Bloomin' On The Ceiling

The high temperature in Las Vegas during my trip was 112. My flight came in around midnight, and it was still over 100 degrees. With temperatures like this (even though it's a dry heat), you can imagine I spent quite a bit of time inside when I could. The casinos make sure to have plenty of stuff to see inside, so I didn't have a hard time keping myself and my Canon busy. This floral display was on the ceiling near the check-in desk of the Bellagio. I don't remember seeing a sign or anything, but this could only be the work of Dale Chihuly. There were thousands and thousands of these glass flowers, each almost two feet across, covering an area maybe fifty feet wide by 200 feet long. It must take a week to dust, although I'm not sure how much dust can settle on the ceiling...

(Not) Live From Las Vegas

I know I have been slacking with the posts lately, but I've been busy. And the reason I haven't posted much in the past week was because I was in Las Vegas! Yep, I was burning up the strip with my little camera in hopes of bringing home lots of great shots. I don't claim the one above is too great, but at least it proves that I was in Vegas. (Note the helicopter at upper right. Those things were flying tourists around day and night. If I had only brought more money...) I had hoped to blog some photots while I was actually out there, but I guess free internet is not a money-maker in Sin City. So stay tuned for the next week or so, and you'll see what I saw.

The Week Of Ernie's Birthday

This spectacular sunset was on the lake out behind where I work. I knew it was coming just from looking at the clouds an hour or so earlier, but I didn't think it was going to be like this. I liked the shot so much, I made sure it was the calendar page during the week of my birthday.

The Next Week In June

For a nice change, I thought I would past this week's calendar page on time at the beginning of the week instead of at the end. What you are looking at is the lighthouse at Hillsborough Inlet near Pompano Beach, FL. It's located on a Coast Guard base, but they open it up to the public about four times a year. The property it sits on is probably the only undeveloped piece of real estate for miles and miles on either side of the tower, judging by the view from the top.

The Middle Of June

Another week that I'm posting way late... Anyhow, this is the skyline of Lakeland, FL, looking across Lake Mirror. You never know exactly what night shots are going to look like, but I think this one came out pretty well.

After Alberto

I ventured down to the beach today to see what the damage was from the passing of tropical storm Alberto. Turned out there was nothing really to see, but I did get this nice shot of some skimmers in the air. I wish there had been better light, but I'll be happy with what I got. I haven't taken many pictures lately, so this will have to do.

The Missing Week In June

Whoa, talk about a late posting! Here it is Friday and I haven't put up a calendar page for you. Not to mention this is my first posting of any sort for a whole week. Anyhow, the scene you have here is from Blue Springs up near DeLand, Florida. You can see the great blue heron and the turtle on the log, but did you notice the turtle in the water? He was about to climb up on to the log with his buddy, but the heron noticed him and nudged him back into the water. It was pretty funny to watch.

June 2006

And of course there is the calendar page for the whole month. This is a monument in downtown Cleveland to the soldiers and sailors that have served in the armed forces from that area. It's a big thing, and it's right in downtown.

The First Three Days In June

Once again, I forgot to post a picture yesterday on the first day of the month. So here I am trying to make up for it. This is the calendar page for the three days of this week that happen to fall in June. I spotted these deer running across a golf course in Ohio, and barely had time to squeeze off a shot before they were gone. Look closely and you can see the person on the lawnmower keeping a wary eye on these animals.

Cara What?

I promised more pictures from The Audubon Center For Birds Of Prey this past weekend, and this is probably my favorite bird from that trip. This is the Crested Cara Cara, a species of hawk that has a very limited range here in Florida. Experts estimate there are only about 300 nesting pairs in the entire state, most of them on private property around Lake Okeechobee. They are more prevelant in Texas, then south through Mexico and into South America. This species used to be thought related to vultures and buzzards, but recent research has shown these birds to be more closely related to hawks. They do tend to eat plenty of carrion, but they can hunt prey in the event there is nothing dead to plunder. The bird above was actually trained to sit on his handler's glove and was said to have much more personality than the other eagles, owls and hawks at the center. The bird below was in his cage and was very vocal whenever I approached, as if he were guarding his territory.

The End Of May

For this short week at the end of May, here's a great shot of some flowers I found up in Ohio. I believe this was at Stan Hywet last summer.

A Real Eagle Eye

Here's a shot I've been trying to get for a while, but bald eagles are pretty hard to get close to. I finally got smart and stopped in at the Audubon Center For Birds Of Prey in Maitland, Florida, and the trip was well worth it. The eagle above is named Frank, and he's a lifelong resident at the center, thanks to any early bout with pneumonia that left him with diminished lung capacity, and thus limiting his flight range to a few blocks. He was happy to pose for this picture (and hundreds more) while perched on the arm of his trainer.

White (Not Bald)

Can you guess who's non-bald head this might be? I went somewhere really cool today, but I don't have time to share the pictures with you tonight. All I can do is tease you a little and tell you to come back tomorrow.

Picture In Picture

Ooooh, a real winner of a calendar picture for you this week. This is the lighthouse at Boca Grande, but you get the added bonus of a painter working on her masterpiece involving the same lighthouse. What a bargain! Now maybe I should commission an artist to paint a picture of this picture.

Take Me Out

I went to a baseball game on Sunday for a few innings. Nothing exciting to report. The Devil Rays won, though.

Where The (Stereo) Action Is

Over the past few days, a remarkable collection of old albums has been posted to a few music blogs. A nearly complete collection of the classic RCA Victor Stereo Action series can now be downloaded from these various blogs. Even I don't have all of these LPs, so I'm in the process of downloading the albums, most of them via RapidShare (which means I can only download one per hour without paying to join up).

The blogs in question are Rock Over Graceland, PixelMutt, Realm Of X, These Records Are BenT and Xtabay's World. Please visit these guys and thank them for their generous shares, and congratulate them on a great feat of record collecting!

So what are these albums? Here's the list (courtesy of Exoteque Music):

Ray Martin And His Orchestra-Dynamica (RCA Victor, LSA-2287, 1961)
Marty Gold And His Orchestra-It's Magic (RCA Victor, LSA-2290, 1961)
Dick Schory's Percussion And Brass Ensemble-Runnin' Wild (RCA Victor, LSA-2306, 1961)
Vic Schoen And His Orchestra-Brass Laced With Strings (RCA Victor, LSA-2344, 1961)
Leo Addeo And His Orchestra-Music Goes Round & Round (RCA Victor, LSA-2353, 1961)
The Chorus And Percussion Of Keith Textor-Sounds Terrific! (RCA Victor, LSA-2365, 1961)
The Guitars Unlimited Plus 7-Crazy Rhythm (RCA Victor, LSA-2371, 1961)
Bernie Green And His Orchestra-Futura (RCA Victor, LSA-2376, 1961)
Marty Gold And His Orchestra-Stereo Action Goes Hollywood (RCA Victor, LSA-2381, 1961)
Dick Schory's Pecussion And Brass Ensemble-Stereo Action Goes Broadway (RCA Victor, LSA-2382, 1961)
Henri Rene And His Orchestra-Dynamic Dimensions (RCA Victor, LSA-2396, 1961)
Leo Addeo And His Orchestra-Paradise Regained (RCA Victor, LSA-2414, 1961)
Esquivel And His Orchestra-Latin-Esque (RCA Victor, LSA-2418, 1962)
Ray Martin And His Orchestra-Excitement, Incorporated (RCA Victor, LSA-2422, 1962)
The Chorus And Percussion Of Keith Textor-Sounds Sensational (RCA Victor, LSA-2425, 1962)
Manny Albam And His Orchestra-More Double Exposure (RCA Victor, LSA-2432, 1962)
Dick Schory's Percussion And Brass Ensemble-Holiday For Percussion (RCA Victor, LSA-2485, 1962)
Various Artists-Stereo Action Unlimited! (RCA Victor, LSA-2489, 1961)
Manny Albam And His Orchestra-I Had The Craziest Dream (RCA Victor, LSA-2508, 1962)
The Three Suns-Movin' N' Groovin' (RCA Victor, LSA-2532, 1962)

Whew! That's a lot of records. I couldn't find the links to the other Dick Schory or Manny Albam, and the Various Artists record is just tracks from 14 of the other releases.

Update-I've posted links to the last two unique Stereo Action releases. Have at them!

A Green Week In May

What have I got for you this week? Oh, it's a litte green heron down at the Venice Rookery. You can't see it in this shot, but there is a 12" neck on this bird.

Neck (Not Lace)

I've been trying to catch one of these green anoles in mid-throat thingy for a while now, and today I finally got it. I wish I could do that with my neck. Well, maybe not...

You Are Getting Sleepy...

I think this guy is giving me the evil eye...

On The Rocks

Here's another denizen of the Hillsborough River from this weekend. This turtle was sunning himself on a rock far, far away from any alligators on the prowl.

Ride The Rapids

You didn't know we had whitewater rapids here in Florida, did you? Well, this is the Hillsborough River north of Tampa, and it's like this year-round, not just in the dry season. I don't think anyone is going to go rafting over these class-nothing rapids though, as it would be a pretty uneventful trip, but the thought is there.

Fish (Not Cat)

The water in the Hillsborough River was low this past Saturday, which oddly enough also made it clearer, probably due to the increased fraction of water coming from springs upriver instead of runoff. It was so clear you could watch the fish in the water, including this catfish. I'd guess he was two feet or so underwater when I took this shot. You can see some glare on the surface, but a polarizing filter got rid of most of that.

The Second Week In May

Here's a weird one for you from the weekly calendar. This was a giant fungi I found on the side of a small hill in Ohio last year. It's brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun, but that color is all natural. I think I may have posted this before during the actual visit to Ohio, but I have to find it.

Real Wild Life

While I'm on the subject of funny signs, how's this one?

That-A-Way

In case there was any confusion, you'd better turn right.

Go Go Gator

I caught this alligator at Hillsborough River State Park today. It's rare to see gators in water this clear, so I was pretty happy to have spotted him. You can see how he keeps his legs tucked into his body and uses his tail to propel himself through the water. He's probably between 6 and 8 feet long, which makes him larger than me. I'm glad I was on a bridge far above him. (If you look close, you'll notice that this fellow has no front right foot. I wonder how that happened...)

Little Bird Blue

I got lucky today and happened to find this litle blue heron in just the right spot. I shot for less than a minute before he decided to fly away, but during that minute I got this gorgeous shot of him with the skyline of Tampa, Florida, in the background. (I checked the map, and it's four and a half miles from the bird to the skyline behind him.)

Nice Hair

I caught these terns up at St. Pete Beach this weekend. This was about the last picture I got before the clouds blew in and ruined the picture taking for the rest of the day. I love these birds, though, with their funny little haircuts.

The First Bit Of May

The weekly calendar page for this, the first week in May, is a view of the Hillsborough Inlet near Pompano Beach, Florida. The guy with the sword is a statue of the Barefoot Mailman, a renowned figure in the area who used to deliver mail up and down the coast near the end of the 19th century. To the left, just out of camera view, is the Hillsborough Inlet Lighthouse, which you'll see in an upcoming weekly page.

May 2006

Welcome to May! And for your trouble, here's a nice picture of a railroad bridge. I'm going to have to research it again, because I used to know the name of this bridge but now I've forgotten it. It's in the Flats area of downtown Cleveland, and it spanned the Cuyahoga River. I'll let you know as soon as I find out more about it.

Update-It's the B&O Bascule Bridge No. 463, Inactive. I bet you didn't know that, now did you?

The Last Day Of April

There's only a single day on this calendar page, but you still get a nice picture. This is the Everett Road covered bridge in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park up in Ohio. Frequent blog visitors have seen similar pictures before, but not this exact one. Look closely and you'll see several horses and their riders exiting the bridge to the right. Timing is everything sometimes. This is also my 800th post to the blog, which isn't bad for only being a little over a year old.

Bring Out Your Dead

You guys have seen too many birds of prey lately. Here's a vulture for you. Got anything dead?

Blue Jay Way

I guess they didn't have a scrub jay to bring out and show the folks at Oscar Scherer, so they had this guy. As a former mascot, I can't say I was too impressed. I tried to get the photographer from the Sarasota Herald Tribune to take this picture and put it in the paper, but she politely refused. Something about it wasn't visually interesting. Well, yeah, but it's a guy dressed as a blue jay! That's what people want to see in the paper!

Portable Gator

OK, there is one more animal. This baby gator was also on display at Oscar Scherer. They're cute when they're small, but once they get to be about 11 feet long, you don't want to hold them this close to the body.

Golden Eye

You may have thought I was done with the birds from last weekend, but I'm not. This great horned owl was yet another of the animals I saw at Oscar Scherer State Park last Sunday. I love those big golden eyes.

Killer Kestrel

Here's another of the rescued birds from the Earth Day celebration at Oscar Scherer Sunday. I've been searching for one of these guys in the wild for a long time, and never seen one. This little guy is an American Kestrel. They never took this guy out into the sunlight, so this picture isn't the best it could be. They've got a touch of blue in those feathers around the head, and the beak has a blue tint to it as well. He only stands about 8-10" high, but he's a fierce hunter. Someday I'll see one in the wild and get a good picture, watch and see!

More Ospreys?

How many ospreys did I shoot this weekend? I don't know. I lost count around 5. I was walking down Powerline Road in Myakka, and each of the powerpoles I passed had a nest at the top. About half of the nests were occupied, and most of the occupants would take off and circle around me until I got almost to the next pole. I've walked that trail before, and the birds usually just stare down at me (like the one below) and squawk. I don't know why they kept circling this time, but it made for some impressive pictures.

Wingin' It

I spotted more than ospreys at the Myakka River this Sunday. This red-tail hawk took off from a tree nearby, and I managed to get a single picture before he flew out of range. I spotted a couple of others, but couldn't get the camera on them quickly enough. I need more practice with shooting quick critters, I guess.

Bloomin' Beans

The coral bean plants are in bloom again. I love these things. I've heard that they attract hummingbirds like nobody's business, but I've never seen them around.

A Better Mousetrap

What else did I see at Oscar Scherer this past Sunday? How about this barred owl? If you happen to be a mouse, that beak is going to put a hurtin' on you. Well, it might put a hurtin' on you even if you're a person. I guess it sort of depends on what kind of mood this owl is in. Luckily, he was pretty happy when I saw him.

Fish Food

This fellow doesn't have a fish, and if you have one, you'd better give it to him!

Another Week In April

The calendar page for this week in April is a big gold fish. This guy is a decoration at Baywalk in St. Petersburg, Florida. They've got all sorts of gold fish and octopus and crabs and I think a couple of birds, too. But this particular fish was the one that caught my fancy, so it's the one I'm sharing with you this week. You wouldn't want to have to flush this guy if he were to pass away while in your care.

No Sharing

This guy does not want to share his fish with you. Trust me.

A Doe Or Two

Somehow, I shot two deer today. I guess that makes me luckier than most hunters. I've only seen deer in Florida less than half a dozen times, and never when I was out shooting, but today I got lucky, and saw these two does. (Yes, yes, I did see and photograph deer in Ohio, but that's not nearly so exciting to me as seeing and shooting them on my home turf.) They were about half an hour apart, and over a mile separate, so I'm pretty sure it's two different deer. Both times they just looked at me, and slowly walked away. I think they were coming out of the woods to get a drink from the nearby river. With the dry winter and spring, many of the water holes they would normally frequent are all dried up. I found these ladies in Myakka River State park today, which I visited after Oscar Scherer. I've got plenty more pictures from both locales, so it should be a good week to hang around the blog.

Hawkeye (Not Pierce)

I stumbled by accident on an Earth Day celebration (the day after Earth Day?) down at Oscar Scherer State Park today, which meant I got in for free, and it also meant they had lots of things to see and do above and beyond the usual pretty scenery. For me, the most exciting thing was a booth from a wildlife group where they showed off some of the birds they had rescued. It's a rare chance to get up close and personal with creatures that normally fly away before I can get within camera range. The first fellow I want to show you is this red-tailed hawk. This is the same species I shot up in Ohio, only then I was a few hundred feet away, and here I'm about 5 feet. All good pictures, but different. I offer up the picture below in case you wondered why they are called red-tailed hawks. Now you know.