Once back at the Lake County Studio after the surgery, I was not content to sit around and wait to recover. I was in the yard cutting roots from a giant uprooted tree for firewood and in the afternoon I suggested we all go for a hike at P.E.A.R. Reserve (4800 University Blvd, Leesburg, FL).
My sister Pat was visiting from Port Charlotte and Just Jim was camping out on the back patio after coming from Ohio to see a friend’s Masters Thesis presentation. The reserve pretty close the Lake County studio, so me piled into Pat’s car and drove over.
Jim is a hard core hiker, so the trail was easy for him, but Pat started getting winded. We hiked ourselves to a public bench overlooking the river. Pat and Jim sat on the bench and I moved my art stool closer to a haggard tree which resembled an octopus. The river was perfectly still with yellow and orange leaves floating on the surface. At one point Jim noted that the river was moving. I glanced up and sure enough the leaves started flowing to the left. I don’t know why but I thought the river should flow right. It turns out the wind was blowing the leaves making it seem like the rives was flowing for a fraction of a second.
Finding order in the chaos of nature is always a challenge. The twisted tree roots offered a definite focal point. It felt nice to get out in the sun and walk. Pat had to admit that she felt better after the hike. Her legs and hips were not as stiff.
While hiking out, I saw a second scene that I definitely want to return to sketch. It was closer to the water with a massive grouping of roots and the sky reflected a much richer blue off the water’s surface.