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Windy Day

Yesterday we had a bit of wind. By that I mean they were advising us not to drive over the bridge, trees were blown down and if you wore a hat you might have to chase it down the street. Which is another way of saying it was an awesome day for kitesurfing. This is at a point midway on the Sunshine Skyway where kite surfers congregate. I had it in my mind to check it out yesterday and I'm glad I did. It looked so fun that I might just have to try it out myself one day. You never know.

Yesterday we had a bit of wind. By that I mean they were advising us not to drive over the bridge, trees were blown down and if you wore a hat you might have to chase it down the street. Which is another way of saying it was an awesome day for kitesurfing. This is at a point midway on the Sunshine Skyway where kite surfers congregate. I had it in my mind to check it out yesterday and I’m glad I did. It looked so fun that I might just have to try it out myself one day. You never know.

Click on photo to enlarge

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Lake Pleasant Harbor

Lake Pleasant is a reservoir just north of Phoenix. It was nice to see such a big lake in the middle of the dessert and I can only imagine how important this is to the needs the booming city of seven million. At the entrance to the lake is this small harbor with a restaurant at the lower right. Beyond the harbor you can see the dam and then the lights of the highway beyond that. On account of the cirrus clouds I stood here on a hill and watched a most spectacular sunset, one that lingers for thirty minutes after the sun sinks below the horizon. That was a lucky night indeed.

Lake Pleasant is a reservoir just north of Phoenix. It was nice to see such a big lake in the middle of the dessert and I can only imagine how important this is to the needs the booming city of seven million. At the entrance to the lake is this small harbor with a restaurant at the lower right. Beyond the harbor you can see the dam and then the lights of the highway beyond that. On account of the cirrus clouds I stood here on a hill and watched a most spectacular sunset, one that lingers for thirty minutes after the sun sinks below the horizon. That was a lucky night indeed.

Click on photo to enlarge

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Treasure Island Kite Festival

Today I went to the Treasure Island Kite Festival here in Florida. It goes without saying there were a lot of kites and this is one of the more exotic ones. It bounced up and down in the gentle breeze and attracted all manner of children that played under it as it gently landed on the sand. There was also a competition with “professionals” displaying flying skills that, quite frankly, astounded me. I had no idea this was such a serious endeavor and the precision demonstrated uh, blew me away. To top it off there was a kite ballet where a group of people would fly kites in unison to music. Lets just say I got a little carried away.

Today I went to the Treasure Island Kite Festival here in Florida. It goes without saying there were a lot of kites and this is one of the more exotic ones. It bounced up and down in the gentle breeze and attracted all manner of children that played under it as it gently landed on the sand. There was also a competition with “professionals” displaying flying skills that, quite frankly, astounded me. I had no idea this was such a serious endeavor and the precision demonstrated uh, blew me away. To top it off there was a kite ballet where a group of people would fly kites in unison to music. Lets just say I got a little carried away.

Click on photo to enlarge or order print

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Train Over Water

A train passes over the Manatee River in Bradenton Florida. These engines were on their way to pick up oranges for the Tropicana plant down the line. It happens every day at the same time and each time it goes by there are a few people lined up to watch. The people wave, the conductor waves and life goes on as it has for decades. Where would we be if not for the railroads?

A train passes over the Manatee River in Bradenton Florida. These engines were on their way to pick up oranges for the Tropicana plant down the line. It happens every day at the same time and each time it goes by there are a few people lined up to watch. The people wave, the conductor waves and life goes on as it has for decades. Where would we be if not for the railroads?

Click on photo to enlarge

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Gastown Steam Clock

This is a well-known steam clock in the Gastown section of Vancouver. I took this as I walked by on a warm summer evening last August. Every ten or fifteen minutes the clock will begin blowing steam and the attached whistles will sound. As silly as that sounds it’s really fun to wait it out, like waiting for a geyser. This is one of my favorite sections of town; with the old architecture it stands in contrast to the ultramodern architecture just two blocks away. It's said there used to be tunnels below the city that were used by the well heeled. Presumably they were used to convey “businessmen” to the more seedy sections of town to satisfy out their whims and pleasures. Though with the way Vancouver has grown, what was once “seedy” is now the pricier section of town. Perhaps if the tunnels still exist they are used in reverse?

This is a well-known steam clock in the Gastown section of Vancouver. I took this as I walked by on a warm summer evening last August. Every ten or fifteen minutes the clock will begin blowing steam and the attached whistles will sound. As silly as that sounds it’s really fun to wait it out, like waiting for a geyser. This is one of my favorite sections of town; with the old architecture it stands in contrast to the ultramodern architecture just two blocks away. It’s said there used to be tunnels below the city that were used by the well heeled. Presumably they were used to convey “businessmen” to the more seedy sections of town to satisfy out their whims and pleasures. Though with the way Vancouver has grown, what was once “seedy” is now the pricier section of town. Perhaps if the tunnels still exist they are used in reverse?

Click on photo to enlarge

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St. Petersburg Marina

My wife and I went for a walk along the waterfront in St Petersburg Florida the other day. Everyone was out and about and enjoyed the warm weather. The calm water created these little ripples which caught my wife's attention and then mine. I admit it, I'm an unabashed copycat and have no shame. Such as it is here are the boats reflected in the water and something to put us all in a relaxed state such that we might come up with our own ideas and not copy others. But then imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so in reality I'm just flattering my wife. ;-)

My wife and I went for a walk along the waterfront in St Petersburg Florida the other day. Everyone was out and about and enjoyed the warm weather. The calm water created these little ripples which caught my wife’s attention and then mine. I admit it, I’m an unabashed copycat and have no shame. Such as it is here are the boats reflected in the water and something to put us all in a relaxed state such that we might come up with our own ideas and not copy others. But then imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so in reality I’m just flattering my wife. 😉

Click on photo to enlarge

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Six O’Clock Train

If you like orange juice then this is your train, right from the Tropicana plant here in Bradenton Florida. I live just a few minutes from here and every evening I hear the sounding of the horn as the train heads north. Now, whenever I'm up north I have a habit of looking at the label on the OJ just to see where it says

If you like orange juice then this is your train, right from the Tropicana plant here in Bradenton Florida. I live just a few minutes from here and every evening I hear the sounding of the horn as the train heads north. Now, whenever I’m up north I have a habit of looking at the label on the OJ just to see where it says “Bradenton, FL”. I have no idea why I do that, but I do it just the same, home town pride perhaps. I took this earlier this evening as I walked my dogs near the tracks along the Bradenton Riverwalk.

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St Petersburg Pier

By coming here at sunrise on a Sunday I managed to have the whole place to myself, which is quite a feat when you consider how popular this pier is. I think I was only here for twenty or thirty minutes and it started filling up with runners and such, but that was fine, I got what I came for.

By coming here at sunrise on a Sunday I managed to have the whole place to myself, which is quite a feat when you consider how popular this pier is. I think I was only here for twenty or thirty minutes and it started filling up with runners and such, but that was fine, I got what I came for.

Click on photo to enlarge

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Slim Pickins

Downtown Hartford, CT at night reminds me of some midwest cities. Basically they roll the streets up at 5pm. So when I came downtown a couple of weeks ago it was good and bad. Good because I just about had the whole downtown core to myself, bad in that there were slim pickins as far as any activity goes. Nonetheless, I made the best of it had a pretty good time wandering about.

Downtown Hartford, CT at night reminds me of some midwest cities. Basically they roll the streets up at 5pm. So when I came downtown a couple of weeks ago it was good and bad. Good because I just about had the whole downtown core to myself, bad in that there were slim pickins as far as any activity goes. Nonetheless, I made the best of it had a pretty good time wandering about.

Click on photo to enlarge

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Christmas Lights and Building

It's time for a few Christmas lights, which are everywhere. As I squint my eyes the lights of the trees blend with those of the building behind. I have to scratch that abstract itch every now and again. Now I feel much better, and I hope you do too.

It’s time for a few Christmas lights, which are everywhere. As I squint my eyes the lights of the trees blend with those of the building behind. I have to scratch that abstract itch every now and again. Now I feel much better, and I hope you do too.

Click on photo to enlarge.