Ocala, Florida – Springs and Pastures
There are innumerable destinations around Ocala, so I picked Rainbow Springs State Park, Silver River State Park, and Juniper Springs Recreation Area inside of the Ocala National Forest. Most of the springs in the area have been popular recreational destinations for a long tome, and they have a lot of structures around, as well as [...]
Sarasota Skies
The skies/clouds along the Florida gulf coast are consistently amazing. Puffy clouds that stop traffic up north are commonplace, but the sky one evening from my porch was different and breathtaking.
Flower & Garden Festival, Epcot Center, Orlando, FL
Once you get beyond the rodent problem, the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot is really something to see. There are many exhibits, but what really caught my attention were some underwater flower arrangements. Also, the Disney Topiaries are pretty entertaining.
Butterflies in Sarasota, FL
It sure helps to be in a group of experts when you’re out looking for things: birds, plants, and in this case, butterflies. I had seen many of these before, but didn’t know what they were; however, many of the butterflies were about the size of a dime (sorry abot the focus on some of [...]
Mystery at Lido Beach
Alice and I went down to South Lido Beach, and just after the sun went down, we heard this surprisingly loud call: a bird, a frog, someone messing with us? Play the audio recorded by my phone above. Maybe you can figure it out. I played it the other day to someone in the know [...]
Thistles at Myakka State Forest
I was the only soul I could see in Myakka State Forest — a long empty road with very few features… but some great thistle plants.
Gasparilla Island State Park
Boca Grande & Gasparilla Island State Park – pretty beaches, blaring sun, nice boardwalks!
Wood Storks at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida
I wasn’t expecting much at Corkscrew today, but it was filled with interesting wildlife. In addition to over 25 Wood Storks in the swamp, I saw a Barred Owl grab a small fish out of the same swamp, fly so close to me I could feel the wind from his wings, then go off into [...]
Nanday Parakeet Pair at Turtle Beach, Sarasota, Florida
Nanday Parakeets are all over Sarasota, but most reliably I’ve seen them at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key. I went looking for them today, and pretty soon heard their raucous call in the distance. Eventually a pair came and landed on a wire for some adolescent feeding and sunset viewing. More from Wikipedia The Nanday [...]
Quick Point Nature Preserve, Longboat Key, Florida
These photos are from Quick Point Nature Preserve, a little park on the southern end of Longboat Key, and from City Island, which is across New Pass from the park. Lots of structures and fishermen along the way. I love the way saltwater and salt air treat iron and concrete over time.