Sunday, May 16, 2010

May 16: Photo Sunday...Sour Oranges at Cross Creek

I took this shot of sour oranges one warm Florida November day as I wandered the gardens at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' home in Central Florida (now Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park). The home where she wrote is preserved much as it was when she lived there. Her idea was to write and supplement her income with the proceeds from the harvest of sour oranges on the property.

Although I'm not so sure how well she did with the oranges, the trees are lovely, as are the grounds of her home. The oranges have a starring role on the menu at The Yearling, the restaurant just up the road a ways, where they make a sour orange pie, with a sour orange curd (like lemon or key lime curd in those pies)...I love it. I loved my day at Cross Creek. I love this photo.

A quote from MKR:


“Enchantment lies in different things for each of us. For me, it is in this: to step out of the bright sunlight into the shade of orange trees; to walk under the arched canopy of their jadelike leaves; to see the long aisles of lichened trunks stretch ahead in a geometric rhythm; to feel the mystery of a seclusion that yet has shafts of light striking through it. This is the essence of an ancient and secret magic.” 

I felt a bit of that magic the day I took this photo.

6 comments:

Ulrike, Dubai said...

Lovely photo, that should so be a still life in oil!

Unknown said...

Ulrike, that's what I thought, too. It looks more like a painting. Beautiful. Made me go check out the Web site about this state park. Sounds just like the word the late author uses: enchanting. Thanks, Barb.

Amanda said...

I love that quote! Thanks for sharing it.

Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial said...

Barb, I'd never heard of a sour orange before today! Thanks.. :)

Jessica said...

I love your picture!

Sour oranges are great to use when making some adobo. Yummy!


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Carolyn Jung said...

They look magical, indeed. That's one of the things I loved about living in Florida years ago -- all the fantastic citrus.