an art museum and the surrounding gardens.

The Ringlings traveled in Europe looking for circus acts and buying art, took their inspiration for Ca' d' Zan from Venetian architecture. Ca' d' Zan was built between 1924-1926 and became a popular entertainment spot during the roaring 20's.

The following photos are from a huge (it has its own building) circus model that was carved over a period of 50 years mainly by one man.