I’m in Florida, the “Sunshine State”. The sun is not shining. In fact I have seen very little of the sun since I arrived last week. It got sunny, for about a day, and today it started raining again. I must admit it is a bit disappointing, but I am not letting it bother me. In a way it is kind of refreshing. We don’t get this kind of driving all engulfing rain in Colorado.

I new the rain was coming today and that is why I was up and out the door a 6am with my friend and fellow photographer Jack Moseley. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. Today we are paddling through the One Thousand Islands Mangrove Salt Marsh in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

It’s hard to get out of your boat in the tangle of mangrove roots and branches forming the tunnels. To shoot photos you need to work from your kayak or stand in the mud of the shallow waters. It was a bit chilly today , so I worked mostly from my boat.

I am amazed me how quietly we move through the water. There is a strong sense of peacefulness in this place. It did not take long to feel we were far from other people. We were never very far from civilization however, and occasionally could hear it. We also quickly realized how easy it would be to get lost in this maze of tunnels with no opportunity to get any visual bearings.

Our day was cut short as the clouds moved in, the temperature dropped, and the rain began to fall.  We did not see much in the way of wildlife, but exploring the crazy shapes of the mangroves was enough. I’m hoping we will have the chance to come back, explore, and photograph this amazing environment more fully before my time here in Florida is done.