Still Gravity

The bark of this tree is amazing, it's the Fauvism of nature. What do you see here? Derain? Matisse? This is the lone eucalyptus of the rainforest. An Asian native, this tree is a traveler of the world nowadays. It's also known as Mindanao rainbow and for science is  Eucalyptus deglupta .  The colorful bark of the Rainbow eucalyptus - License our images  here . Rainbow eucalyptus are natives from the Philippines, Indonesia, and New Guinea. They are gigantic trees that easily surpass the 50 meters (164 feet). Their pulp is used to make white paper, and because of their colors, it's praised as an ornamental tree. We become intoxicated with color, with words that speak of color, and with the sun that makes colors brighter.           André Derain

Little River Canyon Rim Parkway or Alabama Highway 176 - License our images  here . Great drive with multiple stops in the cold days of last autumn. The rim road travels for eleven miles. Plenty of scenic spots to stop and take a peek of the river canyon.  The river through its beautiful canyon.  Another obligated stop was the amazing Mushroom Rock.  Surprise at the middle of the road.  The common sense of some road construction workers saved this natural landmark from destruction. Great that they left the Mushroom Rock on the middle of the parkway.  We tried to go down to the Little River through the Lower Two-Mile Trail, but it was steep and slippery - and we left the hiking poles in the truck.  RVs and trailers are

Visiting the Little River Canyon, we learned that this is a favorite spot for the black bears of Alabama - they also wander in an area north of the city of Mobile.   Alabama black bear (we took the photo in DeSoto State Park) - License our images  here .         There is no "Alabama black bear" as a species. These are Florida black bears. They don't hibernate, but sleep more during winter, meaning that are active year around.  These bears are shy and solitary. They don't fight for territory but defend their food. 80% of their diet comes from plants. How to recognize the "Alabama" bears?  Shiny black fur with some brown in the muzzle.  Ears round, separated, and erect.  Round eyes widely separated.  Short tail.  The male averages 250 lbs.; the female 180 lbs. A clan animal for many American Indians, bears got almost extinct in Alabama. Now the popul

Little River Falls, Alabama - License our images  here . These two waterfalls are close to each other. The big one is an easy hike through a boardwalk that starts at the trailhead/parking lot.  Locals knew this canyon of the Little River as May’s Gulf before the times of the national preserve. Carved by the longest river running on a mountaintop, it's one of the deepest canyons in the east of the United States.  After a short hike downriver, we found the Little Falls. The trail follows the eastern rim for a while and then descends to the river through a steep slope helped by stone steps - we found a  woolly bear in this trail. Enormous boulders adorn the riverbed.      Down in the Little River.  Water drips from the slopes of the canyon in a zillion of mini cascades. The drops look like sparkling crystals of light. The

Last fall hiking the West Fork of the Little River - License our images  here . Water is the main attraction in DeSoto State Park. Many waterfalls along the trails.  The park is named for Hernando de Soto, a Spanish that explored this region in the 16th century. He died later by the Mississippi River with half of his soldiers - a group survived and went back to Mexico.  Desoto Falls is the biggest waterfall. Actually, this is the tallest one in the state of Alabama with over a hundred feet height - 30 meters. You must drive some miles north from the park to reach it. A hydroelectric station was built here in 1925. There is a trail that goes down to the big pond for a different perspective.  Desoto Falls seen from the overlook.  Closer to the campground, we found the smaller waterfalls. They are Azalea, Laurel, and Lost Falls. We took the Blue Trail along