When you reach the top, keep climbing.

Now that I'm finished with HCC I've been interning at the Environmental Protection Commission for a few months now with their MIS dept. I've taken the semester off, just trying to work and save money for a trip to Montana next summer, and a camera. Here is my next chapter of 'Without me there would be nothing.'

I dance with the eyes, through awe and fear,
My sting will weep for a lifetime.
Then your hatred will feed me,
But that is not my crime.
So I cradle your momentum.
If you seek my forgiveness,
Without global convergence,
That's an act you'll not witness.
Without me there would be nothing.

The title to the previous entry is: Tidal Currents

You cannot dream yourself into a character, you must hammer and forge yourself into one.

Lots of trail content pending editing and I have yet to get my photo/video editing programs working. Been busy with interning and my programming capstone project. I'll reboot my operating system when I'm finished with my current project and take the time to back up everything and get it all working smoothly again. Until then, I've been working on a poetry/riddle series dubbed 'Without me there would be nothing.' Each of the writings follow a custom poetry format, which I designed to allow flexibility with flow. The individual writings' of the series have no 'title' per se, but merely an answer to the riddle that will be released on the subsequent post. Each chapter primarily pertains to one a multitude of natural phenomena that are essential to world we inhabit. Here is the first installment:

I draw my strength from the moon and sun,
They yank and release at my seams.
I will take all I can, piece by piece,
And cyclic are my screams.
I am a double edged sword,
Sometimes furious though often fun,
And always frequent nonetheless.
But from my fury, no one can run.
Without me there would be nothing.

Trout Creek: To Know the Road Ahead, Ask Those Coming Back

Holidays are over and school has started again but I recently went out to Trout Creek, located on the southern end of the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, along with some other local areas. I'll post more when I fix the my photo editor, these are all raw photos.

The cold winter day goes unseen amongst Florida's inevitable lack of snow; however, activity is high because most locals don't dread the colder season, as they can go outside without instantly sweating due to the sweltering heat and humidity we get most of the year.

Strong, low winds plow through the airy open flood ways that surround Trout Creek, embroiling the natural growth causing the formation of an erratic jumble of branches like a contorted, mossy jungle gym.

The paths are entwined between brush and trees. Low humidity and temperature makes breathing through a heavy trek much easier, keeping my core heat regulated as my lungs radiate warm blood with chilled breath.

The fungi and termites make quick work in the decomposition of these fallen trees.

Trout Creek flows steadily south. Water flowing south from Withlacoochee River feeds Cypress Creek and ultimately comes through here and out the mouth of the bay.

This pond connects to Trout Creek via the spillway below, flood waters are controlled by the counties reroutes and dams.

The abundance of cypress knees collect across this dried up riverbed to create it's natural cemetery formation.

This bridge shows a heavy tread left by the tramp of walkers and bikers alike.

The local hog population leave their mark, as is their standard M.O. mangled ground plowed by tusks in search for roots to eat. These hogs will eat anything...

The opposing end of the Panther trail from Flatwoods Park is my stopping point for today.

With more trail content piling up and school in full swing it will probably be a while until I can compile it well.

Serenova Tract: Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience

This past labor day I visited Seranova Tract, part of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County. I've been working on photo processing to compensate for my lack of a decent camera, lighting, and overall photography experience. It takes a while for me to go through 50+ photos and pick the best ones to process. The daylight was shaded by dense clouds, the clouds moved swiftly with the heavy winds; however, an absent creative spark leaves my fingers idle at the keys.

A simple start: rested, hydrated, fed, and stretched... the day is flourishing.

Winding narrow brush paths stay to my sides until reaching the terraced roadway and first water body to the East.

A divergence of the path.... and so comes the dilemma of being limitless.

Too much life is left to die alone.

Her highness Heron bides her time in the shade, spying on the prey in the murky pool below.

Group and equestrian camping is offered (for free) by reservation. This makes for my first break. 

The rare leering of the Sun's glare from behind the canopy of clouds generates the first heavy shadow for the day.

Wish I knew what these are, but brightly colored berries certainly don't look edible, getting sick is worse than starvation. Luckily I got my Tanka Bar.

The power grid runs through and creates an open area to capture the wind current.

Feed the war machine
Their marching will never cease
Slaves to their instinct

Illumination shines through the clouds as the canopy begins to open, this is not lens glare.

Some SWFWMD properties allow hunting during certain seasons; however, Starkey Preserve does not for the time being, although its good for fishing.

The agility of these butterflies makes them all the more difficult to snapshot, they must be shy.

Even with the glare I was able to adjust shadow and highlight settings to reveal the exact color of this 'Humungo'.

These are sprouts (primarily termed) of the Humungo. Forests are counted by using a base (tree type dependent) of the number of the largest category of tree in an area and the younger sprouts its causes exponentially. This is how biologists evaluate a semi-accurate amount of forestry that that have pertaining to a particular property. It is also one of the ways logging companies try to appraise the value of their new Profit Land. The layers from the below the soil all the way to the canopy peak is the genesis for the thriving ecosystem it encompasses: it all starts at the few Humungos left. Different tree types seed in different manners and frequencies; more often than not, new sprouts will not be able to form (a variety on conflicting factors include weather, animals, and of course interference of man) The largest tree saps the most nutrients from the soil, but life... finds a way.

These flowers assume their position, cleaving the hefty breeze.

Horse tracks are an obvious sign of the equestrian campers ahead. The frequent rain and moist trail soil prove these are fresh, otherwise they would wash away.

The deluge of recent days causes ponds to flood out and submerge all other depressions throughout the land. Bare-footed wading comes up to near-waist-high in some areas... my envy of the cavalry is obvious.

Lastly I'll leave you with a hint of warning, these fat pink-gilled mushrooms that flourish with Florida's humidity have toxins that are deleterious to the human digestive system.

It took a while for me to finish all the content in this post, I've been having to keep up with my C and Java classes. I try to keep busy but that also means distractions. Hopefully I will get back out there soon.