Local Nature

Umatilla, FL

Last night was the first rainstorm since we've been here.  I never heard of rain coming so fast and forceful as it did.  Even though the storm lasted only 20 minutes, we got 1.5 inches of rain.  I think 1.0 inches of that in 5 minutes.   The lawn was a mess.   At one of the buildings I saw a delta of 3/4 inch crushed stones moved more than 3 feet away from the bottom of a downspout.  Man when it rains here it really rains.

Here are a few shots of the delightful local nature.   The first three were taken on the Florida National Trail in Ocala National Forest.  This area is quite unlike southern Florida.

This is Lake Pearl as seen from this RV park.  It is on the shore of the lake where I go before dawn each morning to do my workout.  Watching the sky redden then brighten is a delight.   Sometimes the lake is like a reflecting pool.  Other times, the mist rises from the lake surface to create fog.

Libby shot this pic of me working out.