Springtime at Johnson Pond

 I was looking for a day with big billowy clouds for a drive over to Johnson Pond in the Withlacoochee State Forest and this day was picture perfect!

The trail was dry and the woods are starting to green up even more.

It's only about a mile to the pond observation deck but it is getting pretty dilapidated. 

There was even a board missing in the walkway. 

But I took my time and then stood still to soak in the beauty.

I kept seeing something jump in the water below the deck and just happened to see this tiny frog jump out of the water onto a lily pad. That really made my day. 

Little things like this tickle me.

Do you see him now?

The lily pads are beautiful year round and I saw one big bloom in the distance.

I love coming here and I didn't see anyone else on this hike.

This is the marshy area near the pond with teeny tiny flowers growing in the water.

But when I finished, I saw that my hiking friend had left a painted rock. 

Respect

What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon!

Have you been to a state park or state forest lately? It's worth the drive!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!

Johnson Pond Trailhead in the Withlacoochee State Forest

 We kept waiting for a cooler day with big puffy clouds! It had to be both!

It's a nice hike to Johnson Pond but there are mosquitoes in this area so you need to be able to wear a shirt with sleeves! 

And the big poofy clouds are necessary for pretty reflections in the pond!

On Thanksgiving Day, we had the perfect conditions!

We've had the big family dinners in the past (and I'm so thankful for all of my memories) but it's nice to start new traditions too.

And living in Florida provides some beautiful weather for the Fall and Winter months.

I hope you have a good week ahead. Let's all keep counting our blessings and being thankful for what we have.

I've saved my most favorite photo for last....

the lily pads!

And now to add to my FUN! 

Tom from The Backroads Traveller sent me a special gift this year! A beautiful Christmas wreath!

I wish you could see it and smell the evergreen scent! It's incredible! We hung it on the Jeep just for a photo op! It's back on the front door now! 

Thank you, Tom! You've made my holiday season even more beautiful! I owe you a ride in the Jeep! 🚗

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too! 

Two hikes in ONE day!

 

We're taking advantage of the beautiful weather to get out every chance we get! 

We actually hiked 3 hikes in two days! 

But let's start with a drive over to Johnson Pond.

I wanted to go over there when there were big puffy clouds that would reflect in the pond.

And I got my wish!

It was gorgeous!

And we saw turtles, Moorhens and Red-winged Blackbirds near the water.

This Anhinga was hiding in the brush too.

We love spending time at the Pond but also enjoy the hiking trails.

Lots of loops you can take and hike for as long as you want!

Nearby is another trailhead, Oxbow Trail.

It's a short hike to the Withlacoochee River and the river looked beautiful. 

The Yellow Jessamine was in full bloom too and the vines were draped over many of the trees!

But I would not recommend the Oxbow Trail. When you leave the paved road and drop down into the parking lot...you DROP DOWN! It was a bad drop and the parking lot was in terrible shape. There were other issues too and if you are local and considering this hike, email me for details.

What a lovely way to spend a day in February! Temps in the 70s with low humidity! Doesn't get any better than that!

Have you seen any flowers blooming where you live? 

Is the weather showing signs of Spring?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’. 

It's a SIGN!

 This doesn't really have a double meaning....

I saw some neat signs this week!

But if it DOES have a double meaning, it might mean that I need to get busy with something besides playing with photos.

I love to make mosaics and it is addictive.

I took this photo of an airplane during a hike at Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. There's a small airport nearby so it's a great place to see these beautiful small airplanes. So this one is 'straight out of the camera'.

And then I did a stained glass effect for Mosaic Monday.

And the next thing I know, I've made a Kaleidoscope out of it! lol I use a free version of Photoscape to edit my pics.

A few of the dogs we've seen lately. And no, they are not all rascals! The one really is named Rascal though! He's an older dog and a real sweetheart.

And the mosaic I showed last week....

is a survey marker that was in the ground next to the trail at Johnson Pond.

Our temps are in the 70s this week so it's perfect for hitting the trails.

Have a wonderful week!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I'm linking with All Seasons at the Jesh Studio,

AND my Monday post HERE.

Sharing the beauty of Johnson Pond!

 Here are a few more photos from our hike to Johnson Pond.

It was such a beautiful day!

The lily pads had their Autumn colors on!

We've had a few nights of frost this winter so things are looking pretty brown and drab here and there.

But the lily pads were colorful and the water was dark blue.

This one was a dark red!

The temps were in the high 60s with low humidity so it was perfect for a hike. We wear long sleeves for 'cool' weather like this! lol 

We continue to social distance and hike trails that few people hike. On this particular day we met a nice family beginning their hike and from a distance, I asked if I could take their photo. I said this was the littlest hiker I had seen! What a great place for a family outing! (I ZOOMED and cropped this photo....we were 20 ft away from them!)

Have you been able to get outside and enjoy the weather this week?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!