Everywhere

I see hawks all the time, every where I go. Do why do I still stop to take their picture? I don't know...

Black Hole

I'd hoped to find something interesting inside this rather craggy hole in a tree at Mom and Dad's house, but it was empty. Oh, well, a boy can dream, can't he?

Go Away!

This osprey was a little bit upset that I interrupted his seafood dinner. Sorry, sir.

Little Blue

After I was through shooting the funeral procession, I wandered back towards my car, taking the long way around, which involved going under the 41/301 bridge. On the far side, there's a little park that celebrates the restoration of a small area of estuary, and it was there that I found this little blue heron. Little blue's are usually pretty skittish, but this guy let me get some nice closeups before he flew off. I know he's not really blue, but he's not exactly black, either. I think the people who got to name some of these birds often went in rather fanciful directions.

Fare Thee Well

I often find myself stumbling onto photo opportunities by accident. As I drove through downtown Bradenton this afternoon, I noticed that there were cops blocking some of the side streets. When I came back around, I realized they'd blocked off the whole bridge, so I knew something was up. I parked the car, grabbed the camera, and started heading in the direction of the action. I asked a Channel 8 photographer what was going on, and it turned out to be the funeral procession of the Bradenton Fire Chief who recently passed away from a heart attack. I believe that half the police in the city, and more than half of the fire trucks were part of the procession, convoying across the Manatee River bridge from Bradenton to Palmetto, heading for the Manatee Civic Center.

The remains of Mark Souders were transported in this 1926 fire truck. You can see a better view of the truck below.

The route was lined with a few well-wishers, many of which had brought their own flags.

And here's a nicer view of that old fire truck after it delivered it's precious cargo. Always keep your camera with you, and if you see something that looks interesting, stop and take some pictures! That's your lesson for the day.

Ye Olde Publix

I have been remiss in not stopping and taking this picture before, but I have to take it in the morning for the light to be on the building, and that means I have to get up early in the morning, and I rarely do that if I don't have to work. But Saturday I got up and got out, so here you go. It may not look like much more than another Publix Supermarket in a strip mall, but this store is special. This is the oldest Publix that's still in existence. First opened in 1955, this is the only store left from those days. Those of you who aren't from Florida (or a little bit of Georgia now) may not be familiar with Publix, but it's king of all the grocery stores down here. So I figure it's just a little bit special that we happen to have the oldest one right here in Sarasota. The very first Publix was in Winter Haven, I believe, and they are headquartered in Lakeland, but any of the early ones there are long gone. I just wish this one looked like some of the Publix's I remember seeing when I was little. Or like this rebuilt one in Orlando.

Comparison Shopping

On Christmas Day, there was a discussion regarding what the difference was between yams and sweet potatoes. As the signs above indicate, the answer is about $0.70 per pound. Case closed.