Every Day is a Gift!
One of my granddaughters helped me plant a Cara Cara Orange tree in April, 2021. The tree has survived snow, an ice storm, and tropical storms. Up until this year the tree has only produced a few edible oranges.
There are several oranges on the tree but it will be a while before they are ready to pick. I can’t wait!
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
John is our host this week. His challenge: “Share up to six waterscapes—images where water shapes the scene. Choose your favorite places, your favorite photos, or a single location that inspires you. Natural or man‑made, peaceful or wild—if water helps tell the story, it’s fair game”
When I first read John’s challenge I thought it would easy. Oceans, rivers, creeks, lakes, swamps, bayous, and salt marshes are a few of my favorite places shaped by water. However, for this challenge I decided to focus on a place near and dear to my heart, the Okefenokee Swamp in my home state of Georgia. The Okefenokee Swamp is first site in the United States to be added as a World Heritage Site in over 30 years and is the only site in Georgia to receive the designation.
The Okefenokee Swamp is North America’s largest blackwater wetland and one of Georgia’s Seven Natural Wonders. It was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1937 and on July 25, 2026, the Okefenokee Swamp was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can read more about the Okefenokee at Okefenokee World Heritage Site.
One of our favorite state park campgrounds was once named Stephen C. Foster State Park located in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Fargo, Georgia. The state of Georgia renamed the park Okefenokee State Park on September 1, 2026. We camped there many times during the years. Our favorite thing to do was to take a boat ride into the swamp. Sometimes we went on a Ranger led boat tour, sometimes we rented a canoe to paddle through the swamp, and sometimes we rented a small motor boat. As we rode through the swamp through Spanish Moss Covered Cypress trees we always saw plenty of wildlife including alligators and birds.
Here are a few of my favorite images of the Okefenokee.
Last week Sofia’s fun challenge of What is it? had us guessing what was depicted in a photo. You had some really great photos that made me think “I have no idea”. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge.
Many thanks to our host John for this week’s fun challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to his post Lens-Artists #412: Places shaped by water.
Be sure to check back on Saturday, September 12 at noon eastern time when I will be your host for the challenge.
You can keep up with all of our challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.
For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.
Every Day is a Gift
I have reached the age where I don’t have to travel to an exciting destination or have a big party to celebrate my birthday. Last year we enjoyed our anniversary celebration in Darien so much I wanted to return this year for my birthday.
We traveled south on U.S. Hwy 17 to our destination on the Darien River in Darien, Georgia. Our first stop was Mudcat Charlie’s at the Two Way Fish Camp on the Altamaha River in Brunswick. After some delicious wild Georgia shrimp for lunch we walked around the dock and looked down on an 11 1/2 foot alligator in the muddy water.
Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia but did you know that Darien is Georgia’s 2nd oldest city?
For the next day and a half I swam in the pool, enjoyed the view of the Darien River from our deck at the hotel, watched young alligators swimming in the river, enjoyed seeing the huge Live Oaks draped with Spanish Moss as I wandered around the hotel, and ate some more delicious meals.
Live Oak
Relaxing and spending time with my husband in a beautiful setting was a perfect way to celebrate my birthday.
Every Day is a Gift
If you are traveling along I-95 through Georgia and want to take a break The Smallest Church in America is worth the short drive off the interstate. The church is located on the side of the road on US Highway 17 in Townsend, Georgia. There are two picnic tables under the oaks if you want to eat lunch or just relax for a few minutes.
An arsonist burned this church in November, 2015. Volunteers rebuilt the church in 2016.
Directions: Take I-95 exit 67, about one mile south on US Hwy 17. Look for a white sign on the left (east) side, “Smallest Church in America”. You can also search Google Maps for “Smallest Church in America”.
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
Every Day is a Gift
Anne’s challenge is Time to Relax. For this challenge she is looking back to the challenge from July of 2018. She asks us “But what relaxes you? What gets you away from the stresses of daily life. What’s your passion?”
This challenge couldn’t come at a better time. I haven’t been able to travel or go on photo excursions for several months due to health issues. My husband and I were badly in need of a break. We finally were able to go for a short two day getaway this week The beach is my happy place and being by the ocean is my favorite place to relax so we chose Jekyll Island for our destination.
Jekyll Island became a Georgia State Park in 1947. The island is managed by the Jekyll Island Authority. Most of the island is undeveloped to preserve the natural beauty of the maritime forests. There are 24 miles of bike trails, miles of beach with several parking lots and picnic areas, a beautiful National Historic Landmark District, wildlife, hotels and restaurants, and a golf course.
We like to stay off interstates so we took a leisurely drive south to Jekyll Island on the Coastal Highway, also known as US Highway 17. Our goal for the trip was to kick back, relax and not have an agenda. We succeeded!
We stopped for a lunch of wild caught Georgia Shrimp at Skippers in Darien. I had to take some photos of diamond back terrapins in a pond just outside the restaurant.
Our room had a balcony overlooking the pool and maritime forest. Beyond the trees is the Atlantic Ocean, Other guests were relaxing by the pool while we were relaxing on our balcony.
I enjoyed seeing the ocean and hearing the waves when we walked out on a walkway too the beach. There were only a few others relaxing on the beach on this warm, sunny March day.
The next day we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the only turtle education and rehabilitation facility in Georgia.
Thank you to everyone who shared you memorable journeys for Ann-Christine’s challenge Journey in 5 to 10 images.
Many thanks to Anne for this week’s challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to Anne’s post Lens-Artists #389: Time to Relax.
Be sure to check back on Saturday, March 21 at noon eastern time when Egidio will be hosting the challenge
If you don’t want to miss any of our challenges you may want to think about subscribing to the Lens-Arrists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.
For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.
Every Day is a Gift
