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On Deck

Royal’s Jewel of the Seas; on deck one evening at sea. This is a section normally busy with people sunbathing or just walking the deck, but I headed up here around dinner and so it was pretty empty. Sure enough, early in the morning folks would be walking or running this track. My hat is off to those people, with discipline and fortitude to walk off the previous night’s meal. I tried a couple of times, but always seemed to get sidetracked by the drink of the day. Working up ambition on board a cruise ship can be a challenge, trying to stay focused on anything is pretty much impossible. But then that’s the whole idea, right?

Royal's Jewel of the Seas; on deck one evening at sea. This is a section normally busy with people sunbathing or just walking the deck, but I headed up here around dinner and so it was pretty empty. Sure enough, early in the morning folks would be walking or running this track. My hat is off to those people, with discipline and fortitude to walk off the previous night's meal. I tried a couple of times, but always seemed to get sidetracked by the drink of the day. Working up ambition on board a cruise ship can be a challenge, trying to stay focused on anything is pretty much impossible. But then that's the whole idea, right?

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Pond at Dusk

This was taken at a pond at Emerson Point state park near my home. This and a couple of other nearby ponds are hangouts for migratory birds. I’m not a birder and I don’t know a lot about each species, but they’re still fun to watch in their natural habitat. There’s all kinds of wildlife in and around this pond, I’ve seen Raccoons, Armadillos, Turtles, Osprey and Eagles. So there you go, I’m no birder, but apparently I’m Daniel Boone.

This was taken at a pond at Emerson Point state park near my home in Manatee County Florida. This and a couple of other nearby ponds are hangouts for migratory birds. Now I'm not a birder and I don't know a lot about each species, but they're still fun to watch in their natural habitat. There's all kinds of wildlife in and around this pond, I've seen Raccoons, Armadillos, Turtles, Osprey and Eagles. So there you go, I'm no birder, but apparently I'm Daniel Boone.

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Edith Cavell Meadows

This was taken from Edith Cavell Meadows in Jasper National Park. It’s hard for a photo to convey the proper perspective but the peak is about another thousand meters above my position. From the top are a couple of glaciers running down the slopes and like everything in the Canadian Rockies, scales are quite large and hard to convey. For this I set my camera down on some rocks to capture a bit of the moraine in the foreground. In any case, Edith Cavell was a nurse during WWI who was credited with saving the lives of soldiers on both sides and then executed by Germany. This great peak is a monument to her courage and humanity.

This was taken from Edith Cavell Meadows in Jasper National Park. It's hard for a photo to convey the proper perspective but the peak is about another thousand meters above my position. From the top are a couple of glaciers running down the slopes and like everything in the Canadian Rockies, scales are quite large and hard to convey. For this I set my camera down on some rocks to capture a bit of the moraine in the foreground. In any case, Edith Cavell was a nurse during WWI who was credited with saving the lives of soldiers on both sides and then executed by Germany. This great peak is a monument to her courage and humanity.

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Garden Hideaway

It’s nice to have a little hideaway where you can go to get away from it all, if just for a bit. A break now and again to fill up on your own thoughts and musings and not those of everyone and everything around you. I get that when I ride my bike or walk the dogs. For some, this little garden under a bridge in the middle of a large bustling city. I happened upon this and almost walked by when I realized what it was, a little garden hideaway. And when I entered, even though I was only steps from the street it seemed somehow quiet, somehow peaceful and the feeling stayed with me for a while after I left. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it is, and it’s good enough for me.

It's nice to have a little hideaway where you can go to get away from it all, if just for a bit. A break now and again to fill up on our own thoughts and musings and not those of everyone and everything around us. I get that when I ride my bike or walk the dogs. For some, this little garden under a bridge in the middle of a large bustling city. I happened upon this and almost walked by when I realized what it was, a little garden hideaway. And when I entered, even though I was only steps from the street it seemed somehow quiet, somehow peaceful and the feeling stayed with me for a while after I left. I don't know how that's possible, but it is and it's good enough for me.

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Old Piers

Apparently, piers are not permanent here in Florida, seems they erode away from Hurricanes and waves all the time. I’m fairly new to Florida, we moved here about nine years ago and in that time I’ve seen a couple of piers crumble away. I was at an art show with my photos the other day and a shot I did of the pier at Venice Florida was recognized by folks as “the new pier”. That was news to me since it’s the only one I knew of. But long time residents have seen two others washed away and the latest built about ten years ago. So now I know. In any case, I like even the crumbled down old remnants of a pier, it seems to attract birds like egrets, herons and pelicans as they use the old pilings to wait for prey or scraps from the fishermen. So now you know, probably more than you ever wanted, about Florida piers. Your welcome. 😉

Apparently, piers are not permanent here in Florida, seems they erode away from Hurricanes and waves all the time. I'm fairly new to Florida, we moved here about nine years ago and in that time I've seen a couple of piers crumble away. I was at an art show with my photos the other day and a shot I did of the pier at Venice Florida was recognized by folks as

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Gulf of Mexico

So this might not look familiar but it’s under the Sunshine Skyway bridge between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Sometimes I find myself in the craziest places in search of a shot, especially when not traveling. When I do travel I cross this bridge in a car on my way to the airport at a pretty good rate of speed. The bridge is so level and smooth I forget I’m traveling over a vast body of water with dolphins, sharks and swift currents below. Before this was built the old one collapsed and a bus and cars just drove right off the bridge into the water. Yeah I know, scary. But today I doubt anything like that will happen again, this bridge is constantly under maintenance, no chances are being taken. And thanks to all that maintenance its a very smooth ride and I forget I’m driving over the Gulf of Mexico. Thankfully though, the state of Florida does not.

So this might not look familiar but it's under the Sunshine Skyway bridge between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Sometimes I find myself in the craziest places in search of a shot, especially when not traveling. When I do travel I cross this bridge in a car on my way to the airport at a pretty good rate of speed. The bridge is so level and smooth I forget I'm traveling over a vast body of water with dolphins, sharks and swift currents below. Before this was built the old one collapsed and a bus and cars just drove right off the bridge into the water. Yeah I know, scary. But today I doubt anything like that will happen again, this bridge is constantly under maintenance, no chances are being taken. And thanks to all that maintenance its a very smooth ride and I forget I'm driving over the Gulf of Mexico. Thankfully though, the state of Florida does not.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Photo Art

I’m sure there is a name for this, a photo of a scene of an artist painting a scene. If nothing else it’s circular in reference and something that would drive someone like me mad, but this is art, or photography, …or something else, so no madness today. I was in Banff Alberta along the Bow River when I captured this. That was in summer and I imagine now that winter has hit it looks a little different, perhaps a bit more white in the frame. I like to call what I do Photo Art because in a way I paint with light. My pallet is the of light of various apertures, yet it’s a pallet nonetheless. I could go on but you get the idea. New forms of art, new mediums. Thank you unknown artist, from you I draw inspiration.

I'm sure there is a name for this, a photo of a scene of an artist painting a scene. If nothing else it's circular in reference and something that would drive someone like me mad, but this is art, or photography, ...or something else, so no madness today. I was in Banff Alberta along the Bow River when I captured this. That was in summer and I imagine now that winter has hit it looks a little different, perhaps a bit more white in the frame. I like to call what I do Photo Art because in a way I paint with light. My pallet is the of light of various apertures, yet it's a pallet nonetheless. I could go on but you get the idea. New forms of art, new mediums. Thank you unknown artist, from you I draw inspiration.

Follow link to obtain a print of this photo.

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Saint Lucia Rain Forest

was in Saint Lucia recently and traveled up a mountain to a rainforest. I stopped at a shop along the way for some refreshments and then walked up a little path behind the food stand where I captured this stream in and amongst the lush vegetation. The rainforest are a source of water for the residents of the island and I found it a nice place to sit in the shade to escape the heat. We could use a rainforest or two near my home of Florida, but until that happens we’ll continue to use tiki bars for shade and refreshment.

was in Saint Lucia recently and traveled up a mountain to a rainforest. I stopped at a shop along the way for some refreshments and then walked up a little path behind the food stand where I captured this stream in and amongst the lush vegetation. The rainforest are a source of water for the residents of the island and I found it a nice place to sit in the shade to escape the heat. We could use a rainforest or two near my home of Florida, but until that happens we'll continue to use tiki bars for shade and refreshment.

Follow link to obtain a print of this photo.

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Cortez Sunset

Cortez is a little gem of a fishing village in central Florida. Because it’s on the way to the beach thousands of people drive by it every day and never stop. There are several fish markets tucked away which we like stopping into every now and then to pick up fresh catch. There are tree lined streets with quaint houses as well as a little trailer park where winter residents (aka snowbirds) love to come and escape the harsh winters up north. On the evening I took this several of the snowbirds where lined up in lawn chairs with their cocktails along the water to watch the sunset. It lasted for about 30 minutes and as soon as the colors faded they stood up and headed back to their homes. However I noticed they left their chairs behind so it seems to me they must repeat that ritual each evening. If I ever retire, I might just get a trailer down the road from my house and live the life of a snowbird in the little fishing village of Cortez Florida.

Cortez is a little gem of a fishing village in central Florida. Because it's on the way to the beach thousands of people drive by it every day and never stop. There are several fish markets tucked away which we like stopping into every now and then to pick up fresh catch. There are tree lined streets with quaint houses as well as a little trailer park where winter residents (aka snowbirds) love to come and escape the harsh winters up north. On the evening I took this several of the snowbirds where lined up in lawn chairs with their cocktails along the water to watch the sunset. It lasted for about 30 minutes and as soon as the colors faded they stood up and headed back to their homes. However I noticed they left their chairs behind so it seems to me they must repeat that ritual each evening. If I ever retire, I might just get a trailer down the road from my house and live the life of a snowbird in the little fishing village of Cortez Florida.

Follow link to to obtain a print of this photo.

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Quiet Corner of the Castle

This is a piano I found in a corner of the Scottish castle otherwise known as the Banff Springs Hotel, in Banff Alberta. When I was there I took quite a few photos of the place which is a small measure of how impressed I was by the ambiance and architecture. If anyone ever invents a time machine, this is the place I’d like to visit fifty or a hundred years ago. From the looks of the furnishings I’d think little has changed, it’s as though the place was cut right out of a movie set and a playground for the rich and famous. Perhaps the only difference now is that people like me, not so rich and famous, can wander the halls and get lost in reverie and imagination.

This is a piano I found in a corner of the Scottish castle otherwise known as the Banff Springs Hotel, in Banff Alberta. When I was there I took quite a few photos of the place which is a small measure of how impressed I was by the ambiance and architecture. If anyone ever invents a time machine, this is the place I'd like to visit fifty or a hundred years ago. From the looks of the furnishings I'd think little has changed, it's as though the place was cut right out of a movie set and a playground for the rich and famous. Perhaps the only difference now is that people like me, not so rich and famous, can wander the halls and get lost in reverie and imagination.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.