Have you ever wondered what the heck this stuff is?!

Since we arrived in Texas and started heading east we have seen endless amounts of Spanish Moss growing on the trees. Something you don't see back in Canada. It's quite beautiful, hanging loose like hair blowing in the wind. It is the quintessential southern back drop. Currently we are camped right under a few big old Cypress trees and find the stuff falling everywhere in large clumps like the trees are shedding. You've seen it in the movies, "Deliverance", "Steel Magnolias", "Gone with the Wind", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Cape Fear"… The list could go on and on, I'm sure you've got the picture now. So here are a few facts and photos we have taken along the way! Spanish Moss is a flowering plant that grows upon Live Oaks, and Cypress trees. Unfortunately we won't see these flowers as they only bloom from April to June. Spanish Moss is neither Spanish nor moss, they are a seed producing plant called Angiosperm for those of you who have a green thumb out there! It is an air plant surviving on nutrients like water and calcium in the rainfall and air. The moss has had many uses, such as insulation, mulch, stuffing for mattresses, and it has even been worn by the women of the Timucua Indian Tribe. For the music trivia buffs, Canadian singer songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song entitled "Spanish Moss"! Now for the creepy stuff… Spanish Moss is home to Rat Snakes, bats, and a species of jumping spider. Yup, I'll be wearing a hat from now on! All righty! Enough of today's lesson, hope you found it as interesting as us!

Thought I would include the picture above and below, moss and all! "Airstream Ranch", where 7 and 1/2 vintage Airstreams are buried. 7 and 1/2 because Airstream had just celebrated it's 75 anniversary when creator and owner of the RV dealership next door buried the trailers.