A pond picture

I live in an area that was once rural and now has rural areas nearby. I often find myself driving past these cow pastures with their ponds and never stop to look. The other day I had a few minutes to spare and went ahead and did just that at this one on the outskirts of Zephyrhills, Florida.

This particular lot is for sale so it will soon be some generic bullshit, but for now it is the home to birds and cows and bugs and snails and maybe gators? Didn’t see any but you never know. This is what all our homes and businesses around here started out as. You’ll hear old timers say how some store used to be their great granddaddie’s farm back in the day, but there were days before theirs even when there was nothing at all.

It does seem to be picking up the pace though. I first came to this area about 4 years ago to visit and moved about two years ago. Since we first came there has been so much development. I know it’s pretty much always been happening but it’s quickening. They’re slapping up new communities left and right, new carwashes (we’re like the car wash capital of the world I’m sure), and new chain restaurants.

It does beat the alternative of nothing going on or everybody leaving and things just being in a state of disrepair and despair but it’s just pretty wild what’s going on and being right in it while it’s happening.

Just about everywhere I’ve lived before had already been built out so I didn’t get to see the before like I am here. I have seen photos of the before when there were miles and miles of farmland and dirt roads. I know everywhere starts small and then gets bigger and the ponds and fields disappear and new things reappear but actually seeing it makes a person sort of wish it didn’t have to.

Anyways, there’s my photo.