Pretty in Yellow–May 29, 2013
Grackles, members of the blackbird family, are not well loved in these parts–known mostly for their noisy, mass occupation of grocery and mall parking lots, and the unwelcomed “gifts” they leave behind. But even grackles, when removed from artificial, man-made elements like round-the-clock, brightly-lit, concrete filled parking lots, have a natural beauty of their own. Here, the grackle’s familiar harshness is softened amid the flower bedecked branches and feather-like leaves of the Jerusalem Thorn tree.
I ventured to Lake Nassau Park, which sets directly across from the Nassau Peninsular, the only undeveloped piece of property on the lake. 
The peninsula’s landscape is what I imagine most of the lake looked like many decades ago–marsh and wetlands–before the lake was urbanized with its manicured lawns, bulkheads, boardwalks, and marinas. And yes, all the man-made features are pretty and nice to look at, but it’s hard to improve upon the unique creativity and beauty of nature’s artwork.
Green Thought:The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need. – The Nature Principle, Richard Louv
