The full glory of Spring was on display at Cypress Gardens last weekend.   I marveled at the azaleas, the many varieties of daffodils, the shadows, blue skies, the new leaves on the trees, and the special feeling of being far away mentally from the clamor and problems of the world. Time is suspended here briefly... too briefly.  

I love the way the moss covers so many trees at the gardens I visited this past weekend.   There is an otherworldly feel to the place at certain times and at certain places along the paths where shadows, moss, trees and blooms come together.

"I wandered, lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze..."

William Wordsworth

Last of the winter trees and skies

During these winter months just past, I have gotten used to the sight of bare tree branches etched against winter skies.  The effect is pristine, sharp and clear.   Now leaves are budding on these trees and their appearance will soon be transformed.  That is what I love so much about Spring -- it is the season of rebirth.

Timeless lanscapes

The beauty of the park is so entrancing that after awhile it's as if one embarks on a pleasant dream journey, the kind one wishes for but seldom has.    There is a time of brief respite from the worries of the world outside.   The cars, traffic, crowds, people, distractions are all gone and what is left are the pure experiences of natural beauty and the sounds of Nature.  As John Muir wrote,  "As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing..."