Skywatch Friday 31 (EST)
20
Categories: Skywatch Friday •August 1, 2008
The Eastern Standard Time Edition of Skywatch features an endangered species. The Orange Tree. Not really endangered, but the times , when you could call Florida the Orange grove are long over. With the great freeze of 1989 many Citrus growers went out of business and ever since huge grove areas have made room to developments. The sight of well groomed, beautiful manicured endless rows of heavy loaded orange trees is becoming rare and with it the wonderful scent of citrus trees.
The Tree in the picture is an old - now wild orange Tree, planted sometimes in the 1920’s and some of them specle the landscape in my favorite State Park. The fruits are eatable, but by now they taste more like grapefruit then they do like sweet oranges.
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7:49 am on August 1st, 2008
Interesting picture. We don’t have orange trees in PA. Do they attract any type of birds? Or is the skin too tough?
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9:17 am on August 1st, 2008
First: the Photo. Great light and color and composition and cropping and angle and great complimentary blue background. I am sure I left something out, but it is a great photo.
Second, a personal experience: When my Granddad passed away many long years ago, the family sold his 90 acres in East Texas. On this place were two Ancient Indian Peach Trees. They didn’t make many peaches, but the flavor was like nothing I have ever tasted. We were by there a few years ago and the present owners had cut them down and manicured the area. Setting fire to the house crossed my mind.
Thanks for sharing this great photo and story.
Troy
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9:37 am on August 1st, 2008
Love this photo of the oranges set against the bright blue sky, nice contrast.
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10:02 am on August 1st, 2008
Klaus: Certainly a wonderful capture, I never saw one orange grove when in Florida.
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10:38 am on August 1st, 2008
Love the contrast of the orange and green against that blue blue sky. Personally I would probably like these oranges better. I prefer grapefruit to oranges anyday.
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11:12 am on August 1st, 2008
Great pic and story. It’s funny how things change so much. The only orange groves I see out my way in Southern Cal are down towards San Diego near the Indian Reservation casino areas. Now I want to ride out, drop some coins and take a few pics of those orange trees.
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11:27 am on August 1st, 2008
As a semi-native of Florida - moved there when I was 3 in 1955 - I’ve seen the landscape change just as you say. Every time I go through Indian River County there seem to be fewer and fewer…the freeze, the economy, and let’s not forget the awful canker eradication of all of our personal trees!
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12:03 pm on August 1st, 2008
Love those rich, mouth-watering colors… Very nice!
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12:13 pm on August 1st, 2008
WOW! Those oranges sure look good w/ that blue sky backdrop!!!
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12:30 pm on August 1st, 2008
the fruit compliments the sky perfectly, so pretty & colorful!
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5:06 pm on August 1st, 2008
The oranges set off the blue in the sky really well
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5:43 pm on August 1st, 2008
Most beautiful contrast in colors, Klaus! Everything about your photo is an inspiration! :::Sigh::: Great Sky Watch!
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7:26 pm on August 1st, 2008
Fabulous shot! I love the smell of orange blossoms.
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8:19 pm on August 1st, 2008
Beautiful lovely & yummy looking sky! Great sky~watch captures..I love oranges!
Happy sky~watching!
Cat
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8:52 pm on August 1st, 2008
What a beautiful shot! I am sorry to hear of the loss of the groves — it is always sad to see the endless development taking over… Happy Skywatch Friday.
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9:17 pm on August 1st, 2008
It’s a beautiful photo and certainly looks tasty. I’m sorry to hear that there are a lot less orange growers there now.
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10:40 pm on August 1st, 2008
Beautiful photo of the orange tree. It’s so sad that the groves are dwindling, I’d love to be able to grow oranges!
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1:27 am on August 2nd, 2008
I love the colors and composition in this - I hope you’ll submit to Festival of the Trees as well!
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3:04 am on August 2nd, 2008
Very nice pictures here! Will return here often to enjoy it. Didn’t know about this change after 1989.
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5:11 am on August 2nd, 2008
Hi again! Exellent photo! The colors and all are such a marvellous. If I can read the picture correctly, I think you used some flash on the tree to get that underlight, it seems so natural and yet the image pops out. Very good.
About the oranges, it’s the same as with apple trees that have grown wild. They start to taste like their wild relatives, not very good:)
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