The Sign and the Tortoise

Water Fountains

Beads of Water

Veils of Water

Waiting for the heat and humidity to break so we can get back to the type of photography we love, nature and travel.
Click photograph for other pictures.

Wakulla Lodge and Boat Tour in the Rain

Wakulla Lodge in the Rain

We love visiting Wakulla Springs and always take the boat tour at least once per visit. The stories and interpretation vary depending on the boat captain, so the narrative is always interesting. This time the rain poured down with no let-up in sight. (click on photo for more photos from the boat trip). Moral of Story: Don't let a little, or a lot, of rain stop you. We saw more and more interesting things on this trip after nearly canceling due to weather!

From the boat tour

The rain didn't bother this one

...Or this one

We passed right by this Yellow Crowned Night Heron sitting on a nest

View of the river showing how heavy the rain fell during our boat ride

Damselfly at Brooker Creek Preserve

 I stood on the boardwalk at Brooker Creek Preserve and watched this Damselfly slowly open and close its wings.

Blackwater Creek State Park

We camped at Blackwater Creek State Park just before the start of the summer heat. On one of our first hikes, we spotted this abandoned pair of goggles, the bright plastic yellow and blue standing out against the natural color of the surroundings.

While here we visited the coast, and we liked that we could spend the day in the crowds and a short (30 minute or so) drive away we could camp and enjoy peace and quiet in a very nice campsite. We enjoyed several hikes, birding, and nature enjoyment in general. We will be visiting this park again.

I spent a lot of time on this shot. I wanted the light just right and the flower framed. I walked by the next morning and the flower was already gone. Capturing the moment has always been a major strength of photography.

We stopped at the Harold Store the night before we left for some snacks. This small store carries a small but complete selection of nearly any basic item you might need from a convenience/camping/fishing store. The woman who waited on us was wonderfully pleasant, talkative, and we had a nice visit in addition to picking up the items we wanted.

The angle shot was actually on purpose. I wanted to get the whole store in the frame without doing the traditional front on view. I would have liked to have worked this shot more, but late afternoon meant a lot of cars stopping in on their way home, so the time to actually take the shot ended up limited.

From the Archives: A Still Life

Karl saw a saying that stayed with him: "If it can't be fixed with a martini or duct tape, it can't be fixed". He spent weeks looking for just the right martini glass, a toothpick that would compliment the olives and just the right amount of tape on a spool of  duct tape. A couple of hours of set-up of the lights, positioning the olives in the glass, and rearranging the tape and glass, until finally he shot his interpretation of the saying.

Sunrise Through a Cypress Dome

Sunrise through a cypress dome

August weather in central Florida varies, not by much but it varies. Some days we experience sunny, very humid, and hot weather with occasional thunderstorms, and other days we get a break and find a little less humidity and a little less heat. For the most part, the weather remains about the same as mid-June and July, but our attitude changes. We complain now because we know that the gradual cooling of temperatures and reduction of humidity starting in September are just around the corner, and we are impatient for the next season.

Florida Seascapes: A Sample

Karl started a long term project of seascapes a few months ago. Here is a sample of some of the work he is doing. He took this on St. George Island, FL.

While I doubt we are the only ones who look for a rainy or stormy forecast before planning a coastal or beach trips, we are likely not in a majority.

The Buffalo Botanical Gardens

The dome of the Buffalo Botanical Gardens against the cloudy and rainy sky.

We drank our coffee at the breakfast table, and debated where to hike that morning. The weather report predicted rain later, so we planned on leaving early. As we finished our coffee, around 8 a.m., it started to pour rain. The forecast proved correct, the timing ended up a bit off. We changed to indoor plans, and visited the Buffalo Botanical Gardens. The theme of “The Buffalo Meridian”, featuring plants around the world along the Buffalo Meridian, brings a unique perspective and interesting tour. The Florida Everglades fall on that line, so we felt right at home.

Karl and I both took several photos, and as we left Karl looked up and saw the dome against the still cloudy and threatening sky. It ended up as our pick of the day.

Shakespeare in Delaware Park

New Stage. The only somewhat clear shot I could get. This is a very popular event.

A ten year plus family tradition continued this July when we visited the Buffalo area. We chose a weekday night to see the first of two plays by Shakespeare in Delaware Park and let everyone know. Whoever can make it comes, and we set up our chairs, break out our snacks which usually consist of cheese and crackers, some chips, and something to drink, usually a glass of chilled white wine.

Each year two plays are performed, one runs the first half of summer and the other the second half. This year we saw “The Winter’s Tale”. “The Taming of the Shrew” is the second one this year, and I would have loved to see that also. The performance is free, and each year I try to give a donation and buy a souvenir to support this wonderful group. These performances started in 1976, and this year they debuted a new stage.

Hamburg Palace Theatre in Hamburg, NY

Waiting for the Curtain

Most of my family now lives in or around the town and village of Hamburg, NY, founded in 1812 and according to the history named after Hamburg, Germany. Over the past several years the village undertook a revitalization that almost makes me want to move there, but after over 25 years living below the Mason-Dixon Line I fear the cold and snow would do us in. The old-fashioned Main Street type of town is back. Rather than a butcher, produce store, and general store, made redundant by the large supermarkets a short drive away, other vendors such as a gourmet olive oil and spice store, several different restaurants, and a winery line the very walkable main streets.

Luckily, one of my favorite destinations, the Hamburg Palace Theater, still remains. Built in 1926; it still graces the village with its old-fashioned exterior and single screen interior. The next town over in which I grew up did not have a theater, though drive-ins ruled in those days and a few of those were close by. Happily the Hamburg Palace survived the multi-plex era and outlasted the drive-ins so remains a popular choice for a family movie in the town.

We use the great nieces and nephews as a wonderful excuse to see the latest children’s movies during our visits. Diet concerns out the window for the duration, we all buy an old-fashioned bucket of popcorn and sit down to enjoy the previews and main feature, munching away.

This photo turned out too grainy, but as the theater filled I didn’t want to resort to flash. Also, in the interest of privacy, I wanted the shot done before more people arrived. Next time I visit I hope to have the higher ISO setting on the G16 learned properly done to provide more shots of the beautiful interior.

Exploring Times Beach Nature Preserve in Buffalo

Who would have guessed that a nature site like Times Beach Nature Preserve exists within the city of Buffalo? During a recent visit, our sister-in-law suggested a hike there. She loves the place and hikes there often. We agreed, and all headed out in one car. We parked along the side of the road (plenty of parking there the day we visited) and walked into one of several openings for foot traffic. This small preserve, encompassing only about 54 acres, really packs a punch as it includes shoreline, upland, forest and wetland.

In a shadowed area along the boardwalk, we noticed these snails on all the trees.

As we walked along the trail we watched butterflies visiting the many wildflowers on both sides of the trail. I heard a familiar call, and looked up to see a Great Crested Flycatcher on a low limb. The trail consisted of dirt trail and boardwalk, both comfortable to walk. On the boardwalk along the lake edge we found several bird blinds. This nature preserve is recognized as an important bird area and the entire Niagara Corridor is recognized as a “globally significant” important bird area. As we walked back through the wooded area, we saw three deer, including one fawn, in the distance. We stopped walking and they came fairly close but bolted as soon as we moved.

Curious as to how this nature preserve got its name, I checked the history. In the 1930s, the local newspaper called the Buffalo Times proposed a public beach in the area, hence the name. In the 1940s the beach closed as a health hazard. The city of Buffalo grew into a major industrial area and in those days environmental concerns were not recognized as they are today. The area began to be used to dump the dredge material from the dredging to keep the Buffalo River navigable. To get a good visual of this area, follow this link: http://www.buffaloah.com/a/water/times/times.html. The second photo down shows an aerial view.

The preserve opened in 2005 and the city of Buffalo manages the property. The Friends of Times Beach Nature Preserve advocate to maintain the preservation of the area.