$1,000,000

They don't let you take pictures inside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, so the only picture from that tour I have is this pile of $10 bills in the lobby. It's a pretty big pile, though, one million dollars worth, to be exact. So by my math, that means there are one hundred thousand bills in that box.

17 Hours

I was out taking pictures yesterday for 17 hours in DC. I don't think that's quite a record, but it's close. (I spent some really late nights in NYC last year.) Anyhow, I saw a lot on the anniversary of 9/11, which would explain why the flag is at half-mast on the White House. Stay tuned for more whenever I finally get home.

1689?

As I sat in front of the Museum Of The American Indian today eating my lunch, something about this truck struck me as odd. Look there on the front fender. Since 1689? Well, I'm in the Nation's capitol, and it does have quite a history, but that's a bit excessive.

IMAG8R

It's good to know that even on Capitol Hill here in DC, there are a few Gators. It's not all diplomats and Congressmen. But the diplomats do drive nicer cars...

Where's Ernie?

Anybody want to guess where I'm at for the weekend?

Raccoon Family Album

I thought you might enjoy these family photos of a trio of raccoons I spotted this evening on South Lido Key. They were alongside a nature trail I was walking down, and even though they ran off as I approached, I coaxed them back out by tossing little sticks towards them as if they were food. I know, I know, it was mean, but I wanted to get the shot. Something you can't tell from these pictures is that the mommy, or at least the big one in the front, had an injured foot. Her right rear paw must have hurt, because she didn't walk on it the whole time I watched her. These are much better pictures than the last raccoon family I saw in Ohio.

Too Short

Well, as luck would have it, I spotted a bald eagle today. He was circling overhead as I roamed around the ground of The Ringling Museum. Unfortunately, all I had on the camera was a 17-55mm lens, which meant I couldn't get any shots that showed very much. These are both minuscule crops of much larger pictures. But there is no mistaking that white head and the white tail. By the time I got back to the car and grabbed a longer lens, he was half a mile down the waterfront.

Frangipani

I walked around the grounds of the Ringling Museum today for a few minutes (until it got too hot to physically bear), and I came across a familiar frangipani tree (or, if you prefer, plumeria). I shot the picture above just a few hours ago. The picture below, was the very first month on the very first yearly calendar I ever put together. That was for 2004, and that means I took this picture in 2003. That's a long time ago! I think I took a better picture back then, oddly enough.

Still Trapped

Some years ago, I brought you a picture of this statue at the Ringling Museum, and commented on how he was rapidly being enveloped by the adjoining banyan tree. Well, fast forward to today, and here's what he look like now. You almost have to know he's there to find him. Another four years and he'll be gone.

No Sunset

Not much of a sunset tonight, I'm afraid. Too many clouds at the horizon. Shame, too, because I happened to be passing near a cool spot with some nice vistas you don't get every day. Looking west into where the sun should have set, above, you can see the distant skyline of St. Petersburg. Looking north, below, you can see the skyline of Tampa.

And looking back east, you can see the Big Bend Power Plant. So that must mean I was in Apollo Beach.

Wildlife In Distress

I spotted this poor limpkin on Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland today. If you look close, you'll see he's got one of those plastic rings from a milk jug wrapped around his neck, and it's holding his beak open. When I saw this, I trekked off to see if I could find the number of some animal rescue place to come out and help him. I finally found a security guard at Florida Southern College across the road, but he said they'd tried to get wildlife rescue out for similar situations before and it's next to impossible to find somebody on a weekend, much less a holiday weekend. So I'm hoping someone else helps this guy get unstuck when the workweek rolls around on Tuesday. I tried to get closer to him to see if maybe I could help, but he's still quite mobile, and either walked or flew away every time I tried.

Another John Henry

Spotted this sculpture in Lakeland, Florida, today, in front of the Polk Museum of Art. Yep, it's another John Henry, as if you couldn't tell. This one is much smaller than the others I've seen, and is titled Hudson. What's the other one I've shared? Star Pointer, I think. And there's Alachua at the University of Florida that they installed back when I was in school. To my eye, they all pretty much look the same.