Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida is a treasure. As the sign states driving into the park, “This is the real Florida.”

It is one of the things I love about northern Florida is that in many aspects it feels like stepping back in time.

One of the highlights was seeing quite a large alligator in the marshy part of the preserves. It was truly a thrill! And actually, we got to see two! This one below we watched as it swam toward land, not far from where the other gator was hanging out.

I just marveled at how ancient they really are. Walking along a boardwalk nearby I saw this sign:

Alligators…

At first I chuckled reading this sign. Then I wondered, do people really think they are lazy? Then the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated this teaching from alligator.

Being that gators are cold-blooded they have to get their energy from the sun and why you see them laying out in the open like this. Though we humans aren’t cold-blooded, we too, get our energy from being outdoors in nature and learning to slow down and just be.

So basking turns out to be a good thing for all of us! And basking, slowing down, and taking in nature and the sunshine has certainly been so good for my spirits these past few weeks.

The other highlight was seeing wild horses out in the prairie that we were able to observe after climbing the tower at the preserve.

This was equally a thrill to see! Watching them for a time I found myself feeling verklempt as emotions stirred within me. To be wild and free. It’s what I think we all wish for, isn’t it?

While the area we are in is known as horse country with horse ranches abundantly scattered about, it was the wild horses that really spoke to me. And how blessed I feel to have been able to see them, to be part of their energy if only for a short time, and experience the stirring of emotions that I did.

XO

Barb

We are thirty days into our seven weeks away staying in our motorhome in a campground in Florida. This will be the longest, to date, we’ve been away from home.

Admittedly, I’ve had a few moments of feeling homesick as I am by nature a homebody. While rolled into the mix is the fact that I am also really enjoying our time away too.

Earlier in the week I was thinking about home, spring, and planting my garden when we return, I searched for a garden center in the area and found one in a nearby town. It is called Cottage Garden and spoke to the part of me that was missing home and my cottage studio.

So off we went on the forty-minute drive. Cottage Garden is the epitome of all things garden, cottage, shabby chic and more. From the outside it does not look all that big, but they have utilized every space on the property. There are endless nooks and crannies and many twists and turns that brings delight after delight of fun things to see.

When we arrived we pulled around back to park. Getting out of the car there are endless ways in which your eye can go with all the pots, painted pottery, antiques, plants, and more.

But my eyes landed on the sweetest and best spot! Of course, my body then followed suit and off I was moving toward a darling cat laying on the bottom of what looked like a garden bench.

As I put my hand out slowly to see if the cat was open to being petted, its tail calmly swished back and forth. I then heard a male voice say, “That’s Billy, the resident cat. He’s very friendly.”

As I stroked the top of Billy’s head, the employee told me that a stray cat had kittens, one of which was Billy. Though Billy wouldn’t get his name until a year later.

That’s because the kittens were all taken to a local shelter. If they aren’t adopted out in the first year, the shelter then releases the cats to live on their own.

This is when the kitten, now a year old, found his way back to Cottage Garden where he was welcomed and given his name Billy.

While initially it might be easy to judge and think it a cruel thing to do, to release the cats back out into the world to fend for themselves, I found the story of Billy touching.

We just never know the journey of another being. How often it is we think we know what is best and have our ideas of how things should be. But in this case, this was indeed the path Billy was meant to take.

Cottage Garden and Billy’s journey back there entailed just one small seemingly wrong turn before he’d find his way to where he was meant to be and is now content as can be.

Home Sweet Cottage Garden Home.

It was also a lovely reminder to me to stay in the now on this short sojourn I am on while in Florida and enjoy each precious moment. While also being grateful that I have a home I will return to that brings me another aspect of what provides me happiness.

So a special thank you to Billy and the employee who shared his story with me that touched my heart.

XO

Barb