Closure...

Back in 2001, I spent three semesters in class (as a non-degree seeking student) deciding if I wanted to start graduate school. By the Spring of 2002, I decided to take an indefinite break to concentrate on my new career (which included plenty of travelling with my bike--I couldn't ask for more, really). But, through that period of time, the desire to go back to school has haunted me. That was the case until this past Fall when Ariel discovered that USF offered a graduate program in Florida Studies. Like a kid in a candy store, I jumped at the opportunity to mill around through the study of Florida's people, places, literature, and history--I've always wanted to figure out why I love this damp, humid, sometimes unbearbable swamp state.

Now, the Fall semester has now come to a close. It ended last week as I finished my first Seminar paper on the history of Sunken Gardens in St. Pete (an amazing botanical garden that was initiated in 1903). The project took about 25 hours of research and 57 hours to write (How do I know this? I'm a nerd and kept time). Yesterday, to experience some closure, Ariel and I dropped by the park briefly to take some photos. I brought my video camera along (not really the best for still shots)and took some wide angle photos to capture sections of the park's vast foliage. If anyone is in the area and would like a tour, I now know an absurd amount of information about this place...
Ariel and a Bismark Palm.
Behind me is a row of 104 year old Cuban Royal Palms.
Across the street from the Gardens is Crescent Lake and this amazingly huge Banyan tree.
Crescent Lake.

-He said.