Swamp Swamp Swamp Swamp Music

 

♫ "When the hound dog starts singin'

I ain't got them big ol' city blues" ♫

I really wouldn't want to be with the hound dogs chasing racoons... I'd hate to see the racoons getting hurt. I've always had a soft heart for animals (and I prefer the city over the country), but that song (Swamp Music) gets stuck in my head every time I see a swamp, and this one was absolutely gorgeous. It was also very safe to visit because I was doing so from a boardwalk at the Tallahassee Museum. The views I literally stumbled across were too good not to share.

Honestly, I was just watching the kids climb in the trees (zipling and that sort of thing) and it got to a point where it was difficult to follow them so I wandered off to see what else was on the grounds. I stopped dead in my tracks when I rounded a corner and ended up over this swamp. Wow! was all I could even think. It was just so gorgeous. This place is called a museum, but it's unlike any museum I've ever seen. Everything progresses so naturally and so much of the 52-acres of natural wonders, historic buildings and hard-to-find animals just leaves you standing there in awe. Nothing more so for me than this swamp.

 

Cypress trees are the most flood-tolerant trees in Florida so it is not uncommon to see them in the swamps. This particular type, per the President/CEO of the museum is a Pond Cypress. They sure make for a pretty setting. I think this is my first 'reflection' picture that I've gotten that I love, and I wasn't even trying to get it. I was just mesmerized by the view. These are all phone pics. I didn't bring the camera.

The kids (grown and not grown) took a zipline over the swamp, and I'm sure that was quite the experience. I opted out of that this time around and thank goodness, or I would have missed these beauties. I remember a time when I wouldn't have missed any adventure, but I'm taking things (just a little bit) slower these days, and that's okay. I am a grandma of four...hard to believe for me, but it's true, and my grandchildren are amazing. 

I was curious about the trees and poked around a little on the web. This is the information I got from the Arbor Day website, and it explains the swollen bottoms you see on all of these trees. Evidently, these 'cypress knees' only appear when the tree is rooted in wet conditions. The 'knees' or bulbs are believed to be a way to help the roots get oxygen when they are stationed in a flooded area.

This tree, a deciduous conifer, sheds its leaves each year, unlike other trees that produce cones. Pond Cypress grow up to 80-ft. high and an average of 15-ft. wide. Though the museum has one that has earned a state record due to its massive trunk size.

These trees are lauded for being wonderful contributors to the eco-system and they are virtually maintenance-free. That is wonderful, but the fact remains that they are stunning visuals and make for an enchanting in-person moment. I surely appreciated mine.

You can find these trees at the Tallahassee Museum in Tallahasee, Florida. If you are in the area, it is a visit worth taking.