Even in scrublands there is beauty

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted;

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners;

 

"To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.

"So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

Isaiah 61: 1-4

Rough areas are amazing to me. Pine scrub, dunes, beaches, sandy burr-ridden roadsides - many of these tough environments still contain a profusion of species that thrive despite the poor quality of the soil. 

I took these shots a couple of weeks ago on a nearby prairie. The terrain is mostly comprised of a few shallow wetland areas near sandy hills containing pines, grasses, cypress and rough brambles.

Every time I go for a hike I always find something worth seeing; what a blessing it is to live amidst such beauty.