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Death, taxes and afternoon thunderstorms are among the few certainties of life. At least it is here in Florida during the summer. I think I would be more surprised if we didn’t get a storm in the afternoon. Like when I lived by the tracks then moved away and couldn’t sleep because there were no trains going by. Thunderstorms are a little like that. We ignore them. They make noise but we tune it out. But lucky for me I’m a photographer and I’m always on the lookout. I didn’t ignore this one. And now, I’ll lay back in bed and wait for the sound of the midnight train. Goodnight all.
Sowing Seagrass on the Seashore
Planting seagrass like this protects the beach from erosion of storms. Communities up and down the coast of Florida are always looking for ways to preserve the beaches. In some places they dredge up the sand from just beyond the shoreline and place it back on the beach. That’ll last for a couple years depending on the storms and then it needs to be done again. Plants are a natural approach, only they are usually used to protect only the entrance to the beach which usually involves some type of dunes like these.
Bok Tower Gardens
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Bok Tower Gardens in Polk County Florida.
Watching the Sunrise
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Here I’m sitting on a dock watching the sunrise last year. Everything was quiet and despite the effort to get up early, I was glad to be here. If I could only manage to wake up early a little more often. I love to stay under the covers too much. But then, maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.
Skyway Afternoon
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I shot this on a calm afternoon with a few wispy clouds above. I would have preferred a little more drama in the clouds but it wasn’t to be. This is only a few minutes away from my home, I cross this way several times a week. This bridge connects St Petersburg with Manatee County where I live. All ships coming in or out of Tampa Bay pass through here. Now they’re saying that at four hundred feet the bridge isn’t high enough. Its time to go buy a new bridge.
Riverwalk Regatta
Earlier this year our town had a regatta. Silly me, I thought a “regatta” involved sailboats. Little did I realize these Formula 2 boats would be racing around a track in the river. They closed the main bridge over the river so you could get right on top of the action. These guys/gals are pushing the limits of physics as they try to remain stable on the water at extreme speeds, even so one of flipped upside down on a turn. The pilot was okay and the race continued. So NOW I know what a regatta is all about, silly me.
Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg Florida
The view from St Petersburg Florida as I looked out across Tampa Bay. In summer we go from wind a rain to a peaceful calm. This day happened to be one of the latter. The water on the bay was like glass as these sea birds snatch fish from the shallows. I waited for the perfect moment when the birds were in perfect position and took this picture. This is one of my favorite from the area.
Path Between Two Beaches
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Between Coquina and Bradenton Beach is this walkway with shade and picnic tables. On account of the rain and wind it wasn’t too busy today, nevertheless it was pretty warm and quite a few were at the beach anyway. I walked along this between the two beaches and then along the beach for a spell watching the waves and enjoying the warm wind blowing in off the Gulf of Mexico.
Under the Kite
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Another shot from the kite festival earlier this year at St Petes Beach Florida. In addition to standard kites, there were a few of these enormous balloon kites that bounced up and down in the breeze. And of course that’s the perfect invitation to come play under the colorful billowy fabric. Of all the photos I took that day, the shots of the children playing around the kites were my favorite.
Sunrise at Riverwalk
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In Bradenton FL we have a riverwalk. Little did I know a lot of other cities do as well. Before I moved here I’d never heard of a riverwalk, but if you think about it it makes sense. Everyone likes to hang out by the water; run, walk or just chill. I come here a lot and this time to take pictures of the sunrise. I think I’ve taken pictures of the whole riverwalk length yet somehow I always seem to find something new. Regardless, its close to my home and if I ever get tired of this riverwalk there are others close by.