Travel Tips

Notice that the water of this large lake is up to almost the bottom of the boat house. The water is usually about 2+ feet below the boathouse. The cypress trees have lost a lot of their branches and water plants have sprung up literally overnight in the lake along the shore. What was once a nice sandy beach is now litered with cypress and Spanish moss and new lake plants.

The tropical storm Fay has brought much needed rain to central Florida and as a consequence, it has also caused the local lakes to rise. Where you see the green plants between the two cypress trees , that was a sandy beach 5 days ago. Those plants sprung up practically overnight!! Yes, we have a luscious climate and plants THRIVE here........lol. In the foreground, you can see a cypress tree limb which was blown down during the storm as well as other debris. There are lots of cypress limbs and Spanish moss on the ground. Look closely and you will see what looks like brown tree "stumps" rising out of the ground. These are actually called cypress
"knees" and I am told that that is how the cypress trees breath. The knees are like roots but they rise above ground. Because the cypress trees
are native to Florida and such an important part of the overall eco- environment, they are protected by law and you cannot cut down either the knees or cypress trees, without of course a good reason and permission. If your home is very close to the water, which is common here in central Florida, you will have those knees actually up in your lawn. In that case, you can cut them off to the ground so that you can mow over them. Once the storm passes and the lake recedes, the lovely sandy beach will re-apprear and clean-up begins. Each homeowner is responsible for his shoreline, so guess the "little red hen" will get to work.