My feet said a mighty welcome to my hiking boots. They have been estranged for months, since I started having problems (plantar fasciitis) with my foot and Dirt Man had back surgery. I took them (or should I say they took me?) out onto the trails at First Landing State Park. I found this six mile hike to probably be one mile more than my foot needed for its first outing. Wylie was ecstatic to be in the great outdoors.
All our senses tingled with nature’s delights. We were greeted by moderate temps with a slight crisp breeze. The sky was mostly washed out by clouds but later colored into a cobalt cloud spritzed heaven. Spanish moss dangled from the trees and swirled with the wind. The sun eventually emerged to kiss our shoulders. Light sprayed through the tree branches, shimmered across the water, and danced along the shoreline. Leave rustled as critters scampered through the forest. Squirrels barked and birds sang while we meandered across the dunes and through the woods. The sweet aroma of berries mingled with the pungent scent of early autumn. A hint of salt brushed across my lips as my sand sprinkled hands pushed a branch out of the way.
This was my first outing of using only manual settings on my camera. Some pictures turned out well while others were a bit pale or too bright. However, I am not savvy enough to photo shop them.
Slice of Life
Lichen covered limbs
Berry on the ground
Creek and shoreline
Youngsters in the treetop
Refreshing
The Great Expanse
In the Middle
Osprey nest
Swinging from the trees
More Marshland
Sticking up for you
Gorgeous out there, and great job working the manual exclusively for the first time! I think moss is so cool looking (and spooky) but the chiggers scare me!
Are there chiggers in Spanish moss? Shivers!
I had that same foot problem. I stretched my calves (upper and lower) four times a day. That was the only thing that helped.
What a great hike! Love the views. That creepy tree branch is my favorite. You did a tremendous job in manual. It just takes practice as far as too light or dark. Whites and blacks are tricky.
I’m hoping to be brave enough to play with HDR next weekend.
Suzi, you have no idea how much I enjoyed reading your words.
“All our senses tingled with nature’s delights. We were greeted by moderate temps with a slight crisp breeze. The sky was mostly washed out by clouds but later colored into a cobalt cloud spritzed heaven. Spanish moss dangled from the trees and swirled with the wind. The sun eventually emerged to kiss our shoulders…..”
That whole second paragraph was so beautifully written because I could SEE so accurately everything your were describing!
Beautiful photos as well. Especially love the first one of the mushroom.
I only use the manual setting on my camera because I still don’t know how to use the other features. Therefore, I end up having to tweak them after I upload them.
Have a wonderful Monday, my friend…..X
Thanks, Ron. It’s the tweaking after I need to work on…I can never decide if the pics were better before or AFTER I tweaked them, lol! Perhaps, I just need better eyes!
What an extraordinary place! Simply beautiful. And I am so happy you are able to get out and explore again. Your photos don’t need any “retouching”. They are marvelous!
It is pretty there. We tend to go a lot for both hiking and photography. I love to see the changes with each season.
So beautiful. I feel like I was there!
So happy you enjoyed it, Katie
I’ve always loved Spanish moss — I understand it’s really a parasite, but it always reminds me of New Orleans and the Miss. Gulf Coast!
Yes, I love Spanish moss, and it was years before I discovered it was here in our swampy areas.
I haven’t seen that much Spanish moss since we visited Savannah! Glad you both were able to get out in nature again. (Or should I have said all THREE ?) Great job on the photos! I need to get brave and try that.
It’s everywhere along our swampy areas…you need to take a hike, lol! For a photography shoot that is!
Verrry nice! I need to learn more about manual settings before I use them very often. Maybe one day. Or not. I’m pretty lazy. You did a great job, and your words are – as always – perfect!
It was much more fun than I thought it would be. I’m just not used to thinking or fiddling with the camera…used to just aiming and shooting, lol.
The photos are great. Photoshop is overrated.
Glorious spanish moss.
Thank you…gives me an excuse not to learn how to use it! Love Spanish moss.
Very nice pictures SC, enjoy the hikes and don’t push too hard, everything will be back to normal before you know it.
Thanks, Jimmy. I think my problem is that I forget I have to return to where I started and end up overdoing it just a tad.
Beautiful pictures. I live in a very urban city so I appreciate experiencing nature vicariously.
Thank you. This is one of those treasures tucked within the city. It’s the next best thing I can get without traveling.
Love the pictures! It’s still in the high nineties here, but I’m looking forward to getting back into the weekend hike routine. Maybe in a couple weeks. I like the ‘in the middle’ one – nice composition. I’m not an expert on custom settings (rarely use them) but these pics look awesome to me!
I like getting out as the weather cools. We don’t do much hiking in the summer; we’d much rather canoe!
Oh, Suzicate, I hadn’t realized you haven’t be out and about. That would be so hard to endure. The photos are great…fungus surprises and seems to continuously invent itself. Glad you are back in commission.
It’s great to be out and about, Amy. We’ve been hanging at home since my son’s accident, but since he’s doing better we’ve been getting out some.
You have some great places to walk!
We sure do. We try to take advantage of what the area offers when we can.
Glad to hear that you, Wylie, and Dirt Man are venturing a bit farther afield. Beautiful shots.
BFF has had to deal with plantar fasciitus . . . OUCH! Glad you’re on the ROAD to recovery.
We all enjoyed being out in the wide open again!
Loved your captions for the pics, very clever, Suzicate
Why thank you, Cindy.
I’ll bet you were thrilled to get out and about again. I’ve always thought Spanish Moss was so pretty. Love the red toadstool. Very unusual, and a great shot.
Loved getting out in this kind of weather.
You certainly seem to have been ambitious for the first walk for a while – but the pictures were worth it.
My hubby has a tendency to push me as far as I can endure, lol!
What lovely photos. My sister got married back in 2000 at the old First Landing Chapel. Her wedding was the last one there and the only thing left is the footprint of the building. They rebuilt a more modern one that following year….kind of sad, but we enjoy going back there when we can.
Was it in the park or near the lighthouses? Love the park, wooded trails and beach side.
It was near the lighthoues. She had photos taken on the beach afterward, in March! And I was wearing a strapless dress.
I’ll have to look around a bit more when I’m over that way.
Strapless on the beach in March, ooooh I can feel the chill of the wind!
Yeah it was freezing! It wasn’t my finest moment trying to not freeze to death out there. But my hair never moved – I’m probably still washing hairspray out of my hair;)
Ha, must have used Aquanet!
suzicate….i loved it that you took us on your walk with you….so many great images! thanks, i enjoyed hanging out with you….
So happy you came along; you’re great company!
I love the pics and the corresponding captions. Sounds like your hike was a nice welcome home. Glad you are able to hike again.
It was wonderful.