CC Weekly Creativity Challenge: April Showers

Here’s my entry for this week’s Creative Construction weekly creativity challenge, “april showers”—a photo titled Marion County Roadside. Click on the photo to enlarge for full effect. I took this shot last year about this time on the way home from a meeting in Tampa. I’ve always wavered back and forth between wanting to live my life on the river and wanting to live my life on a horse farm in Ocala. Some of the most beautiful property in all of Florida is along state road 301/441 in Marion County horse country. I loved how this view captured the rain on the left and the sun on the right at the same time. I added my favorite layer to create that softening effect with the added bonus of what could be lightning....or God reaching down.

For years, the most stunning of all the horse farms, in my opinion anyway, was Irish Acres. Sprawling acreage with rolling hills and virgin oak trees, just gorgeous. Every time I drove by it, which was several times a year either going to meetings in the Tampa/St. Pete area or driving down to our annual Boca Grande vacation, I always sighed, “Oh, one day…when we win the lottery…we’ll buy Irish Acres and live happily ever after with a bunch of horses.” So how saddened was I when I drove by there last summer to see that my dream had been sold….and not only sold, but sold to a housing developer?!?! Now, the rolling hills are obscured by berms along the roadside and cut up by roads and street lights waiting for new homes. At what price, progress? Very sad.

4 comments:

cath c said...

oh, that is sad. i really don't like going back to my hometown for similar reasons. where there were woods and meadows i hung out in with my friends, are now developed housing zones. where properties prided on being more property than house, there are now mcmansions a lawnmower doesn't have room to pass between. it is sad when something beautiful passes out of existence, especially in nature.

but your phot is beautiful!

Karen Faulkner said...

BOOO to the developer!!
Your photo is gorgeous.

Fannie said...

ugh! my heart ached when i read "sold to a housing developer." yes, progress. and yes, very sad.

love your description of the photo--sun and rain at the same time. God reaching down . . . thanks for sharing, kelly!

Anonymous said...

Dangit! Hit the wrong button . . . BUT - I know exactly where talking about! Irish Acres WAS a beautiful place - now ravaged and torn apart by the developers.

We drive right by there every January when we go to a big car show at Silver Springs. I'm with you girl - so sad what they've done!

D'it Nancy