Our church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville, has a nice nature walk across the creek that runs underneath the Arlington Expressway. Here you can see across the creek standing on the bank outside the church grounds. All of the following photos were taken with my iPhone 3GS.
My daughter Jamie and I start out on our little nature sojourn after services and our potluck today to take in the sights. I like the way the walk is built so it seems like you are part of the lush ecosystem around you.
One of the first highlights of the nature walk is a plaque talking about the Red Maples that dot the walk and how integrated it is with the ecosystem surrounding the nature walk.
Jamie stops to contemplate the creek waters flowing underneath us.
Jamie strikes one of her typical poses amidst the fauna and flora sourrounding us as we soak in the serenity the nature walk offers. I love it's calming effect and how it encourages one to either clear one's mind or to think things out.
Here is another of the nature highlights of the church's walk: the Wax Myrtle.
We reach the end and goal of the walk on the platform for sitting and gathering on the opposite bank of the creek across from the church as Jamie takes in the beautiful scenery.
Jamie sits and takes in the quiet peacefulness of our walk that offers cook shade from the heat and a wonderful view of the church grounds.
What especially nice about the sitting platform other than the view it offeres is it is also a great place to read. This is a view of the church gournds from the opposite bank.
I love how the nature walk fits in with the theological themes of Unitarianism Unveralists as it shows the communal dynamics of nature and the church community.
This past Sunday during the post services festivities for our church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville, what is known as a 'gully washer' took place that is typical of a Northeast Florida Spring/Summer day. Services had just ended and I almost waited until the rain stopped before leading the sanctuary. I had changed my mind thinking of the post rain run-off photos I might get and then I happen to catch that very thing thing I was looking for from an eve adjacent to the sanctuary with a series of photos. I like the pattern the water made as it flowed to its natural gutter run-off end. I used our Canon Rebel xsi EOS on automatic setting with a 78mm lens. In retrospect I should have used a faster ISO setting.
