This year, I resumed my annual Fourth of July photo safari that I nicknamed the Freedom Ride. I elected to do the "Ride" on foot, as the last time I rode my bike I ended up with a hurt back and made many visits to the Osteopath. Since my wife gave me her Apple Watch, my walks have been about going as fast as I can, in the time I have allocated for exercise. So today's walk was break from my usual breakneck speed. Today I worked on being present and taking time to notice that which I usually speed by.
My first stop was Constitution Green in Downtown Orlando. I've been here before on the Ride, but the park is much improved. The park is centered around a massive live oak, listed on the City of Orlando Significant Tree Map as being (perhaps) close to 200 years old. The land was almost sold to developers, but thanks to the efforts of local hero Eric Rollins it is now a park. For me it is a reminder of the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution that we may take for granted. Read more here.
My next stop was the sculpture garden next to the Orange County Administrative Building, another place I normally drive by and rarely stop to visit. The
2023 "Sculpture on the Lawn" exhibit includes a couple pieces I really like, and it was worth the two mile trek to get there. There is also a small native plant garden tucked the corner, so if you visit, make sure to check it out!
I strolled next to Orlando's City Hall, a place that has a
vast art collection. It was closed on the Fourth of July so I paused only long enough to get a quick pic of this piece of public art in the small park in front of the building. Sadly the water looks very green like most natural water bodies in the state these days.
Walking underneath the 408, I captured an image of the Victorian-style Dr. Phillips House and the Art Deco (or Art Moderne) Wellborn Apartments in the
Lake Cherokee Historic District. I was headed towards Orlando's premier collection of Craftsman style buildings, Hovey Court.
The nine well-preserved bungalows were built in the nineteen-teens as guest cottages on Orlando's Lake Lucerne, home of the infamous
Billy the Swan. It's one the few places in town where rocks from Florida are incorporated into the architecture. I love the Craftsman style and these rocks remind me of the great examples of Parkitecture I've seen in State and National Parks.
I then made a quick stop at a small creek at Al Coith Park in the Delaney Park neighborhood to visit my favorite Lotus plants. Although they weren't in bloom, their leaves are gorgeous even before they unfurl.
On my return I snapped a selfie with my Firecracker bush, perhaps the most consistent blooming plant in my landscape at home.
At a time when even the word "Freedom" means different things depending on your political perspective, I chose today to celebrate my independence by attempting to be mindful and aware of the everyday beauty that surrounds me. As the elders in my life age before me, I am increasingly aware of the freedom I still possess and the choices I still have available to me. I am grateful for the freedoms that are mine and the blessings that I tend to take for granted.
Happy Independence Day!
