Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Seeds of Inspiration

A nervous roseate spoonbill. (Taken from our car)

But, things don't always smell like roses...


I was reading Santana Garcia's link on the Seeds of Inspiration while on vacation this month. (What a great name she has by the way) And suddenly, I had a hilarious, creepy and somewhat disturbing thought. My foul smelling seed of inspiration for the week was found in a ditch. 

We had just experienced a spicy, pine cone strewn walk through the palmettos and mossy oak hammock of Crew Trails. This peaceful walking sanctuary borders the calm meander known as Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in southern Florida. Inspiring right? Well, yes and no. The air at Crew is saturated with the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle. As soon as you open your car door, the olfactory memory smacks you in the face. It always smells like that there. We were the first and only people to walk at Crew that morning. Being the first victim...oops...I mean hiker, usually means that you'll be entering a maze of spider webs hanging aimlessly and prolifically across the trail. It's almost spooky to arrive at sunrise, while the dew drops hang like luminous pearls, by the millions, from every mummified plant. This year we were prepared. We brought a trekking pole to clear the webs. But a midnight rain storm had cleared them all away. In fact, the whole Corkscrew Sanctuary is wetter than it's been since the 50's. So everything was popping with herbaceous life and vibrant color.

So did I find my writing mojo at Crew? Nope. We left the trail head feeling inspired, but nothing that would help me with the writer's block that was plaguing chapter 21. We turned left out of the empty parking lot and headed to our temporary home. I even added a bucket list bird sighting to my ever increasing score. A flock of roseate spoonbills. I had never seen them in the wild before. They were cautiously feeding in the ditch. So was it them? Nope. A little further down the road my husband nonchalantly remarked that the vulture he'd seen earlier that morning, was still devouring an unlucky carcass. Where? You guessed it. The ditch. He was gorging himself on, what my husband referred to as, "A melted pile of fur." Gross! But what a visual. That's it! That remark solved my dilemma. How can that be?  What kind of disgusting novel am I writing? 

a) V is for vulture

b) 101 things to do with road kill

c) Ditch tigers and their feathered friends

d) Road kill: Good to the last maggot (sorry)

The answer is e) None of the above.

Writing isn't all roseate spoonbills, jasmine, sugar and spice. Sometimes, it's vultures.

Or crows!

Be sure to stop by Sharon's Paws Create for more photos from the peaceful Crew Trails in Florida.


The links:


11 comments:

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

well that was an interesting read and a lovely shot of the Spoonbill

Rohrerbot said...

Gross and awesome! It's amazing what visual will inspire:) Sounds like a nice walk out.

Linda Hensley said...

I can understand getting inspired by "a melted pile of fur" -- which may be gross, but makes me smile anyway since I don't have to smell it :)

A Colorful World said...

Haw-haw!!! :-) Well, even the unpleasant can be an inspiration of sorts!

DJan said...

Well you sure made me laugh with your list. And I'm so glad that you got what you were looking for, even if it had to come from a ditch. :-)

eileeninmd said...

Hello, what a list. I love the pretty Roseate Spoonbill. I would love to have been there for the scents of jasmine and honeysuckle. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy weekend and happy Easter to you and your family.

Breathtaking said...

Hello!:) Inspiration comes in all visual forms, but I like the photo of the Roseate Spoonbill best, and all the pleasant scents you could smell. Have a great Weekend.:)

Anni said...

You had me totally enraptured by the wet early morning surroundings and the fact you were the first and only humans on the trails. I was looking forward to your inspiration....but then, "A melted pile of fur". Gross maybe, but thanks to the vulture for keeping the environment 'cleaner'. That's the way I have to think of it or else it too would gross me out. lol


I would like to convey my thanks for your sharing of wonderful bird and photo today and adding your link at I'd Rather B Birdin'. It's always a pleasure visiting with you. Hope soon you can be inspired with chapter 21 and continue your novel.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Congrats on those spoonbills!

I saw a bird dining by the side of the road today, but it flew off and was a huge black crow (or raven). (And Nutkin did his best to become roadkill on the same road, darting out and back in front of my car just as another car was coming the other way...but he/she/it/squirrel made it safely.)
~

betty-NZ said...

What a fun but serious looking creature! Nice capture.

Inspired By June said...

Ha-ha! It's amazing were we find inspiration sometimes, isn't it! Glad the block has cracked! Here's wishing you a productive week!