happy birthday usa

bald eagle, american flag, the avian reconditioning center, apopka, florida, 2008



not a fake! this is a real bird in front of a real flag. took the family to see rescued owls, hawks, eagles, falcons, and kites at the arc, about 15 minutes out of town.

down the drain: my 50th post!

drain pipe, salt marsh, merritt island national wildlife refuge, florida, 2008



accompanied our 5th grade son's spring birdwatching field trip to the atlantic coast's merritt island, also home to john f. kennedy space center and the space shuttle. identified more than 30 birds, enjoyed a picnic, and cool, overcast weather.

this photo, taken from above, features part of a drainage system used to regulate water levels of the refuge's 76 impoundments, which create habitat for shore, wading, and migratory birds, alligators, and many other animals and plants.

into the florida woods

resurrection ferns, bulow plantation ruins historic state park, florida, 2008



mother's day weekend found us 75 miles north, first to bulow plantation for a tasty picnic and rather hot hike, then to a beautiful la quinta right on daytona beach.

charred slash pine bark and needles, bulow plantation ruins historic state park, florida, 2008

top o' th' drippin' table

table, street cafe, rain, winter park, florida, 2008



proof, once again, that rainy days are a photographer's best friend.

crossing amtrak's track

amtrak's north-bound silver meteor, amfleet coaches, winter park, florida, 2008



there's romance in riding the rails. motion. movement. more than just point-a to point-b, a train trip lets you focus on the journey, not the destination. having clickety-clacked accross the country by coach more than once, i speak from experience.

amtrak's north-bound silver meteor, amfleet coaches, winter park, florida, 2008

from the evening garden

white amaryllis, leu gardens, orlando, florida, 2008



leu gardens (one of our favorite spots in central florida) contains a delightful area called the evening garden, filled with various white and lighter colored plants. these glow at twilight, making them pleasingly visible at evening, and many feature fragrant flowers which attract insects.

some unusual specimens include a variegated banana, white mexican petunia, and this snow white amaryllis.

cliffs and clouds

cliff, clouds, south kaibab trail, grand canyon national park, arizona, 1993



dipping into the archives, we behold the top 80 feet of the mile-deep chasm's rim jutting into flowing cirrus, snapped on a sweaty hike the day after i returned to the mainland from a 3-year stay on guam. from a color slide, scanned into photoshop.

canyon, clouds, south kaibab trail, grand canyon national park, arizona, 1993

the journey continues

"a ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
~john a. shedd, salt from my attic (1928)

it's been awhile since i've posted, and the days have sailed by. time to throw off the bowlines. come with me as we explore, dream, discover. . .

boat bow, municipal marina, titusville, florida, 2008

broken angel light

light, engelbrecht house, wizard academy, austin, texas, 2007



my final night at the academy was clear and cold, and i spent about two hours outside the student mansion snapping pictures in the darkness.

go rain go

stoplight, rain, winter park, florida, 2008



another rainy view from a wet winterpark stroll.

tarpon springs

sponges, tarpon springs, florida, 2006



following a beach weekend in clearwater, we headed home by way of the sponge capital. enjoyed the waterfront views and did some window shopping.

misty del

hotel del coronado, san diego, california, 2000



my folks and i spent the first thanksgiving of the decade with my brother and his wife at their chula vista home. took an evening drive and misty stroll around coronado, and stopped to see this amazing and famous landmark.

pizza oasis

oasis cafe window, portland, oregon, 2005



family-favorite since 2002, we feasted on the oasis cafe's spinach, sun-dried tomato, and feta pizza during a summer-time reunion in the city of roses' hawthorne district.

white rose

white rose, leu gardens, winter park, florida, 2007



fall roses in mrs. leu's garden beckon us back where again and again we revel in the serene beauty of human's first home. each visit is worth far more than the price of admission.

slots

slot machine, reno airport, reno, nevada, 2001



flew into reno to meet my brother and his wife on our way up to susanville for thanksgiving. captured this image of the din of sin on my way to the baggage claim.

blizzard tree

tree, snow, susanville, california, 2001



spent thanksgiving with friends beside the fully stoked pot bellied stove in their cozy mobile home located on 40 secluded high desert acres. a few nights before this blizzard we sat visiting at midnight by the large living room window and saw the most amazing meteorite blaze across the inky sky.

boing!

mural, freeway overpass, san diego, california, 2002



was in socal for meetings when i stepped out of the hotel during a break to find this mural adorning the side of a freeway overpass.

leaves of light

plumeria leaves, rain, apopka, florida, 2007



landed these luminous leaves one rainy summer afternoon of a potted plumeria plant on our front porch. we've since planted it beside our sidewalk, where we're awaiting its first fair, fragrant, frangipani flowers.

icy leaf

wild strawberry, heavy frost, centralia, washington, 2005

spent ten days with my wife’s family in western washington several christmas's ago. shocking to fly from warm, sunny florida, to a crisp, clear 16 degrees. hid myself at sunrise beneath layers of sweater, coat, hat, and gloves, and ventured out, crunching through patches of frozen mud, branches, and ferns. bent down to view this crystal-covered strawberry leaf in my mother-in-law’s garden.

rainy day cafe

table and chair, rain, winter park, florida, 2008



a second soggy sidewalk scene, similar to this summer shot from st. pete.

don't fear the rain

brick street, rain, winter park, florida, 2008



rainy days scare most people inside. perhaps it was too many soggy seattle years, but gloomy gray skies speak to me, and often i'm rewarded with surprisingly inspiring images.

leu gardens 1

spanish moss, branch, leu gardens, winter park, florida, 2007

leu gardens is one of our favorite places, and we’ve been members for two years. showed up late one sabbath afternoon and they had already closed the gates. managed to shoot a few pictures anyway, near the parking lot and over the fence.