#myakka river

[margaretshawartwork]

Florida Drawings & Myakka

Today I'm having a quiet day as the villa fire alarm was quite enthusiastic last night - we never figured out why. I've put the colour on a few drawings I started earlier in the week.

Had a lovely day yesterday at Myakka River Park. Some shots taken with my phone as the camera I brought with me seems to be having difficulties focusing.

#myakka river state park

[katnapsh]

Pool - Water Slide Inspiration for a huge backyard stone and custom-shaped natural water slide remodel

#1000 acre working cattle ranch #hacienda ranch estate #pool #resort pool #1300 sq foot estate home #myakka city myakka river

[girlsaloudmeme]

Exterior - Southwestern Exterior Huge southwestern beige three-story stucco house exterior idea with a tile roof

#massive wood burning stone fireplace #1000 acres on myakka river #myakka city #stucco #4 car garage

[herpsandbirds]

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), family Phasianidae, order Galliformes, Myakka River State Park, Florida, USA

photograph by Joseph Placheril

#turkey #melaeagris #phasianidae #galliformes #bird #ornithology #animals #nature #north america

[magicaguajiro]

Swamp Witch Travels: Finding Sacred Space

Myakka River and Paynes Creek State Parks

As I dive deeper into my practice of bioregional animism, I look to parks for sacred space and places to connect with spirits of all kinds. In Florida we live in cities divided by nature preserves and swamps, and we are also incredibly blessed to have an amazing State Parks system. These parks offer us peaks into ecology and history of the Land that reveal to us some of Its Mysteries. Here are a few things I’ve learned as a Folk Witch.

Make an offering when entering. For ancestral reasons, I use tobacco. Use what you're guided to. Introduce yourself, your intentions, etc. Also, pick up trash and be respectful. Don't wander in places you don't know, or take things you don't have knowledge on. It’s usually best to practice Leave No Trace but when have Witches been known to follow rules… Do as ye will. But always ask and give something in return.

There are different spirits!

Trees, plants, rivers, hills and even entire forests and parks can have their own spirits. At parks like Myakka and Payne’s Creek, there are platforms you can climb for an aerial view of the park. This is a great place to connect with the Genus Loci of a place! (For more on Genus Loci, I recommend Folk Witchcraft by Roger J Horne) Some spirits will want to talk to you, some won’t. Respect their choices and don’t expect anyone to talk for free.

Protection is Key!

Protection is important for witches and animists. Many spirits and natural places are dangerous, for example some Rivers are known for drowning and can be seen as having a harsh and dangerous spirit. When protecting myself day to day I wear spiritual jewelry from my Cuban traditions. Shark and gator teeth serve as great protection from water spirits and in general. My spiral shell ring is protective and I often use it in ritual. Bodies of water are also great places to bless things and hold rituals of cleansing and power! Not only spiritual protection, but physical protection is needed as well. In these swamps, we have gators, sharks, panthers, bobcats, bears, snakes, PEOPLE and even more things that would gladly expedite your role in the food chain. I’m not saying be afraid of animals, rather have respect and recognize you are in their domain. Carry bear spray, don’t wander too far off known trails, and be careful of other people.

I once heard a saying, the Swamp knows everything about death, and doesn’t consider it a tragedy.

Enjoy the Scenery, and Learn!

Take it all in and take your time! If you need to escape heat and mosquitos check out the visitor centers and gift shops! I justify spending a bit too much here on considering it an offering to the Land. Try talking to the people who work here or making friends! This is a great way to learn Folklore and secret places to explore.

On Remembering Ancestors of the Land

In working with the Land, you must honor the Ancestors of the Land. These are the spirits of all the people who lived on the Land before you. For me, this begins with my Ancestors and the other Indigenous groups of the area. In Florida, the tribes who remain today are the Seminole and Mikasuki. We should look to Indigenous tribes for wisdom on how to approach and respect the Land, but that doesn’t mean read online about it and go appropriate it. It means go and actually talk to real life people. You can and certainly should also honor other people, including any folk saints or historical figures who may serve as tutelary spirits or otherwise.

And always remember to say Fuck the Colonizers!

Happy Witching Friends, May the Dry Season bring us all Renewal!

#witchcraft #florida #bruja #brujeria #witch #bioregional animism #florida witch #santeria #swamp witch #traditional witchcraft #espiritismo #taino #taino spirituality #atabey #folk magic #folkloric witch #folk witchcraft #folk witch

[birdsbugswildlife]

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Myakka River State Park, Florida

#reptiles #alligator #wildlife photography #wildlife #nature #naturephotooftheday

[thesquishyrogue]

Cryptober Day 17: Skunk Ape.

The Skunk Ape, or Myakka Ape, is a bipedal humanoid reported in the South Eastern United States. Including Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana, but most notably in the Florida Everglades. It is supposedly a type of Bigfoot, but rather than just mentioning it in my Bigfoot entry I wanted to give it its own, seeing as how the legend of the Skunk Ape is a big phenomenon quite similar to that of the classic Bigfoot.

The Skunk Ape allegedly has black fur and glowing red eyes, which is unusual considering that most primates lack a tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue behind the retina that reflects light. And of course its most obvious characteristic is its terrible odor, which gives it its name. The smell is theorized to be caused by methane released by the swamps it resides in, which absorbs into its fur.

The very first sightings of the Skunk Ape were reported throughout the 1960s and 1970s, primarily in Dade County, Florida. Twenty-six years later, in the autumn of 2000, the police of Sarasota County, Florida received a letter from an anonymous woman. With the letter were two attached photographs of a creature that the woman said had been stealing apples from her back porch for three nights. These photos were later found to be taken near the Myakka River. Though the woman believed it to be an escaped orangutan, after the images were released to the public many cryptid enthusiasts dubbed the creature as the Myakka Skunk Ape, and thus making these photographs some of the most famous when it comes to alleged Skunk Ape sightings.

Most sightings of the Skunk Ape, like Bigfoot sightings, are usually dismissed as black bear sightings. A black bear can stand upright, making it appear like an entirely different animal. Bears are also known to rummage through garbage bins, which could explain the smell so associated with this creature. To the surprise of absolutely no one, The United States National Park Service considers the Skunk Ape to be a complete hoax.

#cryptober #drawing challenge 2022 #skunk ape #cryptids #cryptozoology

[thecreaturecodex]

What mythical creatures live in Miami

Skunk apes! The skunk ape is a regional variation of Bigfoot. Smaller, smellier, meaner. They are reported from throughout the South, but central and southern Florida are definitely Home Base for the skunk apes. The photo was allegedly taken at Myakka River State Park

Image © Gustavo Rinaldi, accessed at ArtStation here

There's a famous bit of writing called "Myths over Miami", which reports on the emergent mythology of homeless children in Miami. In this mythos, Bloody Mary, somewhat merged with La Llorona, is the primary architect of evil in the world. The story is almost certainly a hoax, as it has never been corroborated or even followed up on, but it's still a good read.

There's a fair number of monster movies set in and filmed in Florida, but most of them are farther north. Sting of Death (1965) (above) is a proto-slasher movie in which the villain is a mad science created were-jellyfish who hangs out in the Everglades. And Blood Freak (1972) (below), shot and set in Miami, is an evangelical Christian horror movie. The titular freak is a blood drinking, drug addled turkey-man, created through a drug interaction between experimental growth hormones in turkey meat and a laced joint. Except that it's all just a dream, enabling both him and the bad girl giving him the drugs to repent and find Jesus!

#feedback #florida #miami #skunk ape #bigfoot #bloody mary #la llorona #sting of death #blood freak #b movies

[aimer-imaginer-penser]

Myakka River State Park by Ross Macdonald

[rockymtn-rockn-roll-redneck2]

Alligator eyes shining in a Florida river, Myakka River State Park.

[semtituloh]

Via Archeology & Civilizations

Joumana Khalaf

Shining eyes of alligators at dusk

Myakka River State Park, Florida

[dabbertcustomblades]

One of the many little parks along the Myakka river.

#picnic #exploring #florida living #florida wildlife

[withinmymindseye]

Photographer’s Eye

After looking through the 17,000 photos I have on my cell phone, one theme that stuck out to me involved shoes. Shoes travel everywhere with their owner. Every time we walk out of the house and go somewhere, our shoes are on the bottom of our feet. This is pretty interesting to think about. Take a second and look at the shoes you are wearing right now. Now think about all the different places these shoes have traveled with you. We may not realize but our shoes hold many memories for us. I have compiled a photo collection from my iPhone pictures that illustrate this theme for me. 

Before Class

This was on campus at fsw before one of my classes. My shoes brought me to a bench that I had not recognized before. There I was able to sit down and relax before class, admiring the Florida sun.

Falling Down

This picture was taken in front of my house. As pictured, I had lost my footing and started to fall down. Probably due to the fact that I have owned these shoes for 8 years. This is only one of the hundreds of places these shoes have been with me.

On a Railroad Track

These shoes were the shoes I wore most frequently in 2021. Here I decided to stop in Fort Myers with my friends to take pictures, where I stood on train tracks.

Beneath a Sunset

Here these shoes helped me keep my balance on a swing while posing for a picture in front of a beautiful sunset.

Longboarding Freely

These shoes gave me a stable ground to stand upon while longboarding.

Lounging in a Tree

It’s not often that I find myself in a tree but these shoes were able to get me in one.

Lost in the Foliage

My shoes are surrounded by the plants of Myakka State River Park. A park that I thoroughly enjoy. If you look closer at the shoes, you can see that they have already been pictured in this collection.

On the Edge of the Water

My shoes are planted on the seawall at Charlotte Harbor. Which is a park I often watch sunsets at.

Fueling Up

These shoes brought me to a gas station right by my significant other’s house. What’s interesting is I walked in that gas station years before with my parents before I even met him. Also, these shoes illustrate my love for fashion. 

After looking at all of these photos and reading the description, it can be seen that my shoes have traveled with me to a number of locations. Whether that is to class, or to a state park 50 miles from my house, shoes have been on the bottom of my feet. I have titled all of these photos to correspond to the location they were taken and what memory they hold for me. As trivial as shoes may seem, they are with us at almost every moment of our lives and hold many memories for us.

[naturecoaster]

Florida State Parks Announces Winners of 2023 Photo Contest

Winners will receive prize packages including outdoor gear and Florida State Parks merchandise. Florida State Parks Announces Winners of 2023 Photo Contest John Hootman's photo "Morning Glow" shows a man on a boardwalk overlooking the peaceful spring at Manatee Springs State Park, earning him the top prize in the Professional/Hobbyist Division. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service is proud to announce the winners of the 2023 Florida State Parks Photo Contest, “Capture the Real Florida.”  This year’s contest had three competition divisions – Professional/Hobbyist, Student and Mobile Phone. Winners in the Professional/Hobbyist division are listed below, and winners for the other divisions may be viewed on the Photo Contest webpage.  - First-Place Winner: John Hootman’s photo titled “Morning Glow” was taken at Manatee Springs State Park near Chiefland. Hootman won a $2,500 B&H Photo gift card, Florida State Parks’ stand-up paddleboard, hammock and promotional package as well as a Family Annual Entrance Pass.  - Second-Place Winner: Curt Mason’s photo titled “Blue Grace” was taken at Ichetucknee Springs State Park near Fort White. Mason won a Florida State Parks’ stand-up paddleboard, hammock and promotional package.  - Third-Place Winner: Beverly Eaton’s photo titled “American Alligator Chill” was taken at Myakka River State Park near Sarasota. Eaton won a Florida State Parks’ stand-up paddleboard, hammock and promotional package.  “We received thousands of outstanding photos this year, making it challenging to select just three winners. What makes Florida State Parks so special, our diversity of wildlife, flora and geography, has been captured perfectly in these photos,” said Chuck Hatcher, director of the Florida Park Service. “Thank you to everyone who submitted their photos, and we offer a big congratulations to this year’s winners. We’re excited to see what you come up with this summer for the 2024 contest.”  Florida’s 175 state parks, trails and historic sites offer beautiful backdrops for recreational and nature-based photos. The 2023 Florida State Parks Photo Contest asked residents and visitors to “Capture the Real Florida” and nearly 3,800 high-quality submissions were received.   The contest provides an opportunity for people to explore their favorite parks and win prizes for future adventures as well as create memories in Florida’s state parks. Numerous submissions from talented photographers captured jaw-dropping moments and made judging difficult.   Semifinalists were selected within three photography divisions — Professional/Hobbyist, Student and Mobile Phone — that included 12 photo contest categories: Landscape, Wildlife, Birds, Waterscapes, Night Skies, Details and Small Things, Park Experiences, Park Adventures, Plants and Flowers, Camping, Trails and Sightseeing.  This contest was administered in collaboration with Tyler Technologies, which provides the point-of-sale reservation platform that allows visitors to securely book overnight stays across the Florida state park system.   The 2024 Photo Contest will open this summer, so get outdoors, explore Florida’s state parks and snap some iconic images. We look forward to seeing them!  Curt Mason's photo "Blue Grace" at Ichetucknee Springs State Park earned second place in the Professional/Hobbyist Division. Beverly Eaton's photo "American Alligator Chill" at Myakka River State Park captured third place in the Professional/Hobbyist Division. Read the full article

[omgokiguess]

Okay first part of yervand itinerary. Pick him up from the airport and spend two nights in weeki wachee, on the river including kayaks. I think then, leave, and on the way back stop at bok tower gardens, which me and my husband have never done so new thing for all of us, then get back to st pete, recuperate, go out for a night, go to Myakka state park (sarasota) the next day and canoe with the gators, on the way back stop (and maybe stay) in siesta key, and then show him all st pete/pinellas county has to offer. Yes. I nailed it.

[birdsbugswildlife]

Juvenile Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

Myakka River State Park, Florida

#birds nature #birdwatching #bird photography #wildlife photography