A recent trip through the Florida Panhandle gave me time to go out and shoot while my husband was working.  I spent several hours driving back roads around Chipley, making several large loops around the area.  Here are a few but the slideshow can be seen at Rural Florida Panhandle

Nearing Vernon, I spotted a pasture with lovely morning light coming through the trees and knew I had to shoot it.  I’d passed it so I turned around to come back.  I’d just gotten out of my car when a gentlemen pulled up behind me, saw my camera and smiled.   He’d seen me turn around and head back.  Apparently nothing much goes unnoticed!  Anyway, I had a lovely time with him.  His name’s George and, at age 87, he’s still out there taking care of cattle.  His theory is that many of our society’s current problems might not exist if people still grew up taking care of animals, that younger people of today don’t see firsthand how every living thing is connected.  I can’t say I completely disagree.

The deserted small-town auto dealership in Bonifay seems to be such a depressing sign of the times.

The cotton fields brought back memories of growing up where cotton is commonplace. 

The closed, locked up, for sale Livestock Auction seems to be another sign of the times and the gradual disappearance of the things that make up Florida culture and history.

There were plenty of missed opportunities, some because there was no good way to turn around and find a safe place to park and some because I should’ve gone just a bit further down a particular road but didn’t know at the time what lay ahead.