They will be called oaks of righteousness,
Isaiah 61:3
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Today is another travel day. So I will share some photos from Wednesday morning’s learning activity with the children at the Gulf Islands National Seashore “Naval Live Oaks Area”.
Years ago – centuries in the past – ships were built entirely from wood. Several specific areas (especially the angles or “elbows” and “knee braces”) endured a lot of stress and the joints were susceptible to movement and consequent breaks.
The Live Oak tree, one of the most magnificent natural specimens of the Florida Panhandle, had a lot going for it in terms of shipbuilding. Rot resistant, dense, heavy, incredibly strong, and – most importantly – natural angles that could provide joint-free structural integrity.
So several specific areas were set aside and designated as “Naval Live Oaks”. One of these is just to the east of Gulf Breeze, across the sound from Pensacola.
Both videos (below) are less than 30 seconds:
Rebekah had a rest and I took David and Beks to check things out. It’s a beautiful stretch of natural Florida, but unfortunately missing a lot of the Live Oaks because several strong hurricanes over the past few decades did a lot of damage.
We took a hike through some of the boardwalks and down to the beach. The children read all the interpretive material and learned a lot of the basics.
I love sharing this mixture of natural Florida and historic Florida. Learning the stories that go with the biology and topography of such a unique state.
This is real history, the sweat and the mosquitoes and the impenetrable undergrowth and the strong trees and the strong people who carved out a living here as early settlers.
“Attractions” can be fun, and tourism is a key part of this culture as well as an important player in the Florida economy. But this – Naval Live Oaks – is the real Florida. This and the Blue Angles and the swamp and the hammock and the Seminoles and the “Crackers” and the culture that pre-dated air-conditioning.
There is so much to learn – both about the state of Florida and about ourselves – every day and in every way. And boy howdy do we ever need to learn it! – DEREK
