Floridiana Gloriana

'Wacahoota Church' by Don Jones | Wacahoota | Creative Commons

Florida is filled with white-painted wooden churches.  They are beautiful against North Florida's indigo-tinted late afternoon sky.  I've passed this one---in Levy County,  S.R. 121, as the photographer explains----many, many times, but I never did so when conditions were right for a photograph.  And now I find this:  perfection.  The white looks almost silver against the blue backdrop.  You can literally see the ethos of the sky's color reflected in the wooden slats.  "The Wacahoota United Methodist Church. Established in 1852, built in 1899," the photographer explains. 

'Wacahoota Church' by Don Jones |  To see his other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized version of this photograph at Flickr, click here

I do not own the rights to this photograph.  It is subject to a restricted Creative Commons license, permitting certain limited noncommercial uses.  Before using or downloading it, consult the terms of the applicable license.  You may view it here.

A February Scene--North Florida Spring | Melrose, FL

Here's a scene from the pretty little town of Melrose (Putnam County). This building was once a church; back when I took this---in dogwood and azalea season---it was a Homemaker's Club.  Isn't it pretty?

Red Roof Church

I fell in love with this little church during a period when I was travelling around to a lot of small Florida towns, taking pictures.  I love red and white against a dark green backgrop.  The cross shadow on the side of the building now strikes me as distinctly oddly placed.  When I went back to see it again, it looked completely different.  Things you revisit always do, even if it's just the next day.  I believe that this church is in the tiny town of  Lulu, Florida.   I haven't been back there in years. 

Two Wooden Churches

These are my own.  Both are wooden churches in small North Florida towns.  The first is in Florahome; the second is---I believe---in Dunnellon.  I took them both years ago, so I am not entirely sure.  But both have in common the white woodwork and the celestial blue, which is what I wanted them for. 

Tin Roof/Wooden Church | Lulu

This was a lovely little rural church in a little town out in the country---Lulu, I think it was called. All three roofs here were shining so brightly you could hardly bear to look at them. A sort of intimation of how the world would look in the presence of God, or so I felt at the time. That was an amazingly beautiful day---a different year and season from the preceding photograph.