Tag Archives: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

A Love Story

18 Sep

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

Hello. I want to share with you something that has overwhelmed my heart all my life. It is about my love and connection to the natural world. 

As young as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to explore the woods. To me, it was like a treasure hunt. That mystery of life fascinated me, and I was full of wonder. 

I am a native Floridian. Most of my growing up was in the city of Orlando. It quickly grew into a full-blown major city. I didn’t have access to explore nature easily, so as time passed, I would have to go farther and farther to be in real nature. As soon as I was mobile, I would travel to Titusville and go fishing or go to the beach. I longed to live there.

And though I thought my dream life was unreachable, eighteen years ago, I got my wish. Not only did I get to live where there is an endless exploration in woods and water, but I also met the man of my dreams. 

I admit, we met on Match.com, Internet dating. On the second date, I fell so hard when he took me kayaking, caught a fish, and sweetly asked if he could kiss me.

His way of romancing was driving me around the dike roads at the Merrit Island Wildlife Refuge and showing me his secret places. We would look for wildlife, and I, being an avid, passionate photographer, would get fantastic shots out the window of the van. I can’t describe the overwhelming joy of life I was having, and I am still blessed with great riches.

The video lets you experience Titusville and MINWR a little, enjoy its beauty and see some wildlife. I thank God for bringing me closer to Him through His gifts of nature. I feel His gospel in His creations. I pray for protection for all of us in these challenging days. 

Melody

MelodyWelcome! I’m so glad you stopped in to visit. I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
What a beautiful world we live in. We all have that in common. Natural beauty is everywhere, but sometimes we are not connected until we see a picture, taken just right, that makes it really come into focus and be admired. My passion is to make a connection between the lens and your soul. Photography is my passion.
My photography passion began when my Father handed me his old Ricohflex box camera when I was 12.  It was love at first sight. I still have it. My hand was never empty of a camera since.
I am a native Floridian. I am so lucky to call it home. I was born in Orlando BF (before Disney). My family moved to the Winter Park area when I was very young. Central Florida was so simple and quaint at that time. I wandered the streets barefoot with my friends, never worrying that something bad could ever happen. My Mom used to pick the sand-spurs out of my feet. I still go barefoot. It grounds me to earth and connects me to nature.
I have extensively explored Florida and its diverse beauty. So much to see and so little time. I would love for you to join me in my travels through the images I have taken. I wish you could hear the sounds, smell the fragrance and feel the breath of it. But for now we must be content with exploring with our eyes and only imagine the rest.
Thank you for your interest.

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Florida Travel Series~Titusville, Florida

6 Jun

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

 

I am a native of Florida. I love this state and have explored most of it. Florida is so diverse in landscapes and things to do and see. Many have not been discovered.

My next series will reveal some of the unknown beauty of my favorite places in Florida seen through  my camera lens.

I will start in my own back yard in Titusville Florida. There is so much to do here especially for nature lovers.

Follow this link to all the things this area has to offer http://nbbd.com/godo/

Titusville is a sleepy, quaint town, but is in the process of growth from the commercial space programs in development now at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Titusville community was originally called Sand Point.

 

 

Henry T. Titus arrived in 1867 with the intention to build a town on land owned by his wife, Mary Hopkins Titus, daughter of a prominent planter from Darien, Georgia.

 

A promenient feature of the area is the A. Max Brewer Bridge, a 65 feet fixed high-level span on SR-406 connecting Titusville to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore, opened on February 5, 2011 to replace the former swing bridge built in 1949.

Underneath the north side of the bridge is a catwalk, the Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier, for fishing and enjoyment of the Indian River Lagoon. It is known locally as the “World’s Longest Free Fishing Pier. Many a fish or shrimp dinner was caught here.

 

 

It is the gateway to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

 

 

The land was acquired by NASA in the early 1960s for the development of the Space Center and its non-operational purposes.

 

 

 

The refuge is a natural buffer for NASA and provides a range of habitats, from saltwater estuaries and freshwater impoundments and marshes, to dunes, hardwood hammocks, and scrub. It contains over 1000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 amphibians and reptiles, 330 birds, and 31 mammal species. It is a haven for birders, photographers, fishermen and nature lovers.

 

The refuge provides hiking and driving trails for visitors, with opportunities for observing wildlife without causing disturbance. Some popular driving trails are Black Point Dr, Bio Lab Rd and Gator Rd.

 

Also within the Refuge is Playalinda Beach. A quiet beach loved by fisherman.

 

Stop by the visitors information center for maps, regulations and info. Located east on SR406 (Garden Street) just over Max Brewer Causeway Bridge on the right.

Next week we will explore Ponce Inlet.

 

This will be one of several stops along A1A north to St Augustine and beyond.

 

 

 

Melody

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.

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A Very Special Bridge

13 Dec

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

I would like to share with you just one of many wonderful features of where I live in Brevard County Florida. This is our beautiful  –    A. MAX BREWER BRIDGE  –  gateway to paradise …Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
a-max-brewer-bridge
The A. Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville has won the nationwide People’s Choice Award presented by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
A. Max Brewer Bridge is a concrete bridge costing  $44.8 million to build.
Length of bridge: 3,207 feet
Height of bridge: 65 feet
Date constructed: May 15, 2009 through Jan 31, 2010
Next to the bridge is the Titusville Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier is known locally as the “World’s Longest Free Fishing Pier.” The Titusville Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier (recently renovated) dates back to the original bridge that spanned the Indian River Lagoon in the early 1900’s. The early structure was known as the “Walker Bridge,” named in honor of Mr. John R. Walker, a former postmaster who helped make construction of the bridge possible.
After crossing the bridge, The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located due east of Titusville on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, and occupies 140,000 acres, overlaid with the Kennedy Space Center. To the north, it borders on the Canaveral National Seashore; to the south it encompasses non-public portions of the Kennedy Space Center. Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River run through the refuge. Since public access to all these areas is controlled in various ways, the refuge is part of a very substantial area of relatively undisturbed wildlife habitat.
The refuge provides a range of habitats, from saltwater estuaries and freshwater impoundments and marshes, to dunes, hardwood hammocks, and scrub. It contains over 1000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 amphibians and reptiles, 330 birds, and 31 mammal species. Of these species, 21 are listed as endangered either by the state of Florida or by the US federal government.
I am so fortunate to live close by.

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